Breaking News! Code UFB!!! Arctic sea-ice has now begun its Spring melt and this year's maximum has passed, at 13,757,000 km² on March 7th. This means a new record low Arctic sea-ice maximum has been set, beating the old record low, set just last year, by about 26,000 km².

🚨 New study by #SPEmembers 🚨 #AnimalBehaviour #Ethology "Acoustic repertoire and anatomical features of the flying gurnard from the Adriatic Sea" Horvatić & Vieira et al. with SPE members Manuel Vieira, M Clara Amorim, and Paulo Fonseca @ Journal of zoology

>550 abstracts received for the #ECSA61 #conference, but the submission has been extended until 31st March. Don't miss our Special Session on better preventing & managing marine #BiologicalInvasions in estuarine and coastal waters #MarineEcology #Research #InvasiveSpecies #bioinvasions #GuardIAS🌍🌐

#GuardIAS is one of the projects supporting the #ECSA61 conference in Brussels on "Bridging the gap between science and policy in estuarine and coastal marine #biodiversity: the way forward". Submissions until 31 March! 🌐🌍 #bioinvasions

The effects of cumulative pressures at sea are important. At #GES4SEAS we have written a policy brief to show managers some tools allowing to take action on this #ocean problem #MarineEcology #Research Read it here: zenodo.org/records/1894...

🦞 #GuardIAS is supporting the control of invasive red swamp crayfish at two sites in Italy, exploring field management actions, monitoring, & lessons for improving freshwater biodiversity protection. 👉 guardias.eu/controlling-... #InvasiveAlienSpecies #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

How hot will the seafloor get? A new Spotlight in TREE highlights our Konsta et al paper: bottom marine #heatwaves could expose >90% of #Mediterranean benthic species to extreme heat for 150–300 days/year by 2100. 🌐🌍🌊 #ClimateChange 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...

Please disseminate these opportunities for #EarlyCareerResearchers. #Conservation #restoration #jobs #acoustics #monitoring 🌐🌍🌊

📢 Two open positions in our lab at the Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean (Greece). If you are interested in #MarineBiodiversity, #conservation, and research on marine ecosystems, consider applying. Details below 👇

A single marbled crayfish can start a population alone. 🦞 In the Netherlands, we're using eDNA to protect ponds from this rapid invader. At this stage, control is still possible! Read more: guardias.eu/tracking-mar... #GuardIAS #InvasiveSpecies #Netherlands #eDNA #Science

Today is #WorldWildlifeDay2026 and it is a good day to launch our #GES4SEAS Tikta software to assess the cumulative effects at sea and its environmental status. Learn here in this video #MarineEcology #Research youtu.be/POx9iXz1ufo

🔔 Registrations for the #GuardIAS summer school 2026 will close on 15 March 🔔 Explore the program and meet the trainers: guardias.eu/welcome-to-t... Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... #InvasiveAlienSpecies #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

New Policy Brief! 🛥️Biofouling is a big risk for invasive species spread—yet still unregulated. #GuardIAS pushes research, AI tools, risk models & boater engagement to tackle biofouling and protect European waters. #Biofouling #InvasiveSpecies #bioinvasions 🌍🌐🧪 Check 👉 guardias.eu/wp-content/u...

This article is related to this scientific paper published in Biological Conservation, where I focus on the legal vacuum in addressing the impact of pets on wildlife and suggest ways to bridging the gap between conservation and animal welfare laws in the EU. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

We are ending this #ges4seas #mooc During one month, you have seen that: - We have the #policies, - We have the #science, - We need the #society, ... - We need you to change the narrative about the #ocean in communication! We need #oceanoptimism

Recovery of marine #TopPredators is achievable. Our global review identified 481 success stories. The commonest management measure was bycatch reduction (57%), followed by the establishment of #MPAs (15%) and #InvasiveSpecies management (6%) 👉 www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar... 🌍🌐🧪 #OceanOptimism

Last summer, #GuardIAS ran marina events for boaters and staff to look at what’s growing under your boat, spotting invasive alien species early helps protect marine and freshwater biodiversity. Read more: 👉 guardias.eu/marina-event... #InvasiveAlienSpecies #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

Tracking pink salmon in Northern Norway. 🐟 Using eDNA, blowfly iDNA, and bow-tie analysis to map their impact on the Arctic tundra, see how we're scaling up detection of 'zombie' salmon. 👉 guardias.eu/scaling-up-p... #GuardIAS #InvasiveAlienSpecies #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

We will repost and comment your examples, which can serve to others to take action! Help us to expand the good news about the #ocean and promote a change of narrative #ges4seas needs you! Comment here, provide your examples, repost and come to the last 2 days of the #mooc #marineecology #research

Under water, in denial: is Europe drowning out the climate crisis? www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

Only three years on record have seen global sea-surface temperatures above 21.0°C (69.8°F). You guessed it, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The graphic below plots sea-surface temperatures since 1982, omitting the last three years. Hot times ahead! Stay tuned!

All the examples we have seen up to now are supported by good science. We have the UN Decade of the Oceans 2021-2030 "The science we need for the ocean we want" to do this good science @UNOceanDecade #ges4seas #mooc #oceanoptimism https://oceandecade.org/

You can discover the #MPAs in the world, and their status, using this link of Protected Planet, where 16,805 MPAs are presented https://www.protectedplanet.net/en/thematic-areas/marine-protected-areas #ges4seas #mooc #oceanoptimism #marineecology #research

More hope for #ocean The Marine Protection Atlas measures progress toward protecting 30% of the #ocean in fully and highly protected areas by 2030. As of today, 9.6% of the ocean is protected and 3.2% is highly protected. #ges4seas #mooc #oceanoptimism #marineecology #research https://mpatlas.org/

🐸 In Flanders, #GuardIAS is helping prioritise control of the invasive American bullfrog by identifying where action will have the greatest impact and engaging local stakeholders. 👉 guardias.eu/prioritising... #InvasiveAlienSpecies #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

#Biodiversity doesn’t follow borders — but #conservation policy still does. A new policy brief, inspired by Haubrock et al. (2026), calls for cross-border coordination, open ecological data, and stronger early warning to tackle #InvasiveSpecies. Supported by #GuardIAS #bioinvasions 🧪🌐🌍

Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) can play a decisive role in reaching biodiversity targets — yet they remain underused and unevenly assessed. 🌍🌐 #Biodiversity #Conservation #OECMs #NaturePolicy #ProtectedAreas #GlobalBiodiversityFramework

100 years of January sea surface temperature anomalies. Note the long-term warming and patterns of climate variability (e.g., El Niño/La Niña). Data from NOAA ERSSTv5 at psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded...

"Marine-based sectors in East Antarctica, representing ~5 m of potential sea-level rise, are at risk of losing stability at 2–5 °C." Not one #TippingPoint — a network of them. The clock is ticking. #ClimateChange 🌍🌐🧪

We follow with our previous comment on rebuilding sea life Duarte et al (in Nature, in 2020) think that sustainably use of the #ocean requires this rebuilding Recovery of #habitats and ecosystems following past #conservation interventions #ges4seas #mooc #oceanoptimism #marineecology #research […]

🌊 #ECSA61 Special Session 32 How can we better prevent & manage marine biological invasions in estuarine and coastal waters? 📍 Brussels | 24–27 Aug 2026 🗓 Abstracts due: 6 Mar 2026 👉 www.estuarinecoastalconference.com/special-sess... #InvasiveSpecies #Biosecurity #GuardIAS #bioinvasions

After decades of recovery, southern right whales are showing signs of a climate-driven decline in breeding rates, which scientists say is a “warning signal” about changes in the Southern Ocean. #climatecrisis #auspol www.theguardian.com/environment/...

After some research, from 1869 to 2016, one third of European #seagrass area was lost due to disease, deteriorated water quality, and coastal development The highest decline was the 1970s and 1980s #ges4seas #mooc #oceanoptimism #marineecology #research https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11340-4

At global level, we have good news! In January, the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement entered into force. This legally binding UN High Seas Treaty covers the ocean zones that lie beyond national waters What does this mean? #GES4SEAS […] [Original post on fediscience.org]

Check out the 1️⃣ @guardias.bsky.social Newsletter, aimed at protecting Europe's marine and freshwater ecosystems from biological invasions 🌊 🌊 🌊 👨‍🏫 Aims of the project 🦀 Case studies 📖 Educational resources 🤖 Introduction to GIAS, our AI tool 🌿 iNaturalist 🧬 Summer school on eDNA shorturl.at/1WKGb

🌍 New release: #GuardIAS Newsletter #1! From early-warning AI systems to field eradication trials, see how we’re turning science into action against #AquaticInvasions across Europe. Read it here: guardias.eu/wp-content/u... @guardias.bsky.social #bioinvasions #InvasiveSpecies #MarineEcology 🧪🌐🌍🌊🐟

These high seas regions make up over two-thirds of the #ocean's surface, representing over 90 % of the earth's habitat by volume. Until now, these areas were not protected, and everyone could exploit them without limit. However, from now…

169 participants. 20 countries. 🌍 The first #GuardIAS MOOC is bringing together learners from across research, education, NGOs, government, and citizen science to build knowledge on marine #InvasiveAlienSpecies Read more 👉 guardias.eu/169-particip... #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

In 2025, #GuardIAS evaluated control measures for parrot’s feather in Tuscany 🌿 The study examined implementation, monitoring methods, and lessons to improve long-term invasive aquatic plant management. 👉 guardias.eu/evaluating-m... #InvasiveAlienSpecies #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

We follow today with our #ges4seas #mooc on #oceanoptimism. Coastal ecosystems and the fishing communities that depend on them are impacted globally by extreme #Climate events (storms, heatwaves, etc.) and human pressures, as in these lobster and sea cucumber #fisheries

Marine #megafauna is at risk in many seas Sea otters are iconic predators in the north Pacific, but they were heavily hunted for their fur in the 18th and 19th centuries, as @nancyknowlton.bsky.social comments in this post #ges4seas #mooc #oceanoptimism

Check also our 2024 paper "A pulse check for trends in sea turtle numbers across the globe"🌍🌐Global sea turtle numbers show widespread increases. But: some declines persist and earlier gains can reverse, especially for leatherbacks. Conservation must stay vigilant. 🐢📈 www.cell.com/iscience/ful...

In 2025, #GuardIAS partnered with artists and communities in Lombardy, Italy, to explore invasive alien species and river biodiversity through performances, workshops, and co-creation activities. Read more 👉 guardias.eu/social-perfo... #InvasiveAlienSpecies #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

Just published in AMBIO: the first global scoping review of #OECMs — conservation beyond protected areas 🌱📊 Revealing patterns, gaps & potential to help reach global biodiversity goals like 30×30. Dive in 👉 link.springer.com/article/10.1... #conservation #biodiversity @dpetza.bsky.social

Meet Alice, your guide through the #GuardIAS MOOCs In this Q&A, she explains why marine #InvasiveAlienSpeciesmatter, how the courses simplify complex science, & how citizen science helps tackle bioinvasions. 👉 guardias.eu/inside-the-g... #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

Learn eDNA and invasive species monitoring from leading European experts at the GuardIAS Summer School. Explore workflows, policy, and real monitoring applications. Meet the trainers & register: guardias.eu/meet-the-tra... #GuardIAS #InvasiveAlienSpecies #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions

We start our examples of good news with the recovery of the estuary of Bilbao, in Northern Spain This picture shows the evolution of estuarine #biodiversity in past 30 years #ges4seas #mooc #oceanoptimism

Change the narrative about the ocean! 🌍 Dive into our #oceanoptimism Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) with #GES4SEAS — 4 weeks of inspiring learning. Let’s build hope together! 🌟 🧪🌐 #MarineEcology #Conservation check our ocean optimism video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozxe...

Excellent new video by Simon Clark interviewing @hausfath.bsky.social discussing the rate of warming and climate sensitivity in great detail. Must watch!

Tracking an invader before it arrives. 🕵️‍♀️ The #GuardIAS team is modelling how Wakame might spread through Danish windfarms using eDNA and 3D hydrodynamics. Read more: guardias.eu/updates-on-t... #InvasiveAlienSpecies #IAS #InvasiveSpecies #BioInvasions