Natural England publishes comprehensive marine non-native species (NNS) survey for England and Wales

Natural England has published the results of its recent marine non-native species survey for England and Wales. The study surveyed 51 marinas and 6 ports across England
and Wales in 2023 and 2024, comparing the results to the same surveys carried out around 8 years ago.

Key findings include:

A 29% increase in NNS records compared to the previous surveys, 4/5ths of which was due to spread of NNS already present in the UK.

In England, 39 different NNS were found, up from 35 last time. In Wales, 25 different NNS were recorded, compared to 19 previously.

The most common species were:
Darwin’s barnacle (Austrominius modestus)
Tufty-buff bryozoan (Tricellaria inopinata)

One new species, the Purple fan-worm (Bispira polyomma), was recorded at 18 sites—unseen in the UK before 2021.

The full report can downloaded from here.