Outcomes of the LIFE INVASAQUA project: An integrated approach for the prevention and awareness of aquatic invasive species in the Iberian Peninsula

L&#243;pez-Ca&#241;izares, Celia; Olivo-Del Amo, Rosa; Guill&#233;n, Antonio; Torralva, Mar; Anastacio, Pedro; Banha, Filipe; Brand&#227;o, Pedro; Barca, Sandra; Cobo, Fernando; Vieira Lanero, Rufino; Casals, Frederic; S&#225;nchez-Gonz&#225;lez, Jorge; Perdices, Anabel; Machordom, Annie; Miranda, Rafael; Oscoz, Javier; Numa, Catherine; Clavero-Sousa, Helena; L&#225;zaro-Mar&#237;n, Lourdes; Ribeiro, Filipe; Oficialdegui, Francisco J.; Zamora Marin, Jose Manuel; Oliva Paterna, Francisco J

doi:10.3897/neobiota.102.148744

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Article: Outcomes of the LIFE INVASAQUA project: An integrated approach for the prevention and awareness of aquatic invasive species in the Iberian Peninsula

Title

Outcomes of the LIFE INVASAQUA project: An integrated approach for the prevention and awareness of aquatic invasive species in the Iberian Peninsula

By

López-Cañizares, Olivo-Del Amo, Rosa Guillén, Antonio Torralva, Mar Anastacio, Pedro Banha, Filipe Brandão, Pedro Barca, Sandra Cobo, Fernando Vieira Lanero, Rufino Casals, Frederic Sánchez-González, Perdices, Anabel Machordom, Annie Miranda, Rafael Oscoz, Javier Numa, Catherine Clavero-Sousa, Helena Lázaro-Marín, Ribeiro, Filipe Oficialdegui, Francisco J. Zamora Marin, Jose Manuel Oliva Paterna, Francisco J Celia

Jorge

Lourdes

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-10-7

Original Publication

NeoBiota : advancing research on alien species and biological invasions

Volume

102

Pages

377--397

Subjects

Biological invasions , Communication , freshwater systems , governance , public engagement , transnational management

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sophia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.102.148744

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License Type URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Rights: https://biodiversitylibrary.org/permissions
Copyright Status: In copyright. Digitized with the permission of the rights holder.
Rights Holder: Copyright held by individual article author(s).

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Invasive alien species (IAS) pose a growing threat to biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being, particularly in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. These species lead to severe environmental and economic impacts by altering habitats, disrupting ecological processes and outcompeting native species. In the Iberian Peninsula, IAS represent a major risk to its unique freshwater and estuarine ecosystems, which are particularly vulnerable to biological invasions due to their connection to human activities and high number of endemic species. Awareness of IAS and their impacts among the general public and stakeholders in Spain and Portugal remains limited, hindering effective management strategies and policies. The LIFE INVASAQUA project (2018–2023), co-funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Commission (LIFE17 GIE/ES/000515), aimed to support management, communication and the dissemination of information on aquatic IAS in the Iberian Peninsula. To achieve this, diverse partners were involved, including universities, research institutions, an environmental news agency and NGOs. Key actions included the production of governance tools such as strategic recommendations and IAS priority lists and communication resources such as a traveling exhibition for the public and codes of conduct for stakeholders. The project delivered 98 training activities to over 2,900 participants and engaged more than 430 institutions and 246,000 people through 598 public events in Spain and Portugal. LIFE INVASAQUA significantly enhanced public awareness and transnational collaboration, evidenced by improved communication, increased social media engagement, and positive shifts in public perception, as revealed by 7,078 records of a survey based on a questionnaire on the Iberian public’s perspectives. These outcomes foster strengthened IAS management frameworks and support implementation of relevant European and national regulations. The project’s long-term efforts focus on developing and replicating actions with the greatest audience reach and the highest impact on public perception of IAS issues. Lessons learned include the importance of sustained public engagement, the need for continued stakeholder collaboration, and the effectiveness of integrating educational campaigns with policy enforcement for sustained success in IAS management.