Dataset DOI:
10.5061/dryad.q2bvq83zr

Description of the data and file structure

ANIS-E is a standardized, open-access database of marine Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) recorded in European seas. It compiles 6,060 introduction events across 18 marine ecoregions and 41 countries, covering 2,025 taxa with taxonomic identifiers from WoRMS and other global databases. For 1,539 taxa, native ranges are documented using the Marine Ecoregions of the World (MEOW) classification, enabling consistent biogeographic comparisons. The dataset provides information on introduction events (dates, locations, pathways, establishment status), taxonomy, and native ranges. ANIS E supports research on invasion pathways, source regions, and biogeographic patterns, and is intended to inform biodiversity monitoring, conservation, and policy in
Europe.

Note: ANIS-E is a harmonised compilation and does not aim to independently verify or correct introduction reports from the original national listing; with the exception of native range assignments and taxonomic harmonisation, all information is reproduced as reported in the source of the introduction reports.

Files and variables

File: introduction.csv

Description: Table describing the introduction reports of the detection of non-indigenous species.

Variables

• occurenceID: An identifier for the dwc:Occurrence (as opposed to a particular digital record of the dwc:Occurrence). In the absence of a persistent global unique identifier, construct one from a combination of identifiers in the record that will most closely make the dwc:occurrenceID globally unique.
• taxonID: An identifier for the set of dwc:Taxon information. May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.
• year: The four-digit year in which the dwc:Event occurred, according to the Common Era Calendar.
• country: The name of the country or major administrative unit in which the dcterms:Location occurs.
• establishmentMeans: Statement about whether a dwc:Organism has been introduced to a given place and time through the direct or indirect activity of modern humans.
• degreeOfEstablishment: The degree to which a dwc:Organism survives, reproduces, and expands its range at the given place and time.
• occurrenceRemarks: Comments or notes about the dwc:Occurrence.
• ECO_CODE_X: Code of the Ecoregion in a short format.
• associatedReferences: A list (concatenated and separated) of identifiers (publication, bibliographic reference, global unique identifier, URI) of literature associated with the dwc:Occurrence.
• references: A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource.

File: meow.csv

Description: Table describing the marine ecoregions used in this dataset.

Variables

• ECO_CODE: Code of the Ecoregion in a long format.
• ECOREGION: Ecoregion name.
• PROV_CODE: Code of the Province.
• PROVINCE: Province name.
• RLM_CODE: Code of the Realm.
• REALM: Realm name.
• ECO_CODE_X: Code of the Ecoregion in a short format.
• Lat_Zone: Latitudinal zone where the Ecoregion is located.
• WKT: Well-known text describing the Ecoregion polygon. The CRS is WGS84.

File: pathway.csv

Description: Table describing the pathway of introduction for non-indigenous species.

Variables

• pathwayID: An ANIS-E specific identifier for the alternative pathways table.
• occurenceID: An identifier for the dwc:Occurrence (as opposed to a particular digital record of the dwc:Occurrence). In the absence of a persistent global unique identifier, construct one from a combination of identifiers in the record that will most closely make the dwc:occurrenceID globally unique.
• pathway: The process by which a dwc:Organism came to be in a given place at a given time.

File: taxonomy.csv

Description: Table describing the taxonomy of the non-indigenous species.

Variables

• taxonID: An identifier for the set of dwc:Taxon information. May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.
• kingdom: The full scientific name of the kingdom in which the dwc:Taxon is classified.
• phylum: The full scientific name of the phylum or division in which the dwc:Taxon is classified.
• class: The full scientific name of the class in which the dwc:Taxon is classified.
• order: The full scientific name of the order in which the dwc:Taxon is classified.
• family: The full scientific name of the family in which the dwc:Taxon is classified.
• genus: The full scientific name of the genus in which the dwc:Taxon is classified.
• acceptedNameUsage: The full name of the currently valid (zoological) or accepted (botanical) dwc:Taxon.

File: taxonomy_identifiers.csv

Description: Table describing cross-references to external taxonomic databases for each non-indigenous species.

Variables

• identifierID: An ANIS-E specific identifier for the alternative identifier table.
• taxonID: An identifier for the set of dwc:Taxon information. May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.
• title: An optional display label for the URL that the publisher may prefer be displayed with the identifier or link.
• identifier: Other known identifier used for the same taxon. Can be a URL pointing to a webpage, an xml or rdf document, a DOI, UUID, or any other identifer.
• subject: Keywords qualifying the identifier.

File: origin.csv

Description: Table describing the native geographical region of the non-indigenous species.

Variables

• locationID: An identifier for the set of dcterms:Location information. May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.
• taxonID: An identifier for the set of dwc:Taxon information. May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.
• ECO_CODE_X: Code of the Ecoregion in a short format numeric.
• nativeEurope: Indicates whether the taxon's native range includes one or more of the European marine ecoregions defined by Spalding et al. (2007), namely Adriatic, Aegean Sea, Alboran Sea, Azores Canaries Madeira, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Celtic Seas, Faroe Plateau, Ionian Sea, Levantine Sea, North and East Iceland, North Sea, Northern Norway and Finnmark, South and West Iceland, South European Atlantic Shelf, Southern Norway, Tunisian Plateau/Gulf of Sidra, and Western Mediterranean.
• references: A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource.

File: ANISE_EML_Metadata_V1.1.0.xml

Description: Ecological Metadata Language (EML) XML file describing the metadata associated with this dataset.

Access information

Data was derived from the following sources:

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• Çinar, M. E., Bilecenoğlu, M., Yokeş, M. B., Öztürk, B., Taşkin, E., Bakir, K., Doğan, A., & Açik, Ş. (2021). Current status (as of end of 2020) of marine alien species in Turkey. PLOS ONE, 16(5), e0251086. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251086
• Demetriou, J., Martinou, A. F., Bowler, D., Peyton, J., Pescott, O. L., Michailidis, N., Mountford, O., Onete, M., Stoumboudi, M., Rathod, B., van Breda, J., Roy, H. E., & Zenetos, A. (2025). The Cyprus Database of Alien Species (CyDAS). Scientific Data, 12(1), 1881. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-06151-w
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• Evans, J., Barbara, J., & Schembri, P. J. (2015). Updated review of marine alien species and other 'newcomers' recorded from the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean). Mediterranean Marine Science, 225‑244. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.1064
• Evidence of successful recruitment of non‐native pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha in Iceland---Skóra---2024---Journal of Fish Biology---Wiley Online Library. (s. d.). Consulté 2 avril 2026, à l'adresse https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jfb.15556
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• Galil, B. S., Mienis, H. K., Hoffman, R., & Goren, M. (2021). Non-indigenous species along the Israeli Mediterranean coast : Tally, policy, outlook. Hydrobiologia, 848(9), 2011‑2029. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-020-04420-w
• Gittenberger, A., Mirimin, L., Boyd, J., O'Beirn, F., Devine, G., O'Brien, M., Rensing, M., O'Dwyer, K., & Gittenberger, E. (2023). Marine Non-Indigenous Species Dynamics in Time and Space within the Coastal Waters of the Republic of Ireland. Diversity, 15(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/d15091019
• Gittenberger, A., Rensing, M., Faasse, M., van Walraven, L., Smolders, S., Keeler Perez, H., & Gittenberger, E. (2023). Non-Indigenous Species Dynamics in Time and Space within the Coastal Waters of The Netherlands. Diversity, 15(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060719
• Grimes, S., Benabdi, M., Babali, N., Refes, W., Boudjellal-Kaidi, N., & Seridi, H. (2018). Biodiversity changes along the Algerian coast (Southwest Mediterranean basin) : From 1834 to 2017: A first assessment of introduced species. Mediterranean Marine Science, 19(1), 156‑179. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.13824
• Gunnarsson, K., Sveinsson, S., Gı́slason, D., Malmquist, H. J., Micael, J., & Gı́slason, S. (2023). Mollusc on the move; First record of the Newfoundland's razor clam, Ensis terranovensis Vierna & Martı́nez-Lage, 2012 (Mollusca; Pharidae) outside its native range. BioInvasions Record, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2023.12.3.12
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• Magliozzi, C., Cardoso, A. C., O. Son, M., Kvach, Y., Japoshvili, B., Stefanova, K., Kurt, G., Pantea, E., Tabarcea, C., Torodova, V., & Varshanidze, M. (2025). Data towards assessing non-indigenous species introductions in the Black Sea. Marine Policy, 178, 106696. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2025.106696
• Mahklouf, M. H., & Shakman, E. A. (2021). Invasive Alien Species in Libya. In Invasive Alien Species (p. 173‑195). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119607045.ch6
• Massé, C., Viard, F., Humbert, S., Antajan, E., Auby, I., Bachelet, G., Bernard, G., Bouchet, V. M. P., Burel, T., Dauvin, J.-C., Delegrange, A., Derrien-Courtel, S., Droual, G., Gouillieux, B., Goulletquer, P., Guérin, L., Janson, A.-L., Jourde, J., Labrune, C., ... Curd, A. (2023). An Overview of Marine Non-Indigenous Species Found in Three Contrasting Biogeographic Metropolitan French Regions : Insights on Distribution, Origins and Pathways of Introduction. Diversity, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020161
• Mghili, B., Lamine, I., Laamraoui, M. R., Aksissou, M., & Galanidi, M. (2024). Updating the national list of marine alien species in Morocco. Mediterranean Marine Science, 25(1), 231‑249. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.35846
• Micael, J., Ramos-Esplá, A. A., Rodrigues, P., & Gíslason, S. (2022). Recent spread of non-indigenous ascidians (Chordata : Tunicata) in Icelandic harbours. Marine Biology Research, 18(9‑10), 566‑576. https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2023.2176882
• Micael, J., Rodrigues, P., & Gíslason, S. (2020). Rhizoclonium riparium (Roth) Harvey : A cryptogenic species with an invasive behaviour in Reyðarfjörður, Iceland. Nordic Journal of Botany, 38(12). https://doi.org/10.1111/njb.02803
• Micael, J., Rodrigues, P., & Gíslason, S. (2021). Native vs. non-indigenous macroalgae in Iceland : The state of knowledge. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 47, 101944. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2021.101944
• Michail, C., Crocetta, F., Zenetos, A., Langeneck, J., Tsiamis, K., Tiralongo, F., Kletou, D., Constantinou, G., Cai, L. L., Vasiliades, L., Rousou, M., Katsanevakis, S., Tanduo, V., Hadjieftychiou, S. I., Papageorgiou, I. V., & Kleitou, P. (2026). Marine non-indigenous species of Cyprus : Pathways, introduction dynamics, spatial patterns, and policy implications. Biological Invasions, 28(4), 97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-026-03814-6
• Minchin, D., Cook, E., & Clark, P. (2013). Alien species in British brackish and marine waters. Aquatic Invasions, 8(1), 3‑19. https://doi.org/10.3391/ai.2013.8.1.02
• Mnasri-Afifi, I., Zribi, I., Abdelkader, N., Charfi-Cheikhrouha, F., & Zakhama-Sraieb, R. (2024). Rapid assessment survey of non-indigenous and cryptogenic species in Tunisian marinas. BioInvasions Records, 13(2), 419‑436. https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2024.13.2.10
• Nasto, I., Sota, D., Vashaj, B., Kamberaj, A., Lushnjari, K., Islamaj, M., Koço, K., Mahmutaj, M., & Kiçaj, H. (2023). Aliens in Albania---Which, When, Where, Why ? A Chronological Analysis of the Invasion of Alien Species in the Albanian, Ionian, and Adriatic Coasts. Journal of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of UT, 8(15‑16), 523‑534.
• Outinen, O., Katajisto, T., Nygård, H., Puntila-Dodd, R., & Lehtiniemi, M. (2024). National assessment on the status, trends and impacts of marine non-indigenous species for the European Union marine strategy framework directive. Ecological Indicators, 158, 111593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.111593
• Petović, S., Marković, O., & Đurović, M. (2019). Inventory of Non-indigenous and Cryptogenic Marine Benthic Species of the South-East Adriatic Sea, Montenegro. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 71(1), 47‑52.
• Png-Gonzalez, L., Comas-González, R., Calvo-Manazza, M., Follana-Berná, G., Ballesteros, E., Díaz-Tapia, P., Falcón, J. M., García Raso, J. E., Gofas, S., González-Porto, M., López, E., Ramos-Esplá, A. A., Velasco, E., & Carbonell, A. (2023). Updating the National Baseline of Non-Indigenous Species in Spanish Marine Waters. Diversity, 15(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050630
• Ramos Espla, A., Micael, J., Halldórsson, H. P., & Gı́slason, S. (2020). Iceland : A laboratory for non-indigenous ascidians. BioInvasions Records, 9(3), 450‑460. https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2020.9.3.01
• Servello, G., Andaloro, F., Azzurro, E., Castriota, L., Catra, M., Chiarore, A., Crocetta, F., D'alessandro, M., Denitto, F., Froglia, C., Gravili, C., Langer, M. R., Brutto, S. L., Mastrototaro, F., Petrocelli, A., Pipitone, C., Piraino, S., Relini, G., Serio, D., ... Zenetos, A. (2019). Marine alien species in Italy : A contribution to the implementation of descriptor D2 of the marine strategy framework directive. Mediterranean Marine Science, 20(1), 1‑48. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.18711
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• Verleye, T., De Raedemaecker, F., Vandepitte, L., Fockedey, N., Lescrauwaet, A.-K., De Pooter, D., & Mees, J. (2020). Niet-inheemse soorten in het Belgisch deel van de Noordzee en aanpalende estuaria anno 2020. Vlaams instituut voor de Zee. http://www.vliz.be/niet-inheemse-soorten
• Zenetos, A., Corsini-Foka, M., Crocetta, F., Gerovasileiou, V., Karachle, P. (Voula), Simboura, N., Tsiamis, K., & Pancucci, A. (2018). Deep cleaning of alien and cryptogenic species records in the Greek Seas (2018 update). Management of Biological Invasions, 9, 209‑226. https://doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2018.9.3.04
• Zettler, M. L., Beermann, J., Dannheim, J., Ebbe, B., Grotjahn, M., Günther, C.-P., Gusky, M., Kind, B., Kröncke, I., Kuhlenkamp, R., Orendt, C., Rachor, E., Schanz, A., Schröder, A., Schüler, L., & Witt, J. (2018). An annotated checklist of macrozoobenthic species in German waters of the North and Baltic Seas. Helgoland Marine Research, 72(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10152-018-0507-5