public engagement

The “Silent Takeover”: invasive bees are reshaping Chile’s unique pollination networks

Citizen science helps researchers map the plant-pollinator networks in Chile following the introduction of non-native pollinators.

Biological invasions are a major driver of biodiversity loss and invasive pollinators can reshape native plant-pollinator networks. A new study published in the journal NeoBiota, reveals that invasive pollinators are fundamentally reshaping native plant-pollinator networks in Chile, leading to a “silent takeover” that threatens the stability of one of the world’s most unique biodiversity hotspots.

Chile functions as a “biogeographical island,” isolated by the Andes Mountains, the Atacama Desert, and the Pacific Ocean. While this isolation has created a highly specialized ecosystem, it also makes the region particularly sensitive to change.

Despite this vulnerability, Chile has a long history of introducing non-native bees for agricultural purposes. A collaborative team of Chilean and Brazilian researchers sought to understand and quantify the long-term impact of these introductions, specifically focusing on how non-native pollinators like the Bombus terrestris (the buff-tailed bumblebee) affect native species.

Tracking the “Silent Takeover”

Western honeybee (Apis mellifera). Credit to Dr. Francisco Fontúrbel.
Buff-tailed bumblebee(Bombus terrestris). Credit to Dr. Francisco Fontúrbel.

To assess the impact, researchers analyzed over 2,100 records, merging historical scientific data with citizen-science data. They focused on three non-native species: the western honeybee (Apis mellifera), the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), and the large garden bumblebee (Bombus ruderatus).

The motivation was to understand whether these invasions were simply adding species to the system or quietly transforming it from within.
еxplains Dr. Rafaela Cabral Marinho, the lead author of the study

The study’s key finding points to the overwhelming dominance of Bombus terrestris, which accounted for more than 70% of recorded interactions in the combined dataset.

That level of integration into a national pollination network is remarkable for a relatively recent invader.
notes Dr. Barbara Guimarães, one of the researchers

Аlso, the invasive bees showed strong interaction with non-native plants and displayed highly generalist behavior. To further measure the impact on pollination networks, the team compared data from before and after 2005, the year B. terrestris began to be used extensively in open fields. They identified a concerning shift: native species like Bombus dahlbomii were being gradually displaced.

The networks did not collapse; instead, they became more generalized and homogenized. Native bees were not always disappearing completely. The system kept functioning, but in a different way. This quiet reorganization is what led us to describe the process as a ‘silent takeover.
explain the researchers

The power of citizen science

Citizen science. Photo credit to Pavel Borodenkov from Unsplash.

The study also highlighted the vital role of public engagement.

We were surprised by the volume and value of citizen science contributions, and how they can provide meaningful insights when combined with research data.
says Dr. Fontúrbel, one of the researchers

This proved that citizen science is an essential tool for detecting and tracking the spread of invasive species in ecosystems, providing direct information for conservation actions.

A call for interaction-based conservation

Western honeybee (Apis mellifera). Credit to Dr. Francisco Fontúrbel.

One key takeaway is that biological invasions are not always catastrophic overnight events. They can be gradual reorganizations of ecological relationships. While invasive bees may increase pollination for certain crops, they can simultaneously reduce the specialization and stability of native mutualisms. Over time, this may lead to biotic homogenization, ecosystems becoming more similar to one another and less unique.
add the researchers

“Our research highlights that conservation is not only about protecting species, but it is also about protecting interactions,” they conclude.

The researchers advocate for coordinated policies regarding species introductions, early detection monitoring, and continued public engagement to safeguard the integrity of Chile’s biodiversity.

Original source:

Marinho RC, Guimarães BMdaC, Carvallo GO, Maruyama PK, Murúa MM, Rech AR, Vieli L, Oliveira PE, Fontúrbel FE (2026) Silent takeover: How invasive bees reshaped plant-pollinator interactions in a biodiversity hotspot. NeoBiota 105: 259-274. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.105.174573

The Internet Names a New Deep-Sea Species, Senckenberg researchers choose a scientific name from over 8,000 suggestions

A new deep-sea chiton has been officially named by the public and described in the Biodiversity Data Journal. The name is the result of a viral, week-long collaboration between science communicator Ze Frank, Senckenberg, and Pensoft Publishers.

The Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA), in partnership with the scientific publisher Pensoft Publishers and famous science YouTuber Ze Frank, have let the Internet name a newly discovered deep-sea chiton (a type of marine mollusk). The formal description of the species was published today in the open-access Biodiversity Data Journal.

From over 8,000 suggestions submitted via social media, the research team responsible for describing the species selected the name Ferreiraella populi. The specific epithet populi is a Latin singular noun in the genitive case meaning “of the people”. Curiously, the name was independently suggested by 11 different contributors during the naming contest.

From a YouTube video to Taxonomy

It all began when Ze Frank featured the rare deep-sea chiton (genus Ferreiraella) in an episode of his “True Facts” YouTube series.

Equipped with an iron-clad radula (a rasping tongue) and eight protective shell plates, the chiton also hosts a tiny community of worms near its tail that feed on its excrements. Everyone was invited to propose a scientific name and justification; within a week the community responded with over 8,000 name suggestions.

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“We were overwhelmed by the response and the massive number of creative name suggestions!” says Prof. Dr. Julia Sigwart, co-chair of SOSA at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt. “The name we chose, Ferreiraella populi, translates to “of the people”.

Other notable suggestions included Ferreiraella stellacadens meaning “Shooting star chiton” – named for its unique aesthete pattern and the fact that it “shot to fame” during the selection process.

Another was Fereiraella ohmu in reference to a chiton-like creature from Studio Ghibli, providing a nod to Japan, where the species was discovered.

A Specialized Resident of the Deep

Originally discovered in 2024 within the Izu-Ogasawara Trench at a depth of 5,500 meters, the new deep-sea chiton Ferreiraella populi belongs to the genus Ferreiraella, a rare and specialized group of mollusks that live exclusively on sunken wood in the deep sea.

Deep-sea sample extraction. Video Credit to Chong Chen/JAMSTEC

The new species represents an addition to a lineage of chitons that has been little researched to date and provides further evidence that deep-sea wood-fall ecosystems host highly specialized and still largely undiscovered communities,
explains Sigwart

Chitons are often described as a cross between a snail and a beetle. However, unlike common mollusks with a single shell, chitons possess eight separate shell plates (valves). This unique anatomy allows them to roll into a protective ball or cling to the irregular surfaces of deep-sea wood-falls.

Found in both warm coastal waters and coral reefs as well as the deep sea, chitons can live at depths of up to 7,000 meters under extreme conditions and in absolute darkness.

How is a scientific name formed?

Ever wonder how a creature goes from “that deep-sea thing” to a formal scientific entry? Every newly discovered species is assigned a scientific name as part of its original taxonomic description.

This follows Carl Linnaeus’s principle of binomial nomenclature and consists of two parts: the genus name (the first part, capitalized and italicised) and the specific epithet (the second part, lowercase and italicised).

The name is assigned by the author(s) of the first description in a scientific publication, adhering to international codes such as the ICZN (zoology) or the ICN (botany). The name must be novel, unique, and latinized. Usually, epithets are often derived from characteristics like color or size, geographic locations, mythology, or personal names used to honor a specific individual.

Ferreiraella populi in its natural habitat. Video credit to Chong Chen/JAMSTEC

Ferreiraella populi exemplifies the overwhelming biodiversity of the oceans, the vast majority of which remains unexplored. Many species go extinct before we even know they exist – this is especially true for marine invertebrates,
says Sigwart

“It can often take ten, if not twenty years, for a new species to be studied, scientifically described, named, and published. At SOSA, we have therefore made it our mission to streamline these processes while simultaneously engaging the public with these fascinating creatures. Finding a name for the chiton together on social media is a wonderful opportunity to do just that!” comments Sigwart.

“Ferreiraella populi has now been described and given a scientific name only two years after its discovery. This is crucial for the conservation of marine diversity, especially in light of the threats it faces such as deep-sea mining!” she says.

Research paper:

(SOSA) SOSA, Chen C, Frank H, Kraniotis L, Nakadera Y, Schwabe E, Sigwart JD, Trautwein B, Vončina K (2026) Ocean Species Discoveries 28–30 — new species of chitons (Mollusca, Polyplacophora) and a public naming competition. Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e180491. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e180491

Concerned about native biodiversity, volunteers join the fight against invasive alien species

Invasive species volunteers are driven by unique motivations, like the desire to support species management, conserve native species, and protect livelihoods.

Public involvement is an important component of many invasive species programmes. Volunteers perform early detection of invasive species, track their spread, and also play active roles in their capture, control and removal. Their involvement helps raise awareness of invasive species and encourages support for their management. Finding, recruiting and retaining a corps of committed volunteers, however, can be a challenge. Understanding the reasons why people participate in invasive species projects is critical for successful volunteer recruitment and the long-term sustainability of volunteer-driven projects.

A multidisciplinary team of invasion biologists and social scientists from the AlienCSI network funded by the COST programme, led by Ana Anđelković, used a meta-synthesis approach to analyze volunteer motivations in the monitoring and control of invasive alien species. They published their study in the open-access journal NeoBiota.

Volunteers removing giant hogweed, an invasive plant species causing skin burn and overgrowing native plants, along a river in France. Photo by RINSE, www.rinse-europe.eu

“Citizen participation in invasion monitoring and control is clearly a booming business. Yet almost nothing is known about why volunteers engage in such programmes. We wanted to close that knowledge gap and make recommendations to project managers to keep their volunteer armies engaged, which is often as hard as tackling the invasive species itself. For this, we mined the literature for motivation statements”, explains Anđelković.

Searching through literature, the team found 264 motivations, which they then classified into 15 broader motivations. Generally, motivations fit three broad themes: reflecting environmental concerns, social motivations, and personal reasons.

Framework for volunteer motivations in monitoring and control of invasive species. Motivations unique to invasive species volunteering are marked with an asterisk. Graphic by Anđelković *et al. Neobiota*

“Some motivations, such as being in the great outdoors, making friends, taking care of a particular nature reserve, learning something new and having fun, are in line with other forms of environmental volunteering. They apply to many projects where citizen-scientists help to record sightings of invasive species around the world. But volunteers in invasive species projects seem to be unique in their desire to take part in the control and eradication of these species, to protect native biodiversity in the places they value,” says Anđelković.

“For instance, on Scottish seabird islands, people helped remove invasive tree mallow to protect the breeding puffins. In South Africa, volunteers want to rid the unique Fynbos of invasive trees. In some regions of the world people also take part in harvest management for food provision, as is the case with lionfish in the Caribbean or common carp in Australia.”

An image of a common carp cropped from an illustration, courtesy of rawpixel under CC BY 2.0.

However, the relative lack of published studies and invasive species projects that have actually measured volunteer motivations was striking. “Motivations change over time and the reasons why people remain active in invasive species management are often not the same as their initial self-reported motivation,” they comment. “Also, the social implications for people taking part in eradication campaigns that involve the killing of invasive animals, or the cutting of trees to prevent the spread of insect pests, are not sufficiently understood.”

In conclusion, the authors call upon researchers and project managers to gather data on participant motivations in collaboration with social scientists, especially when volunteers are also involved in control. This way, projects can be inclusive of diverse groups of people, tailoring tasks and roles to everyone’s interests and capabilities.

Original source:

Anđelković AA, Lawson Handley L, Marchante E, Adriaens T, Brown PMJ, Tricarico E, Verbrugge LNH (2022) A review of volunteers’ motivations to monitor and control invasive alien species. NeoBiota 73: 153-175. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.73.79636

Large carnivores and zoos — essential for biodiversity conservation marketing

Large carnivores (e.g. bears, big cats, wolves and elephant seals) and zoos should be utilised as powerful catalysts for public engagement with nature and pro-environmental behaviour, suggests a paper published in the scholarly open-access journal Nature Conservation by an international multidisciplinary team, led by Dr Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK.

The paper, which offers a synthesis of contributions, presented at the symposium “Large carnivores and zoos as catalysts for biodiversity conservation: how do we engage the public in the protection of biodiversity?” at the 5th European Congress for Conservation Biology (ECCB), Finland 2018, highlights the wide-reaching influence of the institutions visited by over 700 million people a year worldwide and combining knowledge with emotions and social values. Bringing together natural and social sciences, as well as psychology and education, it provides a rich multifaceted approach to the conservation of biodiversity by exploring the connections between people, large carnivores and zoos.

“[Zoos] may provide a space where field conservation and human dimensions can combine to foster a commitment between people, from all backgrounds, and the rest of the living world, and break down key barriers to biodiversity conservation, catalysed by the charismatic keystone species housed within their facilities,” concludes the team.

According to the scientists, large carnivores are essential to engage the public in the urgent need to arrest biodiversity loss due to the many links between wild predators and enhanced biodiversity. They acknowledge that the interactions between people and carnivores are complex and can give rise to conflicts such as concerns related to fears for own safety, fear of loss of other favoured species, material interests, or socio-economic tensions formed by an urban-rural divide.

Due to continuous changes in land use, areas of healthy habitat and protected areas are usually small and fragmented and cannot sustain wild carnivores, the paper explains, so it is necessary to coexist with large carnivores. Large carnivores show capabilities to adapt to different human-dominated ecosystems across the world which supports the idea that separation is not a necessary condition for large carnivore conservation. The bigger challenge remains whether human societies can accept and adapt to non-predator-free landscapes.

“Considering that the occurrence of predator attacks on humans is rare, tolerance of risks is affected by norms, culture, spiritual beliefs, cognitive and emotional factors, including risk perception,” elaborated the specialists and added that, “[p]eople’s progressive amnesia of what the landscapes were like before large carnivores disappeared may result in acceptance of natural spaces devoid of carnivore species.”

Research also points to the lack of interest in nature and reduced commitment to biodiversity conservation as being linked cognitive elements such as misconceptions and negative messages about wildlife in formative years and declining opportunities to engage with nature from childhood. This phenomenon has been described as the extinction of experience.

“Support for the conservation of large carnivores and for biodiversity is more likely when people have an emotional appreciation for diverse species, not just understanding. Both aspects are likely to be enhanced by direct experiences, such as visits to zoos and aquariums that provide an increasingly important opportunity for contact with other species,” add the scientists.

Recognising the role of zoos as a catalyst for conservation for their contributions in skills and expertise that span animal care and husbandry, public engagement, education and research, is vital for biodiversity conservation. Though education programmes based on knowledge gain are not enough to change people’s perceptions, opportunities for emotional engagement and reduction of fear, combined with social context provided by the zoo are great assets in promoting tolerance of large carnivores and biodiversity among visitors who are typically estranged from the wildlife.

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Original source:

Consorte-McCrea A, Fernandez A, Bainbridge A, Moss A, Prévot A-C, Clayton S, Glikman JA, Johansson M, López-Bao JV, Bath A, Frank B, Marchini S (2019) Large carnivores and zoos as catalysts for engaging the public in the protection of biodiversity. Nature Conservation 37: 133-150. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.37.39501