Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystem Management and Exploitation Under Biological Invasions

Dear Colleagues,

Biological invasions by invasive alien species (IAS) pose significant risks to biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as human health, globally. Yet, new introductions continue to occur at an accelerating and unprecedented rate for various reasons. Aquatic and riparian ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to biological invasions due to their environmental characteristics, which conceal underwater species and facilitate their spread through water movement.

To counteract biological invasions in aquatic and riparian ecosystems, multiple strategies can be implemented to control/eradicate IAS. However, the sustainability of IAS control/eradication efforts depends on their impact on invaded ecosystems, particularly the collateral damage they may cause to native species. Furthermore, the long-term feasibility of these actions depends on stakeholders’ economic capability to maintain them for as long as necessary and at the required scale.

This Special Issue aims to advance the knowledge on the ecosystem and economic sustainability of biological invasions management and to improve the environmental cost–benefit ratios of such actions and/or the capacity to uphold these efforts toward the successful control/eradication of IAS. Accordingly, this Special Issue intends to gather research papers on novel approaches to biological invasion management in aquatic and riparian ecosystems, considering both ecological and economic sustainability perspectives, such as the environmental monitoring studies of current activities or cost-efficient assessments. Submissions on nature-based solutions and the economic uses of IAS are also welcome.

Through this Special Issue, we aspire to contribute meaningfully to the sustainability of IAS control/eradication actions, providing a more comprehensive understanding of enhanced strategies to counteract aquatic and riparian biological invasions and complementing the existing literature on biological invasion management.

Dr. Rui Rivaes
Dr. Christos Gkenas
Guest Editors

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