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Human Activities Help Alien Species to Invade the Mediterranean Sea

- Ioannis Giovos, Stelios Katsanevakis, Marta Coll, Chiara Piroddi, Jeroen Steenbeek, Frida Ben Rais Lasram, Argyro Zenetos, & Ana Cristina Cardoso

In the Mediterranean Sea, new species are frequently arriving through various introduction pathways. Because of the large number of new alien species and the large size of the Mediterranean Sea, it is very difficult to detect new alien species. Scientists from many countries work hard to find, observe, and monitor the alien species here, and collect as much information as possible. However, not only scientists can spot alien species. Many people visit the Mediterranean Sea for swimming, diving, or fishing. These citizens are also invited to report alien species to the blogs and authorities responsible for dealing with this threat. We call this citizen science—the contribution of citizens to the collection of data, which helps scientists. To bring together all the alien species data from various sources so that it is easy to find, the European Commission created the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN), where people can share information about alien species across Europe, including the Mediterranean Sea.

License information: CC BY 4.0
MPAA: G
Go to source: https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2019.00097

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