My research interests encompass fish biology, statistical ecology and invasion science, with particular emphasis on non-native species risk analysis. The common carp Cyprinus carpio has been a continuing focus of my work, from experimental studies of age, growth and early development to global syntheses of its biology, ecological impacts and management. I am interested in how ecological data can explain variation in fish populations and communities, particularly their responses to habitat conditions, river regulation and environmental change. My work combines field and experimental evidence with statistical modelling and meta-analysis. In invasion science, I study the identification and assessment of risks posed by non-native species under current and future climate conditions. This includes screening methodology, threshold calibration, uncertainty and the interpretation of evidence. I also investigate how terminology and communication influence the use of scientific findings in policy and management across languages and countries.

I am the software developer of the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK), Terrestrial Animal Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (TAS-ISK) and Terrestrial Plant Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (TPS-ISK). In 2026, I brought these tools together in the Invasiveness Screening Kit (ISK v3), an integrated platform available in 31 languages. It combines the established screening questionnaires with database management, threshold calibration, taxonomic verification and reporting functions to support non-native species risk identification. My research has contributed methodological guidance for the application and interpretation of invasion risk screening. In 2026, I published a global reference dataset in Scientific Data , comprising 1,926 taxa drawn from 209 ISK applications across 266 risk assessment areas. This resource provides independently verified invasion-status categorisations to support screening-threshold calibration. My international research experience includes contributions to Australia’s The Living Murray initiative. I currently lead the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) project on non-native invasive species, screening tools and assessment methodology (2025–2030 project), involving its eight Member States: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Since 2021, I have been included in the Stanford–Elsevier rankings of the world’s top 2% of scientists by citation impact. I serve as Associate Editor of Zoology in the Middle East and on the editorial boards of Fishes, Zoos and the Croatian Journal of Fisheries. I have also guest-edited special issues on fish ecology and biological invasions. In 2024, I became a Chair-invited member of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working Group on Introductions and Transfers of Marine Organisms (WGITMO).