Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Addressing the challenges posed by Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) demands coordinated efforts across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. In this study, we engaged a diverse group of 90 Italian researchers operating within these three domains to identify and assess strategies for advancing NIS research, using a structured, interactive and expert-driven methodology. The process began with a comprehensive evaluation of ongoing activities, research methodologies and specific needs. This assessment provided information for the development of an initial set of suggestions to ameliorate NIS research, which were collectively discussed and refined, leading to the identification of six good practices identified by the acronym TRACKS and described as: i ) Tracking NIS in biodiversity data collection; ii ) Reference protocols for NIS data collection; iii ) Active participation; iv ) Collaboration and FAIR principles; v ) Knowledge hub for NIS data; vi ) Strategic communication. A SWOT framework was then applied to analyse the internal and external factors influencing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats associated with each good practice. Consensus-building techniques were used throughout the evaluation process to ensure the robustness of outcomes. Finally, a quantitative assessment of the SWOT analysis revealed a strong consensus amongst experts regarding the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the different good practices, along with a general optimism about the opportunities and strengths associated with their implementation. Developed within the Italian research community, this approach offered valuable insights to researchers worldwide working on NIS and enabled the expert assessment of six best practices that may serve as a benchmark for advancing the science of biological invasions.
Source: NeoBiota
Authors: Ernesto Azzurro, Pierluigi Strafella, Sandro Bertolino, Lucilla Carnevali, Fabio Crocetta, Cristina Di Muri, Piero Genovesi, Andrea Monaco, Ilaria Rosati, Elena Tricarico, Gianfranco Anfora, Nicola Maria Giuseppe Ardenghi, Emilio Badalamenti, Fabio Badalamenti, Rosario Balestrieri, Umberto Bernardo, Angela Boggero, Luca Bolognini, Rossano Bolpagni, Giuseppe Brundu, Thomas Campagnaro, Sarah Caronni, Francesca Casella, Luca Castriota, Simona Ceschin, Stefania Chiesa, Marco Ciolfi, Francesca Ciutti, Arturo Cocco, Salvatore Coco, Manuela D’Amen, Giovanni D’Anna, Antonio Di Franco, Ambrosius Josef Martin Dörr, Antonia Elia, Massimo Faccoli, Mattia Falaschi, Manuela Falautano, Jasmine Ferrario, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Sandro Flore, Vincenzo Maximiliano Giacalone, Massimo Giorgini, Daniele Grech, Emilio Guerrieri, Lyudmila Kamburska, Tommaso La Mantia, Valentina La Morgia, Marco Lauteri, Tamara Lazić, Lorenzo Lazzaro, Silvia Livi, Massimo Lorenzoni, Laura Loru, Teresa Maggio, Lara Maistrello, Giorgio Mancinelli, Emanuele Mancini, Anna Maria Mannino, Agnese Marchini, Adriano Martinoli, Valeria Montalto, Emiliano Mori, Luigi Musco, Annamaria Nocita, Francesco Nonnis Marzano, Francesco Nugnes, Daniele Paganelli, Tommaso Petochi, Antonella Petrocelli, Cataldo Pierri, Carlo Pipitone, Stefano Piraino, Paola Pollegioni, Alessandro Rinaldi, Pietro Maria Rontani, Marco Valerio Rossi Stacconi, Fernando Rubino, Nico Salmaso, Raffaele Sasso, Davide Scaccini, Massimiliano Scalici, Giuseppe Scarcella, Donatella Serio, Lorenzo Tancioni, Cristina Tarantino, Enea Tentoni, Francesco Tiralongo, Francesco Tortorici, Pietro Volta, Bruno Zava, Jacopo Cerri
Institutions: National Research Council, Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, University of Turin, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, University of Florence, University of Trento, University of Pavia, University of Palermo, Institute for the Study of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in the Marine Environment, Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, Water Research Institute, University of Parma, University of Sassari, University of Padua, University of Milano-Bicocca, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Roma Tre University, Fondazione Edmund Mach, University of Perugia, University of Milan, Fondazione Centro Marino Internazionale, University of Bari Aldo Moro, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, University of Salento, University of Insubria, National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, University of Catania, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $970
OpenAlex ID: W7127180235