Lost in translation? Standardising the terminology used in marine invasion biology and updating South African alien species lists

Robinson, Tamara B.; Alexander, ME; Simon, Carol A.; Griffiths, C.L.; Peters, Koebraa; Sibanda, S.; Miza, S; Groenewald, B; Majiedt, Prideel; Sink, Kerry

doi:10.2989/1814232x.2016.1163292

Cited by 41 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…, Robinson et al. ), and therefore contributes to circumscribe the phenomenon. The second definition is an extension of the first, but additionally requires alien species to have both spread and caused impact outside their native range to be called invasive.…”

Section: First Component: Circumscription Of the Phenomenonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, casual is seldom applied to aquatic taxa (probably due to difficulties in directly observing organisms in marine and freshwater habitats), while naturalized is used in both systems (Richardson and Pyšek , Robinson et al. ). The trajectory from low to high local abundance and from narrow to wide geographical range is nonetheless not unique.…”

Section: First Component: Circumscription Of the Phenomenonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scientists must, however, be precise in the definition they are applying in a given context and must relate the chosen definition to existing frameworks (Robinson et al. , Courchamp et al. ).…”

Section: First Component: Circumscription Of the Phenomenonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, two main definitions of "invasive" are common in the literature, which introduces ambiguity, a form of linguistic uncertainty (Box 1). The first definition is based on the biogeographic invasion process, which is conceptualized as an introduction-naturalization-invasion (INI) continuum (Kruger et al 1986, Williamson 1996, Richardson and Py sek 2006, Blackburn et al 2011, Robinson et al 2016, and therefore contributes to circumscribe the phenomenon. The second definition is an extension of the first, but additionally requires alien species to have both spread and caused impact outside their native range to be called invasive.…”

Section: First Component: Circumscription Of the Phenomenonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biological invasions can be perceived and defined differently depending on the research or management context, and trying to impose a unique definition is counterproductive . Scientists must, however, be precise in the definition they are applying in a given context and must relate the chosen definition to existing frameworks (Robinson et al 2016, Courchamp et al 2017). As such, in the context of the four components presented here, invasive refers to the biogeographic definition provided by the INI continuum, since it is required to obtain a precise circumscription of the phenomenon and to increase coherence between the four components of the framework.…”

Section: Implications For Management and Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A four‐component classification of uncertainties in biological invasions: implications for management

et al. 2019

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Although uncertainty is an integral part of any science, it raises doubts in public perception about scientific evidence, is exploited by denialists, and therefore potentially hinders the implementation of management actions. As a relatively young field of study, invasion science contains many uncertainties. This may explain why, despite international policies aimed at mitigating biological invasions, the implementation of national‐ and regional‐scale measures to prevent or control alien species has done little to slow the increase in extent of invasions and the magnitude of impacts. Uncertainty is therefore a critical aspect of invasion science that should be addressed to enable the field to progress further. To improve how uncertainties in invasion science are captured and characterized, we propose a framework, which is also applicable to other applied research fields such as climate and conservation science, divided into four components: the need (1) to clearly circumscribe the phenomenon, (2) to measure and provide evidence for the phenomenon (i.e., confirmation), (3) to understand the mechanisms that cause the phenomenon, and (4) to understand the mechanisms through which the phenomenon results in consequences. We link these issues to three major types of uncertainty: linguistic, psychological, and epistemic. The application of this framework shows that the four components tend to be characterized by different types of uncertainty in invasion science. We explain how these uncertainties can be detrimental to the implementation of management measures and propose ways to reduce them. Since biological invasions are increasingly tightly embedded in complex socio‐ecological systems, many problems associated with these uncertainties have convoluted solutions. They demand the consensus of many stakeholders to define and frame the dimensions of the phenomenon, and to decide on appropriate actions. While many of the uncertainties cannot be eliminated completely, we believe that using this framework to explicitly identify and communicate them will help to improve collaboration between researchers and managers, increase scientific, political, and public support for invasion research, and provide a stronger foundation for sustainable management strategies.

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Section: First Component: Circumscription Of the Phenomenonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: First Component: Circumscription Of the Phenomenonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: First Component: Circumscription Of the Phenomenonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: First Component: Circumscription Of the Phenomenonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications For Management and Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A four‐component classification of uncertainties in biological invasions: implications for management

et al. 2019

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A Method for Conveying Confidence in iNaturalist Observations: A Case Study Using Non‐Native Marine Species

Ackland,

Richardson,

Robinson

2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Concerns and limitations relating to data quality, reliability and accuracy hamper the use of citizen science initiatives in research and conservation. Valued for their cost‐effective and large data acquisition potential, citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist have been highlighted as beneficial tools to supplement monitoring using traditional data sources. However, intrinsic uncertainties in unverified observations stem from the nature of species being identified, the quality of uploaded media and georeferencing; these factors can limit the value of the data as they can result in inaccurate records. Verification of data prior to use is critical. This process can, however, be laborious and time‐consuming, with bias associated with the individual responsible for the task. To address this challenge this study developed a protocol for assigning confidence in iNaturalist observations, using marine alien and cryptogenic species observations from South Africa as a case study. A positive relationship was found between the accuracy of observations and confidence score. The inherent data quality assessment in iNaturalist, termed quality grade, was found to be an inadequate proxy for accuracy. The results of this study highlight the importance of the expert verification phase when using citizen science data. The confidence score facilitates a streamlined approach to the verification process by reducing the time taken to validate records, while assessing the three levels of uncertainty within observations and reducing researcher bias. It is recommended that this confidence score be used as an essential tool when using citizen science derived data.

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MarINvaders: A web toolkit of marine species for use in environmental assessments

Verones,

Gjedde,

Koslowski

et al. 2023

Ecosphere

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Invasive species are the second most important reason for species extinction since 1500 ad. In addition, these invasive species can cause vast economic loss. In marine ecoregions, alien species introductions are increasing, and those that become invasive have caused profound changes in many marine ecoregions. We compiled a database consisting of information about where species are alien, where they are not, and which species are listed as threatened by invasive species. In addition, we developed an interactive Webapp for visualizing and analyzing the results. We used the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) for identifying the presence of a species in a marine ecoregion. Information from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD), and the Nature Conservancy database on marine invasive species (NatCon) was used to identify the names and locations of marine alien species. Information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List revealed which species are considered to be threatened by invasive species. Our database lists 112,399 marine species, of which 966 are alien species and 1655 are listed as threatened by invasive species by the IUCN. These are distributed throughout 225 marine ecoregions (97% of marine ecoregions). Our results confirm previous studies about the prevalence of alien and invasive species and provide an up‐to‐date status about known and recorded species and their distribution. This information can be used as a fundament for developing impact assessment models and identifying management strategies to combat marine invasive species.

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Lost in translation? Standardising the terminology used in marine invasion biology and updating South African alien species lists

Abstract: Sink (2016) Lost in translation? Standardising the terminology used in marine invasion biology and updating South African alien species lists,

Cited by 41 publications

References 49 publications

A four‐component classification of uncertainties in biological invasions: implications for management

A four‐component classification of uncertainties in biological invasions: implications for management

A Method for Conveying Confidence in iNaturalist Observations: A Case Study Using Non‐Native Marine Species

MarINvaders: A web toolkit of marine species for use in environmental assessments

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