The MarINvaders Toolkit

Abstract

The introduction and establishment of alien (non-native) species to foreign ecosystems is a key threat for marine biodiversity (Katsanevakis et al., 2014; Molnar et al., 2008; Seebens et al., 2017). Ecosystem pressures from invasive species are considered the most difficult to reverse (MEA, 2005) and are expected to increase in the near- and mid-term future (Seebens et al., 2021). Of particular concern are alien species which become established and out-compete local species on a large scale, thus becoming an invasive species. The Northern Pacific sea-star (Asterias amurensis) was, for example, introduced to Australia and Tasmania around the 1990’s and has since become a major threat to endangered species in the Sea around Australia, as well as disrupting Australian aquaculture (GISD, 2021). Global research efforts to estimate the native distribution and alien introduction of marine species are spread over several databases. Principally, in combination these databases can be used to assess the native/alien status of a certain species or all species present in a marine ecoregion (Spalding et al., 2007) although the databases provide information with varying levels of resolution. The MarINvaders Toolkit cross-references these databases and harmonizes the retrieved species distribution and status information. This allows the user to assess the alien and native distribution of marine species across regions on an individual species or ecoregion level.