AquaNIS Bulletin publishes papers on:
1) Records of non-indigenous, cryptogenic or range-expanding species in new recipient regions. A recipient region is a country or a country’s sub-area within a Large Marine Ecosystem1 (LME) or LME sub-region.
2) Risk assessment of species (horizon scanning) – a species profile covering its taxonomy, biological traits, environmental tolerance limits, and documented impacts on human health, economy and environment including native biodiversity and habitats.
(1)Definitions
Non-indigenous species (NIS) (synonyms: alien, exotic, non-native, allochthonous, introduced, adventive) are species, subspecies or lower taxa (such as a variety, form) introduced outside of their natural range (past or present) and outside of their natural dispersal potential by a human-mediated vector. Secondary introductions can be transported by human-mediated or natural vectors. Natural shifts in distribution ranges (e.g. due to climate change or dispersal by ocean currents) do not qualify a species as a NIS.
Cryptogenic species are such species which cannot be reliably demonstrated as being either introduced or native. In some cases, the true origin of a species remains obscure because of either insufficient taxonomic knowledge or due to a lack of records from the time they became introduced, or for other reasons.
Range-expanding species. Species gradually expanding their range in recent decades from a neighboring region where they are native due to changing environmental conditions, such as poleward extensions, without any obvious human-mediated vector being involved.
Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) is extensive areas of ocean space of approximately 200,000 km² or greater, characterized by distinct hydrographic regimes, submarine topography, productivity, and trophically dependent populations, adjacent to the continents in coastal waters where primary productivity is generally higher than in open ocean areas (https://lmehub.net/#)