The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea is increasingly threatened by climate change, biological invasions and cumulative human pressures. An emblematic example is the rapid spread of the invasive fireworm (Hermodice carunculata), a thermophilic polychaete whose expansion is closely linked to sea warming. The species negatively affects benthic ecosystems, feeds on key habitat-forming organisms, alters food webs, and poses a direct risk to human health, due to its venomous bristles, with an increasing number of reports of painful injuries in swimmers, fishermen, and divers.

Reports of conflicts with small-scale fisheries have become increasingly frequent, as Hermodice carunculata feeds on fish caught in the nets, making them unsellable and causing a substantial loss of income for artisanal fishers.

Despite its growing ecological, economic and social impacts, information on the distribution, abundance, ecological effects and socio-economic consequences of the fireworm remains fragmented across countries. In addition, the lack of harmonised monitoring approaches and limited integration between science, citizens and decision-makers make it difficult to develop effective management and policy responses.