Defining non-native populations is essential yet challenging in freshwater systems, where policy relies on administrative borders and science on ecological units. This mismatch complicates regulation, risk assessment and biosecurity. We propose a basin-first, population-level classification that distinguishes intrabasin from interbasin nativity to better support coherent, ecologically grounded policy and management.
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Acknowledgements
J.S. was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 42301064). J.D.O. was supported by the Richard C. and Lois M. Worthington Endowed Professor in Fisheries Management from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington.
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All authors contributed to the conceptualization of the paper and discussions of the content. J.S. led the writing and all authors (P.J.H., A.S.T., J.D.O., E.J., S.M.G., H.Y., Y.X., M.C.L. and H.M.) contributed substantially to the drafts of the manuscript. J.S., H.Y., and Y.X. contributed to the preparation of the figure in Supplementary Note 1. All authors reviewed and edited the manuscript before submission.
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Sun, J., Haubrock, P.J., Tarkan, A.S. et al. Basin-based science and management of freshwater invasive species.
Nat. Rev. Biodivers. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-026-00136-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-026-00136-2
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