Portugal's non-native marine species inventory updated to 231

A team of 31 researchers from 11 Portuguese universities and several public institutes has updated the national inventory of non-native marine species to 231, including five never previously recorded in the country. Of these, 159 occur in mainland Portugal, 81 in the Azores and 62 in Madeira. The five new species were found near the Port of Sines through long-term environmental monitoring. Shipping, via ballast water and hull biofouling, remains the main introduction route, with aquaculture also significant on the mainland. The study, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, also flags 22 species detected only through DNA methods, not yet physically confirmed.