The Government approved the National Action Program for the Control of the Invasive Macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae 2026-2030, which establishes an integrated framework of action to monitor, contain and mitigate the impacts of this species.
The Program implements the National Strategy for the Management of the Invasive Macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae, approved in July 2025, and results from the work of an interinstitutional group coordinated by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), which brought together public administration bodies, municipalities, scientific institutions, and other relevant entities.
Rugulopteryx okamurae is a brown alga native to the Northern Pacific and is listed among the alien invasive species of concern in the European Union. In mainland Portugal, the first records in the south date back to 2021, followed by expansion along the Algarve and the Alentejo coast. In 2024, it was also recorded offshore near Cascais. In the Azores, where it was first identified in 2019, it had already reached eight of the nine islands by 2024.
The high capacity for dispersal and proliferation of this alga has impacts on marine ecosystems and on coastal-dependent economic activities. Among the identified effects are reduced catches, damage to fishing gear, the time required for cleaning, the loss of beach attractiveness, and the additional costs borne by municipalities for removing accumulated biomass.
“We are facing an invasive species that already has a significant presence and requires a coordinated and sustained response. This Program allows us to move from ad hoc interventions to a national approach, based on science, prevention, early detection and on-the-ground response capacity. We want to protect marine ecosystems and, at the same time, reduce the impacts on fishermen, municipalities, tourism and local populations. We know that at this stage it is not realistic to promise eradication of this alga, but we can be better prepared, act faster, and seek innovative and sustainable solutions for adding value to the collected biomass,” says the Minister of the Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho.
Due to the characteristics of the species and the degree of dissemination already reached, eradication is considered practically impossible. The action therefore concentrates on two fronts: preventing the development of the species in new locations, through early detection and immediate action, and minimizing the impacts in areas where it is already established.
To strengthen the capacity for anticipation, the Program foresees the creation of a Georeferenced National Database (WebGIS), surveillance stations in strategic points, underwater sensors and remote cameras in critical zones, as well as the use of satellite imagery and unmanned aerial vehicles. It also includes an early warning system and the development of drift algorithms based on currents and winds.
On the ground, solutions tailored to the characteristics and sensitivity of each site are foreseen, ranging from manual and mechanical removal to extraction in the water column and the installation of containment or deflection barriers. The Program also contemplates procedures for sealed transport and temporary onshore storage of the collected biomass.
Research and innovation constitute another area of intervention. The Program provides for the development and testing of sustainable removal methods, the assessment of environmental and economic impacts of the species, ecological restoration trials of ecosystems after removal, and the study of the potential valorization of the collected biomass, including its biochemical characterization and pre-feasibility studies for local processing units.
Another priority is to reduce the risk of spread to new zones. Among the potential dissemination pathways identified are ballast waters, hull fouling on vessels, fishing gear, aquaculture, and natural dispersion. Training, awareness-raising and codes of good practice directed at the sectors involved are foreseen.
The Program also includes a component of communication, awareness and citizen science, with a national information and registration platform, signage in marinas, ports and diving zones and informational materials for beaches and bathing areas. It also foresees actions directed at fishing communities, tour operators, aquaculturists and practitioners of nautical activities, as well as the creation of a communication channel with Spain and other countries where this invasive alga occurs, to reinforce information sharing and cooperation.
