A new inventory coordinated by 31 researchers from 11 Portuguese universities updated to 231 the number of confirmed exotic marine species in Portuguese waters, including five never before recorded in the country, discovered on the southwest coast near the Port of Sines through a monitoring program since 1997. The study, published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, reveals that maritime transport – through ballast water and biofouling on hulls – is the main pathway of introduction, with aquaculture having significant weight on the mainland. The team also developed a watchlist of 22 species detected exclusively through environmental DNA, functioning as an early warning system, but warns that only 12.5% of genetic sequences were obtained from specimens collected in Portuguese waters, underscoring the need to strengthen sample collection to improve the accuracy of genetic surveillance.
Wilder03/09/26, 14:33
