The accelerating pace of global bioinvasions poses a critical threat to marine biodiversity and ecosystem services. As the country with the highest aquaculture production and maritime shipping volume, China has been facing escalating risks from marine bioinvasions. However, a comprehensive survey of non-native marine animals remains lacking, limiting the risk-based management of marine bioinvasions. Here, we compiled the most up-to-date inventory of non-native marine animals in China through systematic literature searches, followed by verification from multiple sources. We further analyzed the compositions of non-native animals across living habitats, introduction vectors, and geographical origins. A total of 134 non-native marine animals were documented in China, with 42 species newly reported and 59 species misclassified, together constituting a major correction to the previous inventory. Marked variations exist in the taxonomic composition of non-native animals, which was dominated by fishes. Correspondingly, introduction vectors were overwhelmingly driven by intentional aquacultural activities and ornamental trade. By contrast, the major groups of global non-native marine animals are markedly underrepresented, with many fewer species unintentionally introduced via shipping. For 92 non-native species reported in the wild, more than half have established self-sustaining populations and have caused ecological impacts. Our findings thus underscore the urgent need for a standardized scheme of monitoring non-native marine species, which can be achieved through developing early detection methodologies and implementing policy-based surveys.
Liao et al. (Mon,) studied this question.