Detecting unintentional introductions of non-native species to Arctic and Sub-Antarctic islands

Despite their low human population densities, polar and sub-polar island ecosystems face an increased risk from biological invasions due to growing volumes of transport and rising temperatures under climate change. The Global Biodiversity Framework Target 6 commits nations to halve the rate of invasive species introduction and establishment by 2030. Meeting this goal will require targeted improvements to biosecurity, and this depends on the identification of high-risk species and sources. In turn, these risks can only be verified and quantified through collection of data on detections at points of entry and points of escape within a region. Our project’s overarching aim is to develop pipelines for detecting and identifying plants and invertebrates introduced to Svalbard and the Falklands, so that we can quantify the risk of invasion posed by key pathways of unintentional introduction. We will achieve this through three key objectives: 1) We will develop and implement sampling and species identification protocols to be applied to targeted introduction pathways; 2) We will identify the taxa and life histories of plants and invertebrates that are most likely to be introduced via the sampled pathways; 3) We will integrate pathway, species range and transport network information to identify high-risk species and source regions. The new international partnership between the University of Liverpool, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI) will be developed during two workshops in the Falklands and Svalbard, followed by pilot deployment of sampling protocols aimed at detecting plants (seeds) and invertebrates introduced through transport of habitat material, as contaminants of nursery material, and as stowaways with imported goods. We will identify species based on morphology where possible, and through use of sanger and barcode sequencing where needed. Our case studies of Svalbard and the Falklands will provide the foundation for an invasive non-native species information system covering the terrestrial (sub-)polar regions. We will use this pilot to secure further funding so that we can expand sampling to additional introduction pathways and the wider Arctic and (sub-)Antarctic. Svalbard and the Falklands are connected via aviation (Svalbard) and ship transport (both regions) to the wider Arctic and Antarctic regions, respectively. Because of these connections, our project’s local impacts will contribute to reducing invasion threats to the wider polar and sub-polar regions.