What evidence exists on the impact of climate change on some of the worst invasive fish and shellfish? A systematic map protocol

Background: The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has estimated that invasive alien species (IAS) might cause billions of dollars of losses every year across the world. One example is South-East Asia, where IAS have caused an estimated loss of 33.5 billion USD, affecting the environment, human health, and agricultural production. Factors associated with climate change, such as increased carbon dioxide (CO2), heavy precipitation, and elevated temperatures is expected to facilitate biological invasion, leading only to further financial and public health loss. Thus, further study is needed to identify, collate and categorise what evidence exists on the impacts of climate change on fish and shellfish species that contribute to the list ofOne Hundred of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Speciesas identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN). Such mapping will identify regions more at risk of biological invasion as climate change progresses. Methods: We outline a systematic mapping review protocol that follows the Guideline and Standards for Evidence Synthesis in Environmental Management and RepOrting standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES). We describe how peer-reviewed articles will be collected from Web of Science and Scopus, and then analyzed to create knowledge maps on the impact climate change has on invasive species. Finally, we speculate on how our results will aid future management of invasive species in the light of climate change.

Automated summary

This article presents a systematic mapping review protocol aimed at studying the impact of climate change on invasive species. By collecting and analyzing peer-reviewed articles and creating knowledge maps, the study aims to identify regions at higher risk of biological invasion as climate change progresses. The results are expected to aid in the future management of invasive species in the context of climate change.