OPINION

A non-native threat to Thai waters

News, Pimpavadee Phaholyothin & Michael Roy, Published on 31/07/2024

» Thailand boasts some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. From the lush forests of the North to the mangroves of the South, this country is a sanctuary for a plethora of wildlife species. These natural systems have evolved over millennia, during which time plant and animal species have slowly moved across the landscape as climatic and ecological conditions changed. These species adapted to their new environments, and the systems adapted to them. But times have changed, and species now move from their native environments across the globe at the speed of shipping, air transport, and rail. This results in the rapid invasion of new species into environments that have few natural mechanisms to keep them in balance with native species or the built environment.