LONDON, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have detected the DNA of an invasive marine species in Arctic Canada, providing evidence that the region's rapidly warming waters are no longer an effective natural barrier against ecological threats, according to a recent study.

The research, published in the journal Global Change Biology earlier this week by scientists at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), marks the first identification of a non-native barnacle species in Canada's Arctic waters.

Climate change is heating the Arctic nearly four times faster than the global average. The once frigid waters that historically blocked invasive organisms are now losing their role as a thermal safeguard.

The discovery was made using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, a technique that enables the detection of multiple species from a single water sample.

As marine organisms travel through the ocean, they shed genetic material through skin cells, waste and other biological traces. By analyzing these traces collected from Arctic cruise ship routes, scientists identified the non-native bay barnacle (Amphibalanus improvisus).

The species, already common in European waters and the Pacific Ocean, is known for causing biofouling on ships, pipelines and coastal infrastructure, as well as disrupting native ecosystems.

Marine invasive species are often introduced through ship ballast water or by attaching to hulls. Shipping traffic in the Canadian Arctic has increased by more than 250 percent since 1990, raising concerns for future ecological impacts.

"Climate change is really at the core of this problem," said Elizabeth Boyse, lead author of the study and ecologist at BAS.

"Ships are increasing in number because of reduced sea ice opening new shipping routes. Add to this, the invasive species that the ships bring to the Arctic, are also more likely to survive and establish populations because of warmer water temperatures," Boyse said. ■