A species arrives somewhere new.

At first, almost nobody notices.

Then the population grows.

Plants spread across forests. Insects destroy crops. Fish overwhelm waterways. Animals compete with native species for food and habitat.

And suddenly, an ecosystem that evolved over thousands of years is facing a new threat.

But how do scientists and governments fight back?

In this episode, we explore the hidden war against invasive species. We dive into ecology, biology, environmental engineering, wildlife management, agriculture, forestry, and public policy to understand how invasive species are detected, tracked, contained, and controlled.

We examine how invasive species travel across borders through international trade, shipping, agriculture, tourism, and transportation. We explore why early detection can make ...