Decline in Kappaphycus alvarezii invasion in the Gulf of Mannar, India

Arundo donax L.: Ecological Traits Driving Invasiveness and Challenges for Sustainable Management

Arundo donax L., generally known as common reed, is a perennial microthermal grass belonging to the Poaceae family, widely distributed in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of the world. Although its origin is still the subject of scientific debate, many phylogenetic studies place it in central-southern or eastern Asia. Regardless of its area of origin, A. donax was spread due to anthropogenic activities and has had multiple waves of introduction. While substantial research has focused on the biological and bioenergetic potential of A. donax, its extreme ecological resilience represents a critical paradox for ecosystem management. The very traits that make this species an attractive crop—such as high primary productivity, rapid vegetative propagation, and epigenetic plasticity—are the driving forces behind its severe invasiveness in riparian ecosystems. This review aims to re-examine the physiological and genetic mechanisms of A. donax through a management-oriented lens, providing a critical evaluation of why current eradication strategies frequently fail and highlighting the urgent need for integrated control frameworks.

Reassessing the Invasion History of the Genus Carcinus in Argentine Patagonia: Morphological and Mitochondrial Evidence for Multiple Introduction Events

The edible brown alga Sargassum fusiforme (Fucales) at the southern distributional limit in mainland Japan has declined on coasts facing the open ocean, showing reduced size and density

The status of the edible brown alga Sargassum fusiforme (Fucales) in Kagoshima in 2025, located at the southern distributional limit in Kyushu, mainland Japan, was investigated to assess whether its populations were stable or declining, based on comparisons with herbarium specimens and records from previous studies conducted between the 1960s and 2010s. Population coverage and biomass (population volume index), individual weight and height, and the degree of herbivory were measured in both field and laboratory settings. As a result, stable populations with high coverage and large biomass were observed in sheltered or semi‐enclosed areas such as the inner part of Kagoshima Bay and the Yatsushiro Sea. In contrast, this alga had largely declined or disappeared in areas facing the open ocean, including many former collection sites in previous studies. Modeling the relationship between site topographic openness and the thallus height at the study sites, in comparison with past collection sites, revealed that the overall morphology of S. fusiforme exhibited significant elongation at moderate openness levels in both the 2025 and past datasets. Conversely, limited algal heights were recorded at highly open sites facing the open ocean, suggesting that poor growth or herbivory impacts directly or indirectly associated with climate change may be influencing these populations. Furthermore, given the strong positive correlation observed between reduced population density and algal height, suppression of thallus elongation by these factors likely results in a decline in population density, ultimately leading to population decline or local extirpation.

Spartina alterniflora in coastal wetlands: ecological impacts, management trade-offs, and future pathways

Spartina alterniflora, one of the most widespread invasive salt-marsh plants globally, has profoundly altered the structure and functioning of coastal wetlands through its influences on sediment dynamics, biodiversity, biogeochemical cycling, and ecosystem resilience. However, the ecological consequences and management implications of its invasion remain highly controversial because its impacts vary substantially across wetland types, climatic regions, and invasion stages. To clarify the development and emerging directions of S. alterniflora research, this study provides a systematic review of S. alterniflora research, highlighting advances, challenges, and prospects in this field. Bibliometric and quantitative methods assessed research trends, while synthesized ecological findings highlight S. alterniflora’s impacts, such as increased soil carbon sequestration and biodiversity shifts. Literature spanning 1929–2026 from the Web of Science database and Chinese-funded projects recorded in the Fun Research database (1987–2026) formed the basis of the analysis. Bibliometric analysis, keyword co-occurrence clustering, and multiple correspondence analysis were applied to examine knowledge structure, thematic evolution, and research trends. The results demonstrate that S. alterniflora research has evolved from early studies focusing on plant growth, invasion ecology, and salt-marsh dynamics toward increasingly interdisciplinary investigations emphasizing blue carbon, climate change interactions, ecosystem resilience, and adaptive management. Three major thematic domains were identified: invasion ecology and biodiversity responses, biogeochemical cycling and blue carbon processes, and climate-related vulnerability and adaptation research. The ecological impacts of S. alterniflora were found to be strongly context-dependent across salt marshes, mangrove ecosystems, and tidal flats, generating both ecosystem benefits, such as shoreline stabilization and sediment accretion, and ecological risks including biodiversity loss, habitat homogenization, and altered trophic interactions. This review further highlights substantial uncertainties in evaluating the net climatic effects of S. alterniflora invasion due to spatial heterogeneity, greenhouse gas offsets, microbial feedbacks, and limitations in current blue carbon accounting frameworks. Recent advances in remote sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles, machine learning, and molecular ecology are rapidly improving the capacity to monitor invasion dynamics and assess ecosystem responses across multiple spatial and temporal scales. This study emphasizes that S. alterniflora should not be viewed solely as either a harmful invasive species or a beneficial ecosystem engineer, but rather as a complex ecological driver embedded within coupled coastal socio-ecological systems in the Anthropocene. Future research and management should therefore adopt integrated, context-dependent, and adaptive frameworks that simultaneously consider biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation, coastal resilience, and long-term ecosystem sustainability.

Co-occurrence of temperate and tropical Sinanodonta lineages in Iraq suggests converging invasion pathways in the Middle East

Freshwater mussels of the genus Sinanodonta , native to East Asia, are among the most successful invasive bivalves globally, known for their rapid reproduction and growth, broad environmental tolerances, and ability to disrupt aquatic ecosystems. Their arrival and subsequent spread in parts of the Middle East remains poorly documented. Here, we present new DNA-based evidence that confirms the invasion of Iraq’s freshwater ecosystems by two genetically distinct Sinanodonta lineages: Sinanodonta woodiana and Sinanodonta pacifica . Using COI DNA sequences, we confirm the co-occurrence of these lineages in southern Iraq, a pattern not previously reported in any Middle Eastern country. The two invasions appear to result from independent introduction pathways, both through their obligatory parasitic larvae on fish: aquaculture of East Asian carp ( S. woodiana ), and the ornamental fish trade or tilapia farming ( S. pacifica ). This discovery raises significant ecological concerns, as the dual invasion may further threaten Iraq’s already declining native mussel fauna, particularly the endemic and potentially extirpated Anodonta vescoiana . Our findings highlight Iraq as an emerging hotspot for freshwater biological invasions, likely driven by its growing and largely unregulated fish farming industry. This underscores the urgent need for targeted genetic monitoring, risk assessments, and biosecurity measures to prevent further spread and ecological impact.

From Rock Pools to Aquaculture: The Genus Tigriopus as an Experimental Model and Emerging Aquaculture Resource

Overall, Tigriopus should be regarded as a genus of growing relevance for aquaculture, not only as live prey but also as a potential source of functional biomass.