title: Marine litter as a vector for non-native species: What we need to know.
abstract: Plastic debris and other floating materials endanger severely marine ecosystems. When they carry attached biota they can be a cause of biological invasions whose extent and intensity is not known yet. This article focuses on knowledge gaps and research priorities needed for, first, understanding and then preventing dispersal of alien invasive species attached to marine litter.
authors: Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. Electronic address: rechsabine@uniovi.es.
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Rech
authors: Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. Electronic address: borrellyaisel@uniovi.es.
authors: Yaisel
authors: Y
authors: Borrell
authors: Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. Electronic address: egv@uniovi.es.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: García-Vazquez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D058865:Introduced Species; D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products; D014873:Water Pollutants
keywords: Alien invasive species; Anthropogenic marine litter; Biological invasion; Rafting; Source and sink