Modeling to inform bighead and silver carp management Active
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) are invasive carp species within the Mississippi River basin. In the early-1970s these species escaped from ponds where people introduced them to control algae (ICRCC). Invasive carp cause ecological and economic damage by outcompeting native species and disrupting native food webs. Stopping the spread of these invasive carp into the Great Lakes is important to protect the $7 billion recreational and commercial fishing industry. It all starts with identifying where these carp are, and modeling is a great tool for gaining this knowledge. The goal of carp modeling is to fill the knowledge gaps to better manage and control invasive carp populations.
Modeling is a mathematical approach that can be used to answer biological questions or problems. In short, modeling is way of analyzing, computing or transforming a series of inputs estimate complex natural processes and create results or outputs. One example for Invasive Carps in the SEICarP model.
SEICarP stands for Spatially Explicit Invasive Carp Population. This model evaluates invasive carp populations in different pools of large rivers. The model uses carp attribute data as inputs, including length measurements, telemetry (fish tagging), hydroacoustic (location or position) data, and more. These data are collected by field crews later used to inform models. Outputs from completed models can be used to better understand carp and how to manage them.
Recent modeling and carp harvesting efforts have focused on the Illinois River. The Illinois River is of concern, as it connects the Mississippi River near St. Louis, MO and Lake Michigan through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Currently, there is an electric barrier to keep invasive carp from spreading to the Great Lakes. However, additional management in the Illinois River can further help decrease the risk of bigheaded carp invasion by reducing the population pressure on this barrier. This is where modeling the carp populations comes in.
This modeling project focuses on the Illinois River and was run for 6 different navigation pools. The model was run many times to come up with an average carp population per pool. Preliminary findings have shown that running this model within each pool yields more detailed results than running the entire segment of the Illinois river, possibly due to the environmental and carp population variation among the pools. This model is a helpful tool in deciding where to expend monetary and agency resources as it can give us an overview of how many carp should be harvested, where to harvest, and where we should place deterrents or implement reduction strategies. Modeling data allow managers to better control invasive carp populations by implementing harvest and deterrent techniques in areas that have higher carp populations.
This project is laying the foundation for other quantitative assessments especially in the realm of invasive species. In the future, researchers hope to apply this model to the Upper Mississippi River sub-basins as well as the Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland rivers.
This is an ongoing project that partners with many organizations including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association, Tennessee Technological University, Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin La Crosse, and Iowa State University.
Learn more:
Silver Carp | InvasiveCarp.us (ICRCC)
Bighead Carp | InvasiveCarp.us (ICRCC)
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) are invasive carp species within the Mississippi River basin. In the early-1970s these species escaped from ponds where people introduced them to control algae (ICRCC). Invasive carp cause ecological and economic damage by outcompeting native species and disrupting native food webs. Stopping the spread of these invasive carp into the Great Lakes is important to protect the $7 billion recreational and commercial fishing industry. It all starts with identifying where these carp are, and modeling is a great tool for gaining this knowledge. The goal of carp modeling is to fill the knowledge gaps to better manage and control invasive carp populations.
Modeling is a mathematical approach that can be used to answer biological questions or problems. In short, modeling is way of analyzing, computing or transforming a series of inputs estimate complex natural processes and create results or outputs. One example for Invasive Carps in the SEICarP model.
SEICarP stands for Spatially Explicit Invasive Carp Population. This model evaluates invasive carp populations in different pools of large rivers. The model uses carp attribute data as inputs, including length measurements, telemetry (fish tagging), hydroacoustic (location or position) data, and more. These data are collected by field crews later used to inform models. Outputs from completed models can be used to better understand carp and how to manage them.
Recent modeling and carp harvesting efforts have focused on the Illinois River. The Illinois River is of concern, as it connects the Mississippi River near St. Louis, MO and Lake Michigan through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Currently, there is an electric barrier to keep invasive carp from spreading to the Great Lakes. However, additional management in the Illinois River can further help decrease the risk of bigheaded carp invasion by reducing the population pressure on this barrier. This is where modeling the carp populations comes in.
This modeling project focuses on the Illinois River and was run for 6 different navigation pools. The model was run many times to come up with an average carp population per pool. Preliminary findings have shown that running this model within each pool yields more detailed results than running the entire segment of the Illinois river, possibly due to the environmental and carp population variation among the pools. This model is a helpful tool in deciding where to expend monetary and agency resources as it can give us an overview of how many carp should be harvested, where to harvest, and where we should place deterrents or implement reduction strategies. Modeling data allow managers to better control invasive carp populations by implementing harvest and deterrent techniques in areas that have higher carp populations.
This project is laying the foundation for other quantitative assessments especially in the realm of invasive species. In the future, researchers hope to apply this model to the Upper Mississippi River sub-basins as well as the Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland rivers.
This is an ongoing project that partners with many organizations including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association, Tennessee Technological University, Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin La Crosse, and Iowa State University.
Learn more:
Silver Carp | InvasiveCarp.us (ICRCC)
Bighead Carp | InvasiveCarp.us (ICRCC)