Climate change expands the foothold of invasive marine species

A meta‑analysis of 67 studies across 30 marine invasive species shows that climate change generally boosts invasion success. Extreme events like Hurricane Maria can devastate native ecosystems, creating openings for newcomers such as the invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea, which rapidly colonized Caribbean shallow waters after the storm. Researchers examined how warming waters, altered currents, and more frequent disturbances give invasive organisms an edge, suggesting that future climate trends will likely accelerate the spread of non‑native species and reshape marine communities worldwide.