The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) recently announced that intensive monitoring actions would be implemented in the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River after three consecutive rounds of Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling yielded positive results for Asian carp DNA in the North Shore Channel.

Three separate eDNA samples sets were taken at the North Shore Channel between June 11th and September 11th, revealing 17 positives for silver carp DNA out of 171 samples.

At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources, such as bilge water.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leading an Asian Carp eDNA Calibration Study (ECALS) with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce the uncertainty surrounding eDNA results and investigate alternative sources and pathways for eDNA detections beyond a live fish.

Full eDNA sampling details can be found at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website: 
(http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorksProjects/ANSPortal/eDNA.aspx)

For more Asian carp information, visit: www.asiancarp.us

source: U.S. Geological Survey

Rock snot, also known as didymo, is an invasive algae that occurs in cold rivers and streams of Northeastern North America. Rock snot has been found in16 American states and Quebec, Canada. This invasive form of algae covers river and stream bottoms with dense mats and long strands.

Rock snot can be distinguished from other aquatic algae species by a number of characteristics:

 - coloration is brownish to white but not green

 - texture is similar wet wool

 - attaches firmly to rocks and stones

According to biologists, rock snot does not pose significant risks to humans but can have negative impacts on rivers and streams.

When rock snot blooms occur, the resulting mats are thought to be harmful to streams in a number of ways:

 - mats can entrap or block minnows, aquatic insects, crayfish, and other stream life such as caddis fly, may fly, stone fly, minnows

 - blooms make fly fishing difficult or impossible

 - rock snot is slippery

Recently, Potomac River blue catfish have been in the spotlight. On February 23, 2012, a Pennsylvania angler caught an 80-pound, 12-ounce blue catfish in the Potomac River near Fort Washington. The enormous blue catfish broke the Maryland State record, surpassing the previous record holder by 13 pounds. The previous record fish was caught in 2008 not far from where Wetzel caught his fish.

Blue catfish are native to the Mississippi River Valley and were introduced to the James and Rappahannock Rivers in the 1970s. Since then, the fish have reproduced and spread throughout the tidal Potomac River system. Flathead catfish, another non-native invasive species, and blue catfish have subsequently turned up in the Nanticoke, Susquehanna and Northeast Rivers, Upper Chesapeake Bay and other waters.

source: MD DNR

In January, 2012, the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Cities Initiative released a joint study of invasive species. The research focuses on stopping the movement of invasive species between the Mississippi and Great Lakes basins.

The study is the first major effort to provide failsafe solutions to preventing the movement of aquatic invasive species between the two watersheds. Among the solutions presented are ways in which the Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins can be re-separated,

Scientific evidence indicates that bighead and silver carps would find portions of the Great Lakes basin to be suitable places to live and reproduce, likely causing ecosystem disruption, and loss of valuable fishery resources. Science behind the Asian carp threat adds pointed urgency for action on the separation study.

"Science indicates that, like the sea lamprey and zebra mussel, bighead and silver carps are likely to become permanent components of the Great Lakes if they become established in the system. We simply must not let new species—particularly ones as large and prolific as the silver and bighead carps—into the Great Lakes" said Robert Lambe, chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

source: Great Lakes Commission

The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) recently released its 2011 Asian Carp Monitoring and Rapid Response Plan (MRRP), outlining an aggressive set of actions to track and remove Asian carp in the Upper Illinois River and the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) to prevent this invasive species from establishing in the Great Lakes.

The 2011 MRRP, which represents an estimated $7 million Federal investment, is designed with the flexibility to respond to new threats. Project plans can be categorized geographically as occurring either upstream or downstream of the electric dispersal barrier and grouped into the following five categories:

MONITORING PROJECTS

Includes the use of electrofishing and contract commercial fishermen to detect presence and location of any Asian carp DNA both above and below the barrier; continued use of eDNA to detect potential presence of carp above the barrier; and monitoring for small Asian carp to track where reproduction is occurring.

BARRIER EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATIONS

Efforts will include the use of telemetry to follow the movements of tagged surrogate species to assess movement near the dispersal barrier and through locks; use of sonar to track fish movement and caged fish to determine the effectiveness of the dispersal barrier; and monitoring for potential Asian carp spawning in the Des Plaines River to assess risk of eggs and larval fish passing through the barrier fence during flood events.

REMOVAL PROJECTS

Efforts include contracting commercial fishermen to remove Asian carp downstream of the barrier; a rapid response process should any Asian carp be detected upstream of the dispersal barrier; and suppressing Asian carp during maintenance of the electric dispersal barriers.

TECHNOLOGY EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Efforts will evaluate efficiency and detection probability of technology currently in use for Asian carp monitoring, develop enhancements, and generate ideas for development of new approaches for capturing or repelling small populations of Asian carp.

ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY SURVEILLANCE

Efforts will include expanded education and enforcement activities at locations where live fish would most likely be transported and continued surveillance efforts.

MRRP projects for 2011 also include developing and testing hydroguns that emit high-pressure underwater sound waves to repel Asian carp.

source: Illinois DNR

The 2008 Clean Boating Act requires that the EPA draft regulations to reduce water pollution and the spread of invasive species in the nation’s rivers, lakes and other water bodies.

As an alternative to permits required for commercial vessels, the act directs EPA to develop and promulgate management practices for recreational vessels.

To address the issue, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun seeking public comment from boaters and other stakeholders to help develop proposed regulations.

EPA is also seeking information from states that already enact standards to limit the impacts of boat discharges on waterways. According to scientists, boat discharges can cause the spread of several aquatic invasive species.

Across the USA, the EPA is holding listening sessions and conducting webinars to inform interested parties about the Clean Boating Act and receive public input.

More information about the Clean Boating Act: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/vessel/CBA/about.cfm

Colorado Division of Wildlife has issued an emergency order prohibiting the transport of live crayfish from Sanchez Reservoir State Wildlife Area following the discovery of invasive rusty crayfish at the popular southern Colorado reservoir.

An aggressive and invasive fresh-water crustacean, the rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) has large claws and out-competes native species for food and habitat. They can clear large areas of aquatic plants, reducing habitat for invertebrates and shelter for small fish. They have a higher metabolic rate and appetite than other crayfish species and attain higher population densities.

Anglers collecting crayfish must either return them to the reservoir alive or immediately kill the crayfish by separating the crayfish's tail from the body, or thorax. Even crayfish harvested for human consumption must be killed by separating the edible tail from the body before leaving the reservoir.

source: Colorado Division of Wildlife