Invasive Species

Bighead carp and silver carp (collectively known as bigheaded carps) first escaped to the Mississippi River Basin in the 1970s and by 1989 had invaded the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. The species threaten the economies and ecosystems for these rivers and are currently spreading upriver. USGS scientists are developing population-level models to help guide and inform control strategies and...

Previous studies and experience have demonstrated that some locks and dams operate as bottlenecks or pinch points for invasive carp populations and range expansion because of unique hydraulic conditions and operations at these dams. As compared to dams without these unique conditions, pinch-point dams restrict upstream fish passage to the lock chamber and result in limited (but not zero) upstream...

Silver carp ( Hypophthalmichthys molirix) and bighead carp ( H. nobilis), commonly call bigheaded carp, are native to portions of Asia and were introduced to North America in aquaculture farms and sewage treatment ponds to control algae and plant growth. Bigheaded carp escaped from their intended locations and have an adverse effect on the ecosystem functions and the economic value of the...

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...

Michigan and Ohio Department of Natural Resources along with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) and USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center (UMESC) are planning field studies to attract Grass Carp using formulated baits and algae attractants. These baits are intended to increase the density of Grass Carp in specified areas for capture and...

Currently, the only U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) registered pesticide for resource managers to control populations of Invasive Carp (e.g., Bighead Carp, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) are rotenone (Prenfish Fish Toxicant; EPA Reg. No. 89459-85) and Carbon Dioxide – Carp (EPA Reg. No. 6704-95). An alternative to rotenone and Carbon Dioxide – Carp, antimycin-A (ANT-A), is desired by...

A team of USGS scientists is currently working with the MDNR, ODNR, USFWS, and academic institutions to evaluate the use of grass carp baits and attractants as a tool for resource managers. The science team aims to integrate the use of baits and attractants to increase aggregation of grass carp near targeted capture sites to enhance the multi-jurisdictional removal program associated with the Lake...

No current technology can specifically target Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella for control within aquatic ecosystems. Other than TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol) for Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus control, available control chemicals used in aquatic invasive species management programs are non‐selective and typically applied throughout the entire water column, resulting in equal exposure of...

Recently there has been an increased removal effort of adult Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella from the Lake Erie Basin through traditional capture methods (Herbst et al. 2021). Use of chemical control tools such as a general or ingestible pesticide to support this removal effort has been identified as a potential management option (Robinson et al. 2021).

The proposed project will explore the technology of hydroacoustics to detect dreissenid mussels and analyze habitat variables to model preferred future habitat locations to help control the spread of invasive dreissenid mussels.

Native freshwater mussels play a critical role in aquatic environments and are considered “ecosystem engineers” and indicators of water quality by constantly filtering water. Populations of native freshwater mussels have declined in recent years, and this decline has been attributed to factors such as habitat degradation, pollution, and invasive species, among others. The importance of these...

Dreissenid mussels have posed an aquatic invasive species challenge in the United States since their arrival in the Great Lakes in the 1980s. Zebra ( Dreissena polymorpha) and Quagga ( D. bugensis) mussels are filter feeders with high reproductive capacity. Their behaviors result in altered nutrient cycles, shifts in trophic structures, and extirpation of some native species in systems where they...