GES4SEAS project partner Stelios Katsanevakis recently delivered an engaging presentation titled “Assessing the Cumulative Impacts of Invasive Species on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services” to the Directorate D of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. The session highlighted the innovative CIMPAL Calculator and its applications in assessing spatially explicit impacts of invasive alien species. 

During the presentation, Katsanevakis explored the ongoing and future developments of CIMPAL within the frameworks of Horizon Europe projects GES4SEAS and GuardIAS, a recently awarded innovation action funded by the Horizon Europe programme. He engaged with colleagues in lively discussions about the far-reaching effects of invasive species on biodiversity and the provisioning of ecosystem services. 

The CIMPAL Calculator, developed by Katsanevakis and colleagues, stands as a tool at the forefront of this field. It aids in generating vulnerability maps and calculating a cumulative impact index, crucial for understanding and managing the threats posed by invasive species on a global scale. 

This event highlighted the crucial research being conducted under the GES4SEAS project but also promoted a dialogue on sustainable resource management and conservation strategies.