Work Package 2 Deliverables:
2026 Updates
Satellite imagery is being used to conduct a time series analysis of marine IAS throughout 2026. The bioacoustics team is expanding research with new freshwater species recordings and lionfish vocalisations, while BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video) systems equipped with hydrophones are being tested. A GuardIAS Sound Library is being developed in collaboration with VLIZ.
eDNA is being used to support real-world management in Belgium and the Netherlands. By using African clawed frogs, and marbled crayfish, the GuardIAS team is helping managers evaluate the success of interventions like fyke netting and quicklime application. To conclude the year’s efforts, GuardIAS will lead a major workshop at ICAIS 2026 in Belfast, bringing together experts and policymakers to bridge the “knowing–doing gap” and move eDNA from simple detection to advanced invasion management.
The GuardIAS iNaturalist project Aquatic Invasive Alien Species Occurring in Europe aims to improve AI training by increasing the number of IAS images and enhance detection accuracy through expert validation of observations. The team also aims to expand the spatial and temporal scale of IAS monitoring across Europe through contributions from citizen naturalists and increase public awareness of IAS through community events and active engagement. By making IAS identification faster and more reliable, this approach will support early detection and long-term monitoring efforts. The project currently has 83 members and includes 251 invasive species. More than 100 experts have been contacted directly to contribute by providing reference material and by identifying or confirming observations, particularly for species not yet recognised by iNaturalist’s integrated AI system. Finally, the iNaturalist observation data are being used to analyse IAS distribution patterns and compare them with records from other monitoring platforms.
GuardIAS software development and ecology experts are also developing an early alert tool – a technical component of an early warning system that detects and signals risks by generating alerts. The GBIF Alert system, originally developed within the LIFE RIPARIAS project, harvests and visualises GBIF data and allows users to configure email notifications for new records of alien species within areas of interest. GuardIAS will further develop and upscale this tool to the European level in collaboration with EASIN and OneSTOP.
I’m particularly excited about the possibility of increasing species observations through active participation in the project—especially for species that currently have very few records. I’m also looking forward to potentially uncovering new locations of invasive species as well as potential recorded introduction incidences that were previously undocumented .
So far, I’ve really enjoyed engaging with active iNaturalist users who are interested in joining our project and eager to learn more about it. Seeing their enthusiasm or sometimes their skepticism and having the opportunity to communicate the importance of our work has been especially rewarding.
I find it fascinating to see how all the different methods (hydroacoustics, eDNA sampling, iNaturalist records etc.) across the project will come together to build a comprehensive understanding of invasive species distribution, abundance, and impact across Europe. I’m particularly interested in what each technology contributes, how they compare, and how their integration will enhance our knowledge in this topic.
From my personal experience using iNaturalist, I’ve come to really appreciate the vibrant and engaged community it supports. Using the platform has made me more aware of my surroundings, has made me more vigilant about recording species and has instilled in me a sense of responsibility in recording and verifying observations. I hope this effect spreads to other members of the project, inspiring ongoing engagement and awareness in our recording of invasive species.
“This project is not just about managing invasive species today—it’s about developing a proactive approach that anticipates future ecological challenges, ensuring robust ecosystems and sustainable marine environments for generations to come”
“For over 35 years, since I first began studying non-indigenous species, I have dreamed of tools that could reveal the ‘Big Picture’ of the transfer, spread, and impacts of invasive aquatic species. Thanks to advances in new technologies, the GuardIAS project now offers an outstanding opportunity to make that vision a reality.”
Mark John Costello is an ecologist specialising in biogeography, Marine Protected Areas, the effects of climate change on biodiversity, aquaculture-environment interactions (including sea lice biology and control on salmon farms), ecotoxicology, and marine and freshwater ecology.
He pioneered ‘Ocean biodiversity informatics’, notably by leading the establishment of the World Register of Marine Species and Ocean Biodiversity Information System databases. He played leading roles in many international organisations, including: being a lead author in the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 6th Assessment Report where he co-led the Cross Cutting Chapter on Biodiversity Hotspots; co-chairing the Group on Earth Observations Marine Biodiversity Observation Network for 10 years; President and Secretary of the International Association for Biological Oceanography; and Vice-Chair of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Scientific Committee.
Mark has supervised over 70 graduate students. He has over 290 peer-reviewed publications cited over 27,000 times. He currently leads the MBON Europe initiative to establish a long-term network of marine biodiversity monitoring in Europe, and MPA Europe, a project mapping the best places to protect biodiversity and carbon stores in all European seas.
From Ireland, a fascination with wildlife led to studying in Galway (BSc Hon.), followed by a PhD based in Ireland’s only Marine Reserve, post-doc’s at the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth England and Scottish Office Aberdeen and Napier University in Edinburgh Scotland, a lectureship in Trinity College Dublin, establishing the environmental consulting company EcoServe, and a term as Executive Director of the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in Canada until returning to an academic position in Auckland New Zealand. He is currently a professor at Nord University, Arctic Norway, and a Visiting Professor at the Ocean University of China, Qingdao.
