Invasive alien species are organisms introduced, through human action, to regions outside their native distribution areas, where they can establish themselves and spread to new areas. Currently, these species represent one of the most relevant environmental and economic challenges on a global scale, being among the main factors responsible for biodiversity loss, hindering ecological restoration efforts, and incurring significant financial costs and public health risks. This issue is becoming increasingly alarming, given the nearly 40% increase in recorded species since 1970, with further expansion expected in the coming decades, driven by the growing globalization of trade and intensified human mobility flows.

To mitigate the rise of biological invasions, it is crucial to focus efforts on preventing new introductions and mitigating secondary dispersal from already invaded areas. However, for these measures to be effective, the responsible authorities must have a robust understanding of the probabilities of the arrival of each species in various regions. Considering that resources available for prevention—whether financial or logistical—are limited, prevention initiatives, both at the national and transnational levels, should be prioritized, with special emphasis on species with higher invasive potential.

The current capacity to anticipate the spread of invasive species at the national and supranational levels remains unsatisfactory. This deficit is mainly due to the lack of comprehensive data on species dispersal patterns, which involve a complex interaction between environmental, geographical, and human factors. Additionally, this gap is compounded by the fact that most countries lack specific national legislation or regulations aimed at preventing invasive species, making it difficult to implement effective global prevention policies.

The InvaSTOP Project is an innovative and crucial initiative that brings together an international team of leading experts in the fields of biogeography, biological invasions, and computational modelling, with the goal of bridging these knowledge gaps.

In this context, the project has two main objectives:

1. To provide estimates of the future spread of invasive species at a global level.
2. To assess the risk profiles of species with a high potential to become invasive.

To achieve these goals, the project will adopt an approach focused on relevant geographic units for the management and prevention of invasions (e.g., countries and large islands), considering a medium-term time horizon (the next 30 years), a crucial period for political decision-making and for achieving the global biodiversity objectives set by the Convention on Biological Diversity. The results will be analyzed, discussed, and synthesized to develop international guidelines that can guide national and transnational efforts in prioritizing preventive actions.

The project involves 8 researchers from 4 countries, distributed across 3 leading institutions, and will be implemented through four interconnected and complementary tasks.

The InvaSTOP Project represents a decisive contribution to the formulation of public policies and management strategies, providing the scientific foundation necessary for the effective prevention of invasive species at different geographical scales, and supporting the implementation of coordinated actions at the global level.

Scientific team: César Capinha (IGOT-ULisboa), Hanno Seebens (University of Giessen), Céline Bellard (University of Paris-Saclay), Filipa Soares (BIOPOLIS | CIBIO-InBIO), Joana Ribeiro (BIOPOLIS | CIBIO-InBIO), Franz Essl (University of Vienna), Luís Reino (BIOPOLIS | CIBIO-InBIO), and Sandra Oliveira (IGOT-ULisboa).