Perhaps surprisingly, the nations of the European Union is now host to over 1,300 alien species. This has occurred either through migration due to loss of habitat, or more commonly, through human interference; remember how the Dutch brought rubber trees from South America to Indonesia during the 19th century.

The lionfish (Pterois miles) was first spotted in the Mediterranean in April of 2015. Originally found in the Red Sea, it had made its way into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. This was only part of what is called the larger “Lessepsian Migration” of marine life through the canal.