Aaron Cupp

Registration of new fishery chemicals is critical for resource managers to incorporate chemical controls as part of their Integrated Pest Management plans. In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) obtained a Section 3 registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for carbon dioxide (CO2) as a new pesticide under the name Carbon Dioxide–Carp...

Invasive carps (silver, bighead, black, grass) cause considerable economic and ecological damage to important fishery and water resources in the United States. Carbon dioxide (CO2) applied into water is being developed as a new chemical method to control invasive carps and other aquatic invasive species. Ongoing studies are evaluating the effectiveness of CO2 as a behavioral deterrent to limit...

Chemical controls are a vital component of many effective Integrated Pest Management plans. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for invasive carps as a general toxicant or behavioral deterrent. Administration of non-selective chemicals, such as CO2, into public waters could pose a risk to non-target organisms (e.g. native mussels, native fishes) through direct or...

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for general aquatic invasive species control. Most research has focused on its effectiveness as a behavioral deterrent and lethal control or invasive carps. However, because CO2 is generally non-selective, there is potential for this new control chemical to be applied across a wide range of aquatic invasive species challenges.

Management agencies often rely on commercial harvest for invasive carp population control. Piscicides, or fish toxicants, are an alternative method that could supplement Integrated Pest Management plans to kill and remove large quantities of invasive carps in a relatively short period of time. This non-selective removal strategy could greatly improve removal efficiency, particularly where high...

Management agencies have identified key pinch-points where there is a need to block invasive carp passage. Recent studies have shown that carbon dioxide (CO2) can be an effective behavioral deterrent for invasive carps and could be used independently or in combination with other deterrents to reduce the risk of migration into new areas. Installation of a deterrent at these management locations...