Work Package 7 ensures the smooth operation and coherence of the entire GuardIAS project. It covers everything from setting up the partnership and managing finances to developing clear reporting templates and a robust data management plan based on FAIR principles.
It supports coordination among all partners, fosters synergies with other European initiatives such as Biodiversa+, relevant ongoing Horizon projects and the Mission ‘Restore our Oceans and Waters’, and ensures that the project aligns with key EU biodiversity policy frameworks.
WP7 also promotes inclusivity by upholding ethical standards, equity, and gender balance.
Work Package 7 Deliverables:
I am most looking forward to collaborating with the Joint Research Centre (Task 7.6). This task offers a unique opportunity to ensure the GuardIAS outcomes directly support EU policy implementation, particularly through integration with EASIN. Strengthening this bridge between science and policy is crucial for the long-term impact and uptake of our work—and I see this as one of the most strategically significant aspects of the project.
What I look forward to most in my role in GuardIAS is shaping the scientific and strategic direction of a truly transdisciplinary effort to effectively manage aquatic invasive species. I particularly enjoy working at the interface of research, policy, and practice—bringing together diverse expertise, coordinating complex tasks, and ensuring that our outputs are both scientifically robust and actionable for real-world biodiversity management.
I’m particularly intrigued by the technological innovations in Work Package 2, especially the use of autonomous underwater vehicles, AI-enhanced species identification, acoustic monitoring, and upscaled eDNA sampling for early detection of invasive species. These technologies represent a step-change in how we monitor aquatic ecosystems—offering scalable, non-invasive, and highly sensitive methods that could transform our ability to detect and respond to biological invasions in real time.
I see liaising with European and other key international initiatives and networks as a critical driver of long-term impact. By actively building synergies and fostering collaboration with major European and global initiatives, this task will help ensure that GuardIAS is not an isolated effort but part of a broader, coordinated response to invasive species. I hope this networking will lead to aligned strategies, shared tools, and sustained collaboration, creating a ripple effect that strengthens the collective capacity to prevent and manage biological invasions across ecosystems and borders.
“GuardIAS is more than a research project—it is a platform for harmonising Europe’s response to aquatic invasive species, linking science, policy, and practice through deep integration, robust data sharing, and cross-sectoral collaboration.”
“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.”
Stelios Katsanevakis is a professor in marine ecology. His research focuses on (1) marine conservation and systematic conservation planning, (2) ecological monitoring using both traditional (scientific diving) and novel (remote sensing, eDNA, robotics) methods, and (3) the impacts of biological invasions on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
He has participated as coordinator or principal researcher in >50 research projects, and was the Chair of the COST Action MarCons ‘Advancing marine conservation in the European and contiguous seas’. He currently coordinates the Horizon Europe project GuardIAS ‘Guarding European Waters from Invasive Alien Species’.
He is (co)author of 245 peer-reviewed articles in international journals, and his work has received >21,000 citations (scholar.google). He is included among the top 1% scientists worldwide in Marine Biology, based on Scopus standardized citation metrics (http://bit.ly/4nie8CZ).
