TRACKS: Six good practices for Non-Indigenous Species research and their SWOT evaluation

Addressing the challenges posed by Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) demands coordinated efforts across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. In this study, we engaged a diverse group of 90 Italian researchers operating within these three domains to identify and assess strategies for advancing NIS research, using a structured, interactive and expert-driven methodology. The process began with a comprehensive evaluation of ongoing activities, research methodologies and specific needs. This assessment provided information for the development of an initial set of suggestions to ameliorate NIS research, which were collectively discussed and refined, leading to the identification of six good practices identified by the acronym TRACKS and described as: i ) Tracking NIS in biodiversity data collection; ii ) Reference protocols for NIS data collection; iii ) Active participation; iv ) Collaboration and FAIR principles; v ) Knowledge hub for NIS data; vi ) Strategic communication. A SWOT framework was then applied to analyse the internal and external factors influencing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats associated with each good practice. Consensus-building techniques were used throughout the evaluation process to ensure the robustness of outcomes. Finally, a quantitative assessment of the SWOT analysis revealed a strong consensus amongst experts regarding the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the different good practices, along with a general optimism about the opportunities and strengths associated with their implementation. Developed within the Italian research community, this approach offered valuable insights to researchers worldwide working on NIS and enabled the expert assessment of six best practices that may serve as a benchmark for advancing the science of biological invasions.

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Journal
NeoBiota
Published
2026-02-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.105.171461
Primary Topic
Species Distribution and Climate Change
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article
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article

TRACKS: Six good practices for Non-Indigenous Species research and their SWOT evaluation

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NeoBiota
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TRACKS: Six good practices for Non-Indigenous Species research and their SWOT evaluation

Emilio Badalamenti, Antonella Petrocelli, Francesco Tiralongo, Lucilla Carnevali, Fabio Badalamenti, Pietro Volta, Davide Scaccini, Manuela Falautano, Tamara Lazic, Francesco Nugnes, Massimiliano Scalici, Massimo Giorgini, Annamaria Nocita, Rosario Balestrieri, Donatella Serio, Salvatore Coco, Emilio Guerrieri, Tommaso Petochi, Pietro Maria Rontani, Giuseppe Brundu, Lorenzo Tancioni, Vincenzo Maximiliano Giacalone, Daniele Grech, Pierluigi Strafella, Thomas Campagnaro, Rossano Bolpagni, Angela Boggero, Jasmine Ferrario, Bruno Zava, Massimo Lorenzoni, Valeria Montalto, Luca Bolognini, Francesco Tortorici, Antonia Concetta Elia, Francesca Casella, Fernando Rubino, Enea Tentoni, Teresa Maggio, Valentina La Morgia, Arturo Cocco, Daniele Paganelli, Cristina Di Muri, Fabio Crocetta, Massimo Faccoli, Gianfranco Anfora, Marco Valerio Rossi Stacconi, Alessandro Rinaldi, Nico Salmaso, Stefano Piraino, Umberto Bernardo, Luigi Musco, Laura Loru, Agnese Marchini, Antonio Franco, Raffaele Sasso, Paola Pollegioni, Cataldo Pierri, Lorenzo Lazzaro, Lara Maistrello, Andrea Monaco, Emanuele Mancini, A. Martinoli, Marco Lauteri, Tommaso La Mantia, Ambrosius Josef Martin Dörr, Nicola Maria Giuseppe Ardenghi, M.C.J. Damen, Sandro Flore, Sarah Caronni, Lyudmila Kamburska, Ernesto Azzurro, E. Tricarico, Mattia Falaschi, Giovanni D’Anna, Giorgio Mancinelli, Carlo Pipitone, Ilaria Rosati, Sandro Bertolino, Jacopo Cerri, Simona Ceschin, Anna Maria Mannino, Emiliano Mori, Piero Genovesi, Silvia Livi, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Francesca Ciutti, Marco Ciolfi, Cristina Tarantino, Giuseppe Scarcella
article en

Abstract

Addressing the challenges posed by Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) demands coordinated efforts across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. In this study, we engaged a diverse group of 90 Italian researchers operating within these three domains to identify and assess strategies for advancing NIS research, using a structured, interactive and expert-driven methodology. The process began with a comprehensive evaluation of ongoing activities, research methodologies and specific needs. This assessment provided information for the development of an initial set of suggestions to ameliorate NIS research, which were collectively discussed and refined, leading to the identification of six good practices identified by the acronym TRACKS and described as: i ) Tracking NIS in biodiversity data collection; ii ) Reference protocols for NIS data collection; iii ) Active participation; iv ) Collaboration and FAIR principles; v ) Knowledge hub for NIS data; vi ) Strategic communication. A SWOT framework was then applied to analyse the internal and external factors influencing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats associated with each good practice. Consensus-building techniques were used throughout the evaluation process to ensure the robustness of outcomes. Finally, a quantitative assessment of the SWOT analysis revealed a strong consensus amongst experts regarding the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the different good practices, along with a general optimism about the opportunities and strengths associated with their implementation. Developed within the Italian research community, this approach offered valuable insights to researchers worldwide working on NIS and enabled the expert assessment of six best practices that may serve as a benchmark for advancing the science of biological invasions.

NeoBiotaVol. 105
Fondazione Edmund Mach (IT), University of Insubria (IT), University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT), Roma Tre University (IT), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (IT), University of Parma (IT), University of Padua (IT), University of Salento (IT), University of Sassari (IT), University of Milan (IT), University of Trento (IT), University of Pavia (IT), University of Perugia (IT), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (IT), Mammal Research Institute (PL), University of Catania (IT), Institute for Coastal Marine Environment (IT), Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IT), Museo Civico di Zoologia (IT), Institute of Ecosystem Study (IT), Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (IT), National Research Council (RO), Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IT), Institute of Sciences of Food Production (IT), Institute of Marine Engineering (IT), Honey bee and Silkworm Research Unit (IT), Fondazione Centro Marino Internazionale (IT), Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth (IT), National Agency for New Technologies Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (GB), National Research Council (IT), Museo Galileo (IT), Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (IT), University of Florence (IT), University of Turin (IT), University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT), University of Milano-Bicocca (IT), University of Palermo (IT), Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Species Distribution and Climate Change
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