Italia-Croatia

Review of non-indigenous species and causes determining their invasiveness in Adriatic Sea

This work package lays the groundwork for the subsequent project phases. A crucial initial step involves identifying key non-indigenous species (NIS) that pose a threat to marine ecosystems, local communities, and socio-economic activities within the Adriatic region.

By examining scientific literature and existing monitoring reports, partners selected specific NIS for targeted action in their pilot areas, considering factors such as frequency of occurrence and potential impact. To gain a deeper understanding of the factors driving NIS invasion and proliferation, environmental parameters and ecosystem aspects have be analyzed.

Additionally, the project investigated existing management tools and practices to identify effective strategies for controlling the spread of NIS.

The final output is a transnational public event to be jointly organised by the partners and to be held in September 2025 in Lecce (Italy).

- Identification of non-indigenous species which can pose a threat to ecosystems and human activities in the Adriatic sea

The activity focuses on analyzing pilot areas along the Adriatic coast to assess the presence and potential arrival of non-indigenous species (NIS) and invasive alien species (IAS), considering a 30-year timeframe based on scientific literature and monitoring reports.

A collaborative effort led by ARPA FVG, involving various research institutions, aims to create a comprehensive database and report on NIS, evaluating their impact on biodiversity and socio-economic activities, while defining common criteria for data collection and analysis.

- Identification of target NIS and main driving forces determining presence and invasiveness

Starting with a list of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) from the previous activity, the project selected between some target NIS for each Pilot Area. This selection considered the connections between these species and the local ecosystems, biodiversity, and human activities within each area.

Once the target species have been defined, a limited number of factors (driving forces) that are primarily able to determine the presence/absence or the invasiveness of the target species were analysed based on scientific literature and available studies.

ARPA Puglia will lead this activity, with contributions from ARPA FVG, IRB, and IOF for their respective Pilot Areas and relevant NIS.

- Review of existing management systems related to each target species already in place

Within the European Union, particularly in the Adriatic Sea, management systems for Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) lack uniformity, and there's limited information on the biology of most marine taxa and communities. This scarcity of knowledge contributes to scientific and public uncertainty regarding the outcomes of management actions. This uncertainty is further compounded by the diffuse and often unclear distribution of management responsibilities, authority, costs, and benefits. However, the increasing significance of the topic has led to several studies on NIS management systems in recent decades.

This activity involves a review of existing NIS management strategies and a creation of a list of current management systems related to target species that pose a potential threat in the pilot areas. 

Improved shared protocols for non-indigenous species detection, monitoring and management

This work package is dedicated to defining and implementing common monitoring activities for target Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) in the Adriatic Sea, with the ultimate goal of developing early warning protocols. The approach is multifaceted, focusing on improving observation, enhancing monitoring capabilities through technology, and developing forecasting systems.

The main steps and planned activities include: the planning and implementation of the monitoring campaigns, the development of Simulation Models and Forecasting Systems, the creation of Early warning protocols for target NIS and the consultation of stakeholders.

The final outputs are the pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in the project, and the resulting set of early warning protocols for the different target NIS defined from the integration of the monitoring and modelling systems tested and validated.

- Planning and designing the monitoring campaign and forecast system for target NIS

This deliverable provides a comprehensive report detailing the current situation regarding target Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) in each Pilot Area. Its core function is to present the proposal and planning for the improved monitoring and forecasting solutions to be implemented within the subsequent ALIENA Pilot activities.

- Simulation models and forecasting systems implemented in the pilot areas

Simulation models and forecasting systems have been developed to predict environmental conditions that favor the presence and spread of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) across the Adriatic Sea, using the driving forces identified in Work Package 1.

This work builds on existing numerical models from previous Interreg projects like AdriaClim and CASCADE.

The models have been refined and validated using the real-time monitoring data collected during the Pilot Actions.Data from the Pilot Actions have been used to refine and validate these models, which update forecasts daily.

Ensuring public awareness, stakeholder involvement and knowledge transfer

While the ecological impact of NIS is widely reported, the economic impact of biological invasions is less investigated, especially at the local and regional levels. The objective of this work package is twofold:

• To develop a robust and transparent conceptual framework for assessing the costs of NIS at the Adriatic scale.
• To provide an economic justification for the design and implementation of monitoring, control, and mitigation actions by policymakers and other stakeholders.

- Ocean literacy

The project takes a decisive step toward raising awareness among citizens and stakeholders by enhancing Ocean Literacy. The goal is to promote more responsible and informed behavior toward the sea and its resources, fostering a deeper understanding of the mutual influence between the ocean and socio-economic systems.

Capitalizing on the results of the previous CASCADE experience, the project is developing an innovative Digital Hub, a comprehensive multimedia 'toolkit' for users.

- Assessing the economic impact of NIS in the Adriatic region: a conceptual framework

The two deliverables for this activity are crucial outputs for understanding the financial consequences of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) in the Adriatic region.

In the "Guidelines for economic impact assessment of NIS in the Adriatic region" report, there is a set of indications and guidelines intended for developing an integrated framework to assess the economic impact of NIS in the Adriatic.

The "Economic evaluation of NIS impact in sample project areas" report contains the quantitative results of the cost calculation related to NIS presence. The evaluation has been conducted for one species and one pilot area.