Aquatic invasive non‑native species can disrupt the delicate balance of our ecosystems, displacing native wildlife and altering habitats. From spreading diseases to creating new competition, their impacts can be far-reaching.
In our increasingly connected world, these species are spreading more easily than ever, and climate change is increasing their chances of becoming established.
To address this growing threat the GB Non-native Species Secretariat are dedicating a week to highlighting simple actions we can all take to prevent the accidental introduction and spread of these species, and to guide you on what to do if you encounter them. Join us as we explore how everyone can play a vital role in safeguarding Britain's precious coast and waterways.
To kick off Invasive Species week, we thought we would share some recent non-native research highlights from Cefas.
Deployment of settlement panel monitoring on our SmartBuoys
Settlement panels are artificial structures used to monitor fouling species in marine environments. When placed in invasive species hotspots, such as ports and marinas, the animals in the water nearby find the empty panel and grow on it. We recover the panels from the water, take it to the lab and see what has moved in, allowing us to identify any priority invasive species in that area. This process enables settlement panels to be used as a vital early warning tool for detecting marine invasive non-native species. Over the past year, we have deployed settlement panels on Cefas SmartBuoys around the UK coast- demonstrating how existing technology can be adapted in innovative ways to support multidisciplinary monitoring and strengthen our ability to rapidly detect emerging marine threats.
A Cefas SmarbuoyInternational representation
International collaboration is essential to effectively predict and tackle threats to our ecosystems. Our team at Cefas have engaged in international collaboration through attending and presenting a national update on invasive species work in the UK at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working Group on Marine Bioinvasions (WGBIOINV) meeting in Sète, France, kindly hosted by Ifremer. Additionally, our staff presented work at the International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions (ICMB) in Maderia on how invasive species are using seafloor litter to settle and disperse.
ICES working group colleaguesInvasive species on seafloor macrolitter study
Plastic litter items are widely spread across marine environments and well documented in the UK. As part of the Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme the team at Cefas analysed seafloor macrolitter items trawled from various locations around the coast of England and Wales, resulting in the detection of invasive species on the litter. This study uncovered a previously undocumented threat to UK marine biodiversity, confirming the spread of invasive species via seabed litter in UK waters, presenting new challenges for the management and protection of the UK’s marine environment.
The first paper can be found here: Seafloor macrolitter as a settling platform for non-native species: A case study from UK waters - ScienceDirect
This research is now being expanded with a much larger study to be published later in 2026, so watch this space.
Cefas scientist holding plastic sheeting with barnacle species Solidobalanus fallax.To learn more about invasive species visit the GB Non-native Species Secretariat,where you can also find guidance on how to help tackle the threat of invasive species and how to report sightings of invasives
https://marinescience.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/22/welcome-to-invasive-species-week-what-is-cefas-doing/
seen at 09:38, 22 June in Marine Science.