Invasive sea squirt puts Connecticut's shellfish sector on alert
By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
The invasive sea squirt Styela clava has appeared along the Eastern Seaboard and is threatening Connecticut’s USD 30 million shellfish business, informed Carmela Cuomo, head of the marine biology programme at the University of New Haven (UNH).
The migration of the foreign pest southward from Canada and northern New England jeopardizes the farming of bivalves such as clams, mussels, scallops and oysters in Long Island Sound.
Connecticut’s shellfish industry provides 300 jobs and has 70,000 ac of shellfish farms, according to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.
“The spread of this particular species of sea squirt westward in Long Island Sound, along with laboratory studies of its temperature tolerance, indicates it can survive at higher water temperatures than scientists had previously believed,” Cuomo said. “If further testing confirms that Styela can reproduce in warmer waters, Styela may pose a greater threat than has previously been imagined and may even be able to spread as far south as Florida.” ...
Read the full story at link.
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Showing posts with label sea squirts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sea squirts. Show all posts
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, July 6, 2009
Week of July 6, 2009
Updated July 11
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Plant Conservation Alliance general meeting announcement
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
9:30 - 11:30 AM
LOCATION: Conference Room at NatureServe
1101 Wilson Boulevard, 15th Floor
Arlington, VA 22209
The Plant Conservation Alliance (PCA) Bi-Monthly Meeting is an open forum for anyone interested or working in plant conservation. The meeting is held every other month in the Washington DC metropolitan area. There is roundtable for attendees to share relevant events, as well as updates from each of the PCA working groups and committees, including the Alien Plant Working Group. Regular attendees include representatives from the PCA Federal agencies and from cooperating organizations; however anyone is welcome to attend this meeting. Past meeting summaries and selected presentations are available at http://www.nps.gov/plants/meetings/bimonthly/index.htm.
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Suffolk County "Do Not Sell" List public hearing on June 23
From the Website of the Suffolk County Water and Land Invasive Species Advisory Board.
Photo by: Laura Stephenson, Peconic Estuary Program. Volunteers pull Ludwigia peploides from the Peconic River.
Suffolk County, NY will have a public hearing on the proposed amendments to the "Do Not Sell" list on June 23, 2009, 2:30pm, at Suffolk County Community College Culinary Arts Center, in Riverhead. In Summer 2009, Suffolk and Nassau counties are amending their invasive species lists, as well as including a new clause that would exempt sterile cultivars of banned species from prohibition. Similar to the current invasive species list, the amendments include phase-out periods which were developed in collaboration with green industry members.
The proposed amendments to the “do-not-sell” list were reached through a series of meetings of the Suffolk County Water and Land Invasive Species Advisory Board, based on work conducted by the Scientific Review Committee (SRC)—a subcommittee of the Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA) and in conjunction with the expertise and experience of land managers, horticultural industry professionals, and botanists. Plant assessment results are critically reviewed and approved by the LIISMA SRC. Results of these species’ assessments can be found at http://www.liinvasives.org/. Members of the LIISMA SRC include botanists, horticulture professionals, ecologists, public land managers, and representatives from Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Long Island Farm Bureau, and the Long Island Nursery & Landscape Association.
In 2007, Suffolk and Nassau counties became the first counties in New York State to take a key step in slowing the spread of invasive species by outlawing the sale, transport, distribution, and propagation of 63 invasive plant species. As part of a long-term invasive species management plan, this law is a major move in the fight against the spread of these species into our lands and waters. The ban on 56 of these species became effective January 1, 2009, but of these, only 9 are widely commercially sold (Table 1). The ban includes each plant’s cultivars.
Table 1. Commercially-sold Species on the “Do Not Sell” List Which are in Effect in 2009
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata - Porcelain-berry
Eleagnus umbellata - Autumn olive
Lespedeza cuneata - Chinese lespedeza
Ligustrum obtusifolium - Border privet
Lythrum salicaria - Purple loosestrife
Ranunculus ficaria - Lesser celandine
Rhamnus cathartica - Common buckthorn
Rosa multiflora - Multiflora rose
Rubus phoenicolasias Maxim. - Wineberry
For More Information:
Suffolk County bill 1508:
http://legis.suffolkcountyny.gov/resos2009/i1508-09.pdf
Long Island Invasive Species Management Area:
http://nyis.info/liisma/default.aspx
Species’ invasiveness assessments can be found at http://www.liinvasives.org/.
For more information about the do-not-sell list, invasive plants, non-invasive alternative plants, and the program in general, please contact: enviro@suffolkcountyny.gov
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Zebra mussels infest Massachusetts' Laurel Lake
By Jack Dew, Berkshire Eagle Staff
LEE, MA. -- An invasive species of mussel has been discovered in Laurel Lake, threatening to dramatically alter the ecosystem and spread to other bodies of water in the Berkshires and across the state.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has confirmed that zebra mussels -- a hearty species native to the Caspian and Black Sea -- have been found in Laurel Lake, the first documented case in a Massachusetts body of water. The fingernail-sized mussel inhabits a yellowish brown shell with alternating light and dark bands. The razor-sharp shells are usually an inch long but can grow to 2 inches.
An aquatic ecologist with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation has recommended that the public boat ramp at Laurel Lake be closed to prevent the mussels' spread. That decision, however, will be up to the Public Access Board, which governs access to the state's lakes and so far has taken no action.
On Monday, the boat ramp remained open while a lunchtime crowd of anglers tried their luck for trout.
"I've seen zebra mussels in Lake Champlain, and what they do is horrible," said Keith Williman, one of the fishermen. "They cause real big problems." [...]
Anne Roche, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, said the agency is deploying its rapid response plan, which calls for a public education blitz to urge lake users to take precautions.
"The important part is communication and education to stop it from spreading," Roche said. "Once the species is in a lake, you can't eradicate it."
Read the full article at link.
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Schumer secures funding to combat ash borer in NY
The Post-Journal
The United States Department of Agriculture has doubled the amount of funding they will provide to New York State through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Monday.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service coordinates eradication and suppression efforts for emerging plant pests, including both emergency funding and technical assistance to states. With APHIS's assistance, New York's Department of Environmental Conservation will be able to survey the state to determine the extent of the infestation, and create and enact a plan to fight the spread of EAB.
Last week Schumer called for USDA to provide emergency funding to NYS to battle Ash Borer, and today he is announcing that they have responded to his request by doubling the amount of funding available to New York state from $100,000 to $200,000. [...]
APHIS can provide both funding and technical expertise in combating and treating this infestation. They routinely provide manpower, experts and equipment to localities that are experiencing invasive species emergencies. [...]
Schumer last week also called on the US Forest Service to accept NYS DEC's application for stimulus funding to improve education on how to stop the spread of Ash Borer and to enforce the ban on the transportation of firewood. Schumer today said that he will continue working with the USFS to obtain those funds as soon as possible.
Read the full story at link.
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Request for Nominations for the Invasive Species Advisory Committee
The U.S. Department of the Interior, on behalf of the interdepartmental National Invasive Species Council, proposes to appoint new members to the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC). The Secretary of the Interior, acting as administrative lead, is requesting nominations for qualified persons to serve as members of the ISAC.
DATES: Nominations must be postmarked by July 23, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent to:
Dr. Christopher Dionigi, Acting Executive Director
National Invasive Species Council (OS/NISC)
Regular Mail:
1849 C Street, NW.
Washington, DC 20240
Express Mail:
1201 EyeStreet, NW., 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kelsey Brantley, Program Analyst andISAC Coordinator, at (202) 513–7243,fax: (202) 371–1751, or by e-mail at Kelsey_Brantley@ios.doi.gov.
-------------------------------------------------------
Training for Asian long-horned beetle and emerald ash borer
There are a series of trainings in New York coming up over the next few weeks to train people on how to recognize and survey for both Asian long-horned beetle and emerald ash borer. These trainings are scheduled for July 9 (Warrensburg-Adirondacks), July 13 (Albany), July 21 (Woodstock-Catskills), and July 22 (Woodstock-Catskills). All training sessions are scheduled to run from 9am - 4pm. Space is limited and reservations are accepted on a first come / first serve basis. Those interested in identification, survey, and risks of forest pests should consider attending. We hope to provide continuing education credits to certified foresters.
Please contact Troy Weldy at The Nature Conservancy (e-mail: tweldy@tnc.org; phone: 518-690-7841) to reserve your space and also feel free to forward this announcement to any interested parties.
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Invasive sea squirts in Long Island Sound may indicate climate change
By Andy Bromage, FairfieldWeekly.com
Sea squirts are smothering Connecticut's shellfish industry. [...]
Non-native sea squirts, also known as tunicate or sea pork, are proliferating in Long Island Sound and elsewhere as water temperatures rise. Marine scientists at the University of Connecticut found that warmer winters are causing the invasive invertebrates to explode in population. Sea squirts reproduce rapidly and compete with shellfish for food and space, threatening Connecticut's shellfish industry. [...]
In 2002, UConn scientists studied whether climate change was to blame for the growth of invasive sea squirts in Long Island Sound. The harmless-looking invertebrates outcompete economically vital shellfish like clams, mussels and oysters and smother other organisms. Left unchecked, they could have a devastating impact on shellfishing in the Sound.
And the warmer the water, the worse they get.
Scientists studied native species against invasive ones from 1991 to 2002 at Avery Point near Groton. They found that in the year after the warmest winter (1991), invasive growth was twice that of native squirts. By contrast, after the coldest winter (1994), the native ones outgrew the invasive sea squirts 5-to-1.
Read the full story at link.
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Volunteers Pull Together To Remove Invasive Plant from Mill Pond, Oyster Bay
From The Nature Conservancy
Cold Spring Harbor, NY — July 8, 2009 — Volunteers gathered today at Mill Pond, Oyster Bay and took to their canoes to remove a harmful invasive plant that is overtaking the waterway, according to The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Bay and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The plant, water chestnut, is a concern to both people and nature. Over 35 cubic yards of water chestnut have been removed from Mill Pond in the last two years. [...]
“The best time of year to remove this harmful plant is in late spring or early summer before it sets seed. The seeds are viable for up to 10 years so control efforts must be conducted for many years, but luckily this plant has only been found in two locations on Long Island,” said Kathy Schwager, invasive species ecologist for The Nature Conservancy on Long Island. “Pulling this weed is a win-win situation for both the environment and the community.”
“According to Mill Pond neighbors, they first noticed the invasion of this aquatic plant between 2005 and 2007 and were astonished at its prolific expansion each year. Each individual seed can produce 10 to 15 rosettes, and each rosette can produce 15 to 20 seeds. So each seed can produce 300 new seeds in one year! The Refuge confirmed the infestation in June 2008 and acted rapidly to remove as much water chestnut as possible that summer season. If left uncontrolled, it will cover the entire pond within a few years,” remarked Azucena Ponce, refuge biologist for the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex.”
Michelle Williams, refuge manager added, “We would like to thank the Town of Oyster Bay for their generous support in providing a location for the plant material. Additionally, we would like to thank the many volunteers who have worked so hard on making this project a success.”
Invasive species damage the lands and waters that native plants and animals need to survive. They hurt economies and threaten human well-being. The estimated damage from invasive species worldwide totals more than $1.4 trillion – five percent of the global economy.
Read the full story at link.
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Senate hearing focuses on diseases, invasive species threatening native wildlife
By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press
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Plant Conservation Alliance general meeting announcement
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
9:30 - 11:30 AM
LOCATION: Conference Room at NatureServe
1101 Wilson Boulevard, 15th Floor
Arlington, VA 22209
The Plant Conservation Alliance (PCA) Bi-Monthly Meeting is an open forum for anyone interested or working in plant conservation. The meeting is held every other month in the Washington DC metropolitan area. There is roundtable for attendees to share relevant events, as well as updates from each of the PCA working groups and committees, including the Alien Plant Working Group. Regular attendees include representatives from the PCA Federal agencies and from cooperating organizations; however anyone is welcome to attend this meeting. Past meeting summaries and selected presentations are available at http://www.nps.gov/plants/meetings/bimonthly/index.htm.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Suffolk County "Do Not Sell" List public hearing on June 23
From the Website of the Suffolk County Water and Land Invasive Species Advisory Board.
Photo by: Laura Stephenson, Peconic Estuary Program. Volunteers pull Ludwigia peploides from the Peconic River.
Suffolk County, NY will have a public hearing on the proposed amendments to the "Do Not Sell" list on June 23, 2009, 2:30pm, at Suffolk County Community College Culinary Arts Center, in Riverhead. In Summer 2009, Suffolk and Nassau counties are amending their invasive species lists, as well as including a new clause that would exempt sterile cultivars of banned species from prohibition. Similar to the current invasive species list, the amendments include phase-out periods which were developed in collaboration with green industry members.
The proposed amendments to the “do-not-sell” list were reached through a series of meetings of the Suffolk County Water and Land Invasive Species Advisory Board, based on work conducted by the Scientific Review Committee (SRC)—a subcommittee of the Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA) and in conjunction with the expertise and experience of land managers, horticultural industry professionals, and botanists. Plant assessment results are critically reviewed and approved by the LIISMA SRC. Results of these species’ assessments can be found at http://www.liinvasives.org/. Members of the LIISMA SRC include botanists, horticulture professionals, ecologists, public land managers, and representatives from Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Long Island Farm Bureau, and the Long Island Nursery & Landscape Association.
In 2007, Suffolk and Nassau counties became the first counties in New York State to take a key step in slowing the spread of invasive species by outlawing the sale, transport, distribution, and propagation of 63 invasive plant species. As part of a long-term invasive species management plan, this law is a major move in the fight against the spread of these species into our lands and waters. The ban on 56 of these species became effective January 1, 2009, but of these, only 9 are widely commercially sold (Table 1). The ban includes each plant’s cultivars.
Table 1. Commercially-sold Species on the “Do Not Sell” List Which are in Effect in 2009
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata - Porcelain-berry
Eleagnus umbellata - Autumn olive
Lespedeza cuneata - Chinese lespedeza
Ligustrum obtusifolium - Border privet
Lythrum salicaria - Purple loosestrife
Ranunculus ficaria - Lesser celandine
Rhamnus cathartica - Common buckthorn
Rosa multiflora - Multiflora rose
Rubus phoenicolasias Maxim. - Wineberry
For More Information:
Suffolk County bill 1508:
http://legis.suffolkcountyny.gov/resos2009/i1508-09.pdf
Long Island Invasive Species Management Area:
http://nyis.info/liisma/default.aspx
Species’ invasiveness assessments can be found at http://www.liinvasives.org/.
For more information about the do-not-sell list, invasive plants, non-invasive alternative plants, and the program in general, please contact: enviro@suffolkcountyny.gov
---------------------------------------------------------
Zebra mussels infest Massachusetts' Laurel Lake
By Jack Dew, Berkshire Eagle Staff
LEE, MA. -- An invasive species of mussel has been discovered in Laurel Lake, threatening to dramatically alter the ecosystem and spread to other bodies of water in the Berkshires and across the state.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has confirmed that zebra mussels -- a hearty species native to the Caspian and Black Sea -- have been found in Laurel Lake, the first documented case in a Massachusetts body of water. The fingernail-sized mussel inhabits a yellowish brown shell with alternating light and dark bands. The razor-sharp shells are usually an inch long but can grow to 2 inches.
An aquatic ecologist with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation has recommended that the public boat ramp at Laurel Lake be closed to prevent the mussels' spread. That decision, however, will be up to the Public Access Board, which governs access to the state's lakes and so far has taken no action.
On Monday, the boat ramp remained open while a lunchtime crowd of anglers tried their luck for trout.
"I've seen zebra mussels in Lake Champlain, and what they do is horrible," said Keith Williman, one of the fishermen. "They cause real big problems." [...]
Anne Roche, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, said the agency is deploying its rapid response plan, which calls for a public education blitz to urge lake users to take precautions.
"The important part is communication and education to stop it from spreading," Roche said. "Once the species is in a lake, you can't eradicate it."
Read the full article at link.
---------------------------------------------------------
Schumer secures funding to combat ash borer in NY
The Post-Journal
The United States Department of Agriculture has doubled the amount of funding they will provide to New York State through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Monday.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service coordinates eradication and suppression efforts for emerging plant pests, including both emergency funding and technical assistance to states. With APHIS's assistance, New York's Department of Environmental Conservation will be able to survey the state to determine the extent of the infestation, and create and enact a plan to fight the spread of EAB.
Last week Schumer called for USDA to provide emergency funding to NYS to battle Ash Borer, and today he is announcing that they have responded to his request by doubling the amount of funding available to New York state from $100,000 to $200,000. [...]
APHIS can provide both funding and technical expertise in combating and treating this infestation. They routinely provide manpower, experts and equipment to localities that are experiencing invasive species emergencies. [...]
Schumer last week also called on the US Forest Service to accept NYS DEC's application for stimulus funding to improve education on how to stop the spread of Ash Borer and to enforce the ban on the transportation of firewood. Schumer today said that he will continue working with the USFS to obtain those funds as soon as possible.
Read the full story at link.
--------------------------------------------------------
Request for Nominations for the Invasive Species Advisory Committee
The U.S. Department of the Interior, on behalf of the interdepartmental National Invasive Species Council, proposes to appoint new members to the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC). The Secretary of the Interior, acting as administrative lead, is requesting nominations for qualified persons to serve as members of the ISAC.
DATES: Nominations must be postmarked by July 23, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent to:
Dr. Christopher Dionigi, Acting Executive Director
National Invasive Species Council (OS/NISC)
Regular Mail:
1849 C Street, NW.
Washington, DC 20240
Express Mail:
1201 EyeStreet, NW., 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kelsey Brantley, Program Analyst andISAC Coordinator, at (202) 513–7243,fax: (202) 371–1751, or by e-mail at Kelsey_Brantley@ios.doi.gov.
-------------------------------------------------------
Training for Asian long-horned beetle and emerald ash borer
There are a series of trainings in New York coming up over the next few weeks to train people on how to recognize and survey for both Asian long-horned beetle and emerald ash borer. These trainings are scheduled for July 9 (Warrensburg-Adirondacks), July 13 (Albany), July 21 (Woodstock-Catskills), and July 22 (Woodstock-Catskills). All training sessions are scheduled to run from 9am - 4pm. Space is limited and reservations are accepted on a first come / first serve basis. Those interested in identification, survey, and risks of forest pests should consider attending. We hope to provide continuing education credits to certified foresters.
Please contact Troy Weldy at The Nature Conservancy (e-mail: tweldy@tnc.org; phone: 518-690-7841) to reserve your space and also feel free to forward this announcement to any interested parties.
---------------------------------------------------------
Invasive sea squirts in Long Island Sound may indicate climate change
By Andy Bromage, FairfieldWeekly.com
Sea squirts are smothering Connecticut's shellfish industry. [...]
Non-native sea squirts, also known as tunicate or sea pork, are proliferating in Long Island Sound and elsewhere as water temperatures rise. Marine scientists at the University of Connecticut found that warmer winters are causing the invasive invertebrates to explode in population. Sea squirts reproduce rapidly and compete with shellfish for food and space, threatening Connecticut's shellfish industry. [...]In 2002, UConn scientists studied whether climate change was to blame for the growth of invasive sea squirts in Long Island Sound. The harmless-looking invertebrates outcompete economically vital shellfish like clams, mussels and oysters and smother other organisms. Left unchecked, they could have a devastating impact on shellfishing in the Sound.
And the warmer the water, the worse they get.
Scientists studied native species against invasive ones from 1991 to 2002 at Avery Point near Groton. They found that in the year after the warmest winter (1991), invasive growth was twice that of native squirts. By contrast, after the coldest winter (1994), the native ones outgrew the invasive sea squirts 5-to-1.
Read the full story at link.
--------------------------------------------------------
Volunteers Pull Together To Remove Invasive Plant from Mill Pond, Oyster Bay
From The Nature Conservancy
Cold Spring Harbor, NY — July 8, 2009 — Volunteers gathered today at Mill Pond, Oyster Bay and took to their canoes to remove a harmful invasive plant that is overtaking the waterway, according to The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Bay and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The plant, water chestnut, is a concern to both people and nature. Over 35 cubic yards of water chestnut have been removed from Mill Pond in the last two years. [...]“The best time of year to remove this harmful plant is in late spring or early summer before it sets seed. The seeds are viable for up to 10 years so control efforts must be conducted for many years, but luckily this plant has only been found in two locations on Long Island,” said Kathy Schwager, invasive species ecologist for The Nature Conservancy on Long Island. “Pulling this weed is a win-win situation for both the environment and the community.”
“According to Mill Pond neighbors, they first noticed the invasion of this aquatic plant between 2005 and 2007 and were astonished at its prolific expansion each year. Each individual seed can produce 10 to 15 rosettes, and each rosette can produce 15 to 20 seeds. So each seed can produce 300 new seeds in one year! The Refuge confirmed the infestation in June 2008 and acted rapidly to remove as much water chestnut as possible that summer season. If left uncontrolled, it will cover the entire pond within a few years,” remarked Azucena Ponce, refuge biologist for the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex.”
Michelle Williams, refuge manager added, “We would like to thank the Town of Oyster Bay for their generous support in providing a location for the plant material. Additionally, we would like to thank the many volunteers who have worked so hard on making this project a success.”
Invasive species damage the lands and waters that native plants and animals need to survive. They hurt economies and threaten human well-being. The estimated damage from invasive species worldwide totals more than $1.4 trillion – five percent of the global economy.
The Nature Conservancy is working to prevent and control the spread of invasive species in all 50 states and across more than 30 countries around the world. Together with our partners we are focusing on prevention and early detection as the most effective strategies to combat invasive species. [...]
Also joining the event were students from The Nature Conservancy’s Internship Program for City Youth, a unique partnership that couples environmental school learning curricula in urban nature with real world conservation work through paid internships on nature preserves across the Northeast. The program, launched in 1995, is a partnership with the Friends of the High School for Environmental Studies and the Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment. This partnership has helped underserved urban youth gain critical life and workplace skills, provided continuous and sustained exposure to both rural and urban nature, and helped a diverse array of students pursue higher education opportunities and career paths in environmental fields.Read the full story at link.
Photo © Evelyn Chen/TNC
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Senate hearing focuses on diseases, invasive species threatening native wildlife
By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - From a mysterious fungus attacking bats in the Northeast to the emergence of Burmese pythons in Florida, native wildlife is facing new threats throughout the country.
Protecting wildlife from new diseases and invasive species is a top challenge facing state and federal officials. Experts and public officials will talk about the threats — and ways to combat them — at a Senate hearing Wednesday.
Two Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittees are conducting the hearing, which will feature testimony by experts from Maryland, Michigan, Rhode Island and Florida.
At least 185 aquatic invasive species have been detected in the Great Lakes, including the zebra mussel and Asian carp, and snakehead fish have been found in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Monday, September 29, 2008
Week of September 28, 2008
Updated 10/3
Annual Delaware Invasive Species Council meeting on November 7, 2008
The annual Delaware Invasive Species Council meeting is scheduled for 8:30 AM - 2 PM on Nov. 7, 2008, at the St. JonesReserve (Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve) near Dover, Delaware. Highlights include featured talks by John Gaadt, LorraineFlemming, and others, a delicious catered lunch, exhibits, invasivesquiz, door prizes, and more. Each registrant will receive a copy of thebrand new publication, "Mistaken Identity? Invasive Plants and their Native Look-alikes for the Mid Atlantic," which will also be the subjectof a hands-on workshop including an outdoor walk. All this for only $20! Pesticide credits and Certified Arborist credits are available. For more information, directions, and to register see the DISC website, http://www.delawareinvasives.net/ Registration deadline is October 29.
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Invasive Forest Pest Conference on October 30 in Ithaca, NY
This one day conference will focus on three of the most importantinvasive non-native forest insect pests in the Northeast: HemlockWooly Adelgid, Emerald Ash Borer, and Asian Longhorned Beetle. These insects pose tremendous threats and may change the composition and function of our forests forever. The conference will feature a group of 14 experts who will examine the impacts, issues, and current research, as well as discuss management options and examine the potential ecological impact these pests will have on the region's forests. Continuing education credit will be available.
For more information contact Mark Whitmore, Dept. of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. mcw42@cornell.edu .
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Mysterious bat deaths under study in New York
By Sara Foss, DailyGazette.com
Last winter, tens of thousands of hibernating bats died in caves and mines in eastern and upstate New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut. Many, but not all, of these bats had a white fungus around their muzzles and other parts of their bodies; as a result, biologists named the affliction white-nose syndrome. Some of the bats hibernating in affected areas survived, but not many: In eight New York caves, the mortality rate ranged from 80 percent to 100 percent.
Scientists have many questions about white-nose syndrome, and few answers. They don’t know what it is. They don’t know whether the bats are transmitting it among themselves, or whether people are spreading it, or whether it’s even killing the bats. What they do know is that what’s happening is unprecedented.
“Any time we start having mass die-offs, we ought to be taking it very seriously as a potential canary in the coal mine,” said Merlin Tuttle, director of Bat Conservation International, based in Austin, Texas. “We may be looking at a serious environmental crisis.” He suggested there are probably multiple causes. One factor, he said, may be population decline in groups of insects that bats rely on for food.
Tuttle doesn’t view the bat die-off as an isolated incident. Recently, scientists have been baffled by the unexplained disappearance of millions of commercial honeybees, a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, and a few years ago scientists reported that a strange new fungus that kills frogs, toads and other species of amphibians was spreading around the globe.
Al Hicks, the mammal specialist for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s endangered species program, views the bat die-off as symptomatic of an environment in crisis. He suggested that the world’s increasing population and “the increased rate that we move things around on this planet” are taxing the earth. “Our ability to move quickly and frequently around the planet allows ever increasing movement of organisms,” he said. Invasive species such as zebra mussels and purple loosestrife threaten to throw New York’s ecosystem out of whack, he said.
New York is considered the epicenter of the bat die-off.
Little brown bats, the most numerous bats in the Northeast, are being killed off in the greatest numbers. But the Indiana bat, which is listed as an endangered species, has also suffered, as have northern long-eared and small-footed bats, eastern pipistrelle and other bats using the same caves and mines.
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Invasive grass is threat to Maryland's native species
By Ishita Singh, BaltimoreSun.com
The latest threat to Maryland native species is a unique-looking plant with leaves that look like they have been folded and then smoothed out.
Wavyleaf basketgrass (Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. undulatifolius), native to Southeast Asia, was first discovered in 1996 in Patapsco Valley State Park. Last year, researchers found it in Little Paint Branch Park in Prince George's County.
The plant's seeds spread in the fall by sticking to animals, pants, boots and bikes. Once the seed is planted, Wavyleaf Basketgrass out-competes native plant life. There are no insects or animals that feed on it, so its growth is unimpeded by natural causes.
"It has the potential to completely change the diversity of the ecosystem, and take the bottom out of the food chain," said Maryland Department of Natural Resources ecologist Kerrie Kyde.
"Because this was found so early, we think we can control it, but citizens need to be alert, walk around their property and keep an eye out on these things," said Ellen Nibali, a horticulture consultant with the Home and Garden Information Center at the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.
Wavyleaf basketgrass has alternating leaves that taper to a long point. It is a bright green and grows about 2 feet high. For more information, go to Wavyleaf Basketgrass.
Article
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'Weed It Now' drive pushes on
By Trevor Jones, Berkshire Eagle Staff
SALISBURY, Conn. — Along a path to the Appalachian Trail, the forest here seems strangely out of place. With thickets of tall brush and vines overtaking the trees, it looks more like the entrance to a dense tropical jungle than the trees and ferns of a typical New England woods.
That's because the area has been overwhelmed by invasive plant species in recent years and several local organizations are working to change it, and other regional woods, back to their natural state.
The work is part of "Weed It Now," a five-year initiative focusing on the removal of invasive plant species from more than 9,000 acres of the Berkshire Taconic forest plateau. Covering three states and 75 different properties, it's the Northeast's largest invasive plant removal project to date.
"This trail provides such an amazing habitat for wild species," said Jessica Murray Toro, conservation project manager for the Nature Conservancy. "Invasive species are the greatest threat to that natural habitat."
Invasive plants like Japanese barberry and garlic mustard spread rapidly and can have dramatic impacts on forests by out competing other plants, reducing tree regeneration and affecting water and soil chemistry. These changes can disturb the region's natural balance, further impacting other plants and animals' habitats.
Crews have been working along the western portion of the Massachusetts-Connecticut border starting last week, including Great Barrington, Egremont and Sheffield. They have sprayed herbicides on specific plants, working through dense barbed plants and high reaching vines. Once the work is complete, they will return to the site the following year to ensure the herbicide worked.
"If you don't do something about it, you're going to see, long-term, (invasive plants) having a huge impact," said David O'Brien, a Lewis Tree Services foreman working at the site.
"Weed It Now" is an initiative formed by the Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, the Connecticut Appalachian Trail Committee of the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. In its final year, representatives from the initiative have already sprayed more than 7,000 acres of forest impacted by the unwanted plants.
The goal is to get the invasive plant population under 5 percent in the forest, safeguarding more than 25,000 acres from the threat of invasive plant species. Article
---------------------------------------------------------
NJ pond infested with Asian swamp eels
Star-Ledger, www.nj.com/starledger
GIBBSBORO, N.J. - Another unwelcome foreign animal species is causing trouble in New Jersey.
State fish and wildlife officials have found hundreds of Asian swamp eels slithering and breeding around Silver Lake in Gibbsboro.
Four states now have the eels, which can gobble up all kinds of aquatic life.
No one has figured out how to kill off the creatures.
The eels are highly adaptable. They can change sex. They can burrow in mud and survive for weeks without food. They can also crawl over land to other bodies of water.
Officials believe someone may have had the eels as exotic pets and dumped them in the waterway. Article from Newsday.
---------------------------------------------------------
Odyssey: artificially intelligent submarine searches for invasive species
MIT researchers have designed a new robotic underwater vehicle that can hover in place like a helicopter — an invaluable tool for deepwater oil explorers, marine archaeologists, oceanographers and others.
The new craft, called Odyssey IV, is the latest in a series of small, inexpensive artificially intelligent submarines developed over the last two decades by the MIT Sea Grant College Program’s Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Laboratory.
The new Odyssey IV, which has just completed sea trials off Woods Hole, Mass., can move through the deep ocean, up to 6,000 meters down, stopping anywhere in the water column and constantly correcting for currents and obstacles. Navigating to its preprogrammed destination, it can hover in place, making detailed inspections of the footings of an offshore oil platform, or photographing the flora and fauna around an undersea vent.
This summer, this latest-generation craft has been demonstrating its new abilities on its first scientific mission, a study of the George’s Bank area of the Gulf of Maine, which is hugely important to the region’s commercial fisheries. Odyssey is being deployed in a series of dives to map and observe an invasive species of sea squirt called Didemnum that has been infesting New England waters. MIT Sea Grant’s Judy Pederson has been tracking the Didemnum invasion for several years, hoping to prevent it from smothering important native species; Odyssey IV will be her eyes on the seafloor. Article
---------------------------------------------------------
New Members of Invasive Species Advisory Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. — At a meeting of the National Invasive Species Council today, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the new members of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, who will provide advice and recommendations to the council.
The Invasive Species Advisory Committee is made up of 31 individuals representing a broad range of stakeholders including scientific, conservation, agriculture, State and Tribal governments and industry organizations that are impacted by invasive species.
Members of the Fifth Convening of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee:
Peter Alpert, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts
Nancy Balcom, Connecticut Sea Grant
Leslie Cahill, American Seed Trade Association
Timothy Carlson, Tamarisk Coalition
Earl Chilton, II, Ph.D., Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Janet Clark, Montana State University
Joseph DiTomaso, Ph.D., University of California, Davis
Otto Doering, III, Ph.D., Purdue University
Susan Ellis, California Department of Fish and Game
Miles Falck, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
Christopher Fisher, Colville Confederated Tribes
Amy Frankmann, Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association
Ann Gibbs, Maine Department of Agriculture (Representing National Plant Board)
Catherine L. Hazlewood, Esq., The Nature Conservancy
Lisa Ka’aihue, Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council
John Kennedy, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Representing the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies)
Robert McMahon, University of Texas at Arlington
Kathy Metcalf, Chamber of Shipping of America
Edward L. Mills, Ph.D., Cornell University
Jamie K. Reaser, Ph.D., Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council
Steven Jay Sanford, New York Department of Environmental Conservation
Jeffrey D. Schardt, Florida Department of Environment Protection
Celia Smith, Ph.D., University of Hawaii
David E. Starling, Aqueterinary Services, P.C.
Nathan Stone, Ph.D., University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Douglas W. Tallamy, Ph.D., University of Delaware
John Peter Thompson, The Behnke Nurseries Company
Jennifer Vollmer, Ph.D., BASF Corporation
Damon E. Waitt, Ph.D., Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center University of Texas at Austin
Robert H. Wiltshire, Center for Aquatic Nuisance Species (Representing the Federation of Fly Fishers)
Kenneth Zimmerman, Lone Tree Cattle Company
News Release
-----------------------------------------------------------
New York DEC partners with Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced the signing of a five-year contract with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP), an award-winning program focused on detecting and eradicating invasive species such as garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed and purple loosestrife in the Adirondack Park.
APIPP is one of New York’s regional partnerships focused on the problem of invasive species, which have proliferated throughout the state’s waterways, forests and farmlands. Because they typically come from other parts of the world, invasive species such as zebra mussels and Eurasian milfoil often don’t face natural ecological checks and balances and, therefore, reproduce and spread at alarming rates. Their negative impact is increasing largely due to the rise in global trade and travel.
A national- and state-award winning program, APIPP over the years has made presentations, developed public-service publications, produced videos and undertaken other efforts to spread awareness about the ecological damage caused by non-native plants. Volunteers have served as monitors for hundreds of lakes, ponds, rivers and forests and have ripped out tons of invasive plants from Adirondack roadsides. Currently, more than 30 invasive species including Japanese knotweed, garlic mustard, giant hogweed, swallowwort, Eurasian milfoil have been found in the Adirondack region. With this new contract in place ($1.36 million through the state Environmental Protection Fund), APIPP plans on expanding its working boundaries and broadening its mission beyond plants.
APIPP’s principal partners are The Nature Conservancy (TNC), DEC, Adirondack Park Agency (APA), and State Department of Transportation (DOT). TNC hosts the program at its Keene Valley office and coordinates volunteer efforts.
---------------------------------------------------------
Crab attack: Chinese mitten crabs are invading Columbia County, NY
By TADD GERO, Indenews.com
FISHERMEN NEAR THE MOUTH of the Hudson River found the first Chinese mitten crabs in the Hudson in 2007. Robert Schmidt of Hillsdale, Professor of Biology at Bard College at Simon's Rock and assistant director of Hudsonia, says he had discovered Chinese mitten crabs at the mouth of the Roeliff Jansen Kill by this past spring. In a couple of years, he says, "They'll be coming to a neighborhood near you."
Schmidt says as recently as September 23 he found four mitten crabs in the Kline Kill under a bridge on Wire Road in Germantown, and with the help of interns Erin Swift and Ira Shadis he consistently found mitten crabs in other waterways of Columbia Dutchess counties this past summer. Near Hudsonia, the environmental research institute on the campus of Bard College in Annandale, Schmidt says he has found more than 150 exoskeletons shed by mitten crabs in a small stream, indicating a sizable population there. He has also found crabs in the Cheviot Brook in northern Germantown.
When Nyack Fisherman Bob Gabrielson discovered the first crabs in the Hudson River, he was struck by their appearance. "When we caught the first one in 2007 the crab was pretty darn ugly," says Gabrielson. "It looked like a spider crab, looked like it had a muff of hair on its claws. I guess that's 'cause it looked like a mitten."
They're actually downright destructive, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. "They have the potential to destroy commercial catches and nets by pinching the fish and nets--this was a big issue in San Francisco Bay," Lori O'Connell of DEC said in an email.
Mitten crabs were first discovered in the United States during the 1990s in San Francisco Bay, where Schmidt says they have interfered significantly with commercial fisheries. On the east coast, they've been found in the Chesapeake Bay and the St. Lawrence River.
A potential problem for the Hudson River ecosystem is that the crabs reproduce at a rapid rate and are known to lay upwards of a million eggs at a time, causing them to push native species of all kinds out of the environment and clog water systems by their sheer numbers. Mitten crabs also make their homes by burrowing into riverbanks, causing significant erosion and habitat destruction.
Another issue is that there are no indigenous fresh water crabs of any kind in North America: blue crabs native to the Hudson are saltwater crabs that exist primarily in the southern part of the river, where the water has a high salt content. Schmidt says the mitten crabs' rapid reproductive rate will force a sudden high density of crabs into an environment that never has had crabs, and that this will disrupt the ecosystem.
Mitten crabs mate in salt water, but they migrate into freshwater as they mature. The fact that they have moved into Columbia County only two years after they were first discovered at the mouth of the Hudson is the result of the crabs' ability to travel through waterways rapidly. Another problematic factor is that mitten crabs have the capacity to travel long distances on land.
No one has come up with any sort of method to control their population yet, according to Schmidt, so they're continuing to spread at alarming rates. "They're frightening," he says. "They could spread all over Columbia County and the United States."
Article
-----------------------------------------------------------
Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Open Space Stewardship Program (OSSP)
Courtesy of "Sound Bytes," the newsletter of the Long Island Sound Study
The Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Open Space Stewardship Program (OSSP) encourages students to become “environmental stewards” by involving them in research projects throughout Long Island. This year, Long Island Sound Study (LISS) has joined OSSP to coordinate research projects within LISS stewardship sites. Some projects that have already begun include surveying plant, macro invertebrates, and fish populations at Sunken Meadow State Park; examining wetland disturbance at Cedar Beach; mapping and removing invasive plants at Nissequogue River State Park; and examining the distribution and effects of invasive Asian shore crab populations at Flax Pond. For more information on OSSP, please contact Mel Morris or Larissa Graham.
---------------------------------------------------------
Annual Delaware Invasive Species Council meeting on November 7, 2008
The annual Delaware Invasive Species Council meeting is scheduled for 8:30 AM - 2 PM on Nov. 7, 2008, at the St. JonesReserve (Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve) near Dover, Delaware. Highlights include featured talks by John Gaadt, LorraineFlemming, and others, a delicious catered lunch, exhibits, invasivesquiz, door prizes, and more. Each registrant will receive a copy of thebrand new publication, "Mistaken Identity? Invasive Plants and their Native Look-alikes for the Mid Atlantic," which will also be the subjectof a hands-on workshop including an outdoor walk. All this for only $20! Pesticide credits and Certified Arborist credits are available. For more information, directions, and to register see the DISC website, http://www.delawareinvasives.net/ Registration deadline is October 29.
---------------------------------------------------------
Invasive Forest Pest Conference on October 30 in Ithaca, NY
This one day conference will focus on three of the most importantinvasive non-native forest insect pests in the Northeast: HemlockWooly Adelgid, Emerald Ash Borer, and Asian Longhorned Beetle. These insects pose tremendous threats and may change the composition and function of our forests forever. The conference will feature a group of 14 experts who will examine the impacts, issues, and current research, as well as discuss management options and examine the potential ecological impact these pests will have on the region's forests. Continuing education credit will be available.
For more information contact Mark Whitmore, Dept. of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. mcw42@cornell.edu .
---------------------------------------------------------
Mysterious bat deaths under study in New York
By Sara Foss, DailyGazette.com
Last winter, tens of thousands of hibernating bats died in caves and mines in eastern and upstate New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut. Many, but not all, of these bats had a white fungus around their muzzles and other parts of their bodies; as a result, biologists named the affliction white-nose syndrome. Some of the bats hibernating in affected areas survived, but not many: In eight New York caves, the mortality rate ranged from 80 percent to 100 percent.
Scientists have many questions about white-nose syndrome, and few answers. They don’t know what it is. They don’t know whether the bats are transmitting it among themselves, or whether people are spreading it, or whether it’s even killing the bats. What they do know is that what’s happening is unprecedented.
“Any time we start having mass die-offs, we ought to be taking it very seriously as a potential canary in the coal mine,” said Merlin Tuttle, director of Bat Conservation International, based in Austin, Texas. “We may be looking at a serious environmental crisis.” He suggested there are probably multiple causes. One factor, he said, may be population decline in groups of insects that bats rely on for food.
Tuttle doesn’t view the bat die-off as an isolated incident. Recently, scientists have been baffled by the unexplained disappearance of millions of commercial honeybees, a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, and a few years ago scientists reported that a strange new fungus that kills frogs, toads and other species of amphibians was spreading around the globe.
Al Hicks, the mammal specialist for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s endangered species program, views the bat die-off as symptomatic of an environment in crisis. He suggested that the world’s increasing population and “the increased rate that we move things around on this planet” are taxing the earth. “Our ability to move quickly and frequently around the planet allows ever increasing movement of organisms,” he said. Invasive species such as zebra mussels and purple loosestrife threaten to throw New York’s ecosystem out of whack, he said.
New York is considered the epicenter of the bat die-off.
Little brown bats, the most numerous bats in the Northeast, are being killed off in the greatest numbers. But the Indiana bat, which is listed as an endangered species, has also suffered, as have northern long-eared and small-footed bats, eastern pipistrelle and other bats using the same caves and mines.
---------------------------------------------------------
Invasive grass is threat to Maryland's native species
By Ishita Singh, BaltimoreSun.com
The latest threat to Maryland native species is a unique-looking plant with leaves that look like they have been folded and then smoothed out.
Wavyleaf basketgrass (Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. undulatifolius), native to Southeast Asia, was first discovered in 1996 in Patapsco Valley State Park. Last year, researchers found it in Little Paint Branch Park in Prince George's County.
The plant's seeds spread in the fall by sticking to animals, pants, boots and bikes. Once the seed is planted, Wavyleaf Basketgrass out-competes native plant life. There are no insects or animals that feed on it, so its growth is unimpeded by natural causes.
"It has the potential to completely change the diversity of the ecosystem, and take the bottom out of the food chain," said Maryland Department of Natural Resources ecologist Kerrie Kyde.
"Because this was found so early, we think we can control it, but citizens need to be alert, walk around their property and keep an eye out on these things," said Ellen Nibali, a horticulture consultant with the Home and Garden Information Center at the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.
Wavyleaf basketgrass has alternating leaves that taper to a long point. It is a bright green and grows about 2 feet high. For more information, go to Wavyleaf Basketgrass.
Article
-----------------------------------------------------------
'Weed It Now' drive pushes on
By Trevor Jones, Berkshire Eagle Staff
SALISBURY, Conn. — Along a path to the Appalachian Trail, the forest here seems strangely out of place. With thickets of tall brush and vines overtaking the trees, it looks more like the entrance to a dense tropical jungle than the trees and ferns of a typical New England woods.
That's because the area has been overwhelmed by invasive plant species in recent years and several local organizations are working to change it, and other regional woods, back to their natural state.
The work is part of "Weed It Now," a five-year initiative focusing on the removal of invasive plant species from more than 9,000 acres of the Berkshire Taconic forest plateau. Covering three states and 75 different properties, it's the Northeast's largest invasive plant removal project to date.
"This trail provides such an amazing habitat for wild species," said Jessica Murray Toro, conservation project manager for the Nature Conservancy. "Invasive species are the greatest threat to that natural habitat."
Invasive plants like Japanese barberry and garlic mustard spread rapidly and can have dramatic impacts on forests by out competing other plants, reducing tree regeneration and affecting water and soil chemistry. These changes can disturb the region's natural balance, further impacting other plants and animals' habitats.
Crews have been working along the western portion of the Massachusetts-Connecticut border starting last week, including Great Barrington, Egremont and Sheffield. They have sprayed herbicides on specific plants, working through dense barbed plants and high reaching vines. Once the work is complete, they will return to the site the following year to ensure the herbicide worked.
"If you don't do something about it, you're going to see, long-term, (invasive plants) having a huge impact," said David O'Brien, a Lewis Tree Services foreman working at the site.
"Weed It Now" is an initiative formed by the Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, the Connecticut Appalachian Trail Committee of the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. In its final year, representatives from the initiative have already sprayed more than 7,000 acres of forest impacted by the unwanted plants.
The goal is to get the invasive plant population under 5 percent in the forest, safeguarding more than 25,000 acres from the threat of invasive plant species. Article
---------------------------------------------------------
NJ pond infested with Asian swamp eels
Star-Ledger, www.nj.com/starledger
GIBBSBORO, N.J. - Another unwelcome foreign animal species is causing trouble in New Jersey.
State fish and wildlife officials have found hundreds of Asian swamp eels slithering and breeding around Silver Lake in Gibbsboro.
Four states now have the eels, which can gobble up all kinds of aquatic life.
No one has figured out how to kill off the creatures.
The eels are highly adaptable. They can change sex. They can burrow in mud and survive for weeks without food. They can also crawl over land to other bodies of water.
Officials believe someone may have had the eels as exotic pets and dumped them in the waterway. Article from Newsday.
---------------------------------------------------------
Odyssey: artificially intelligent submarine searches for invasive species
MIT researchers have designed a new robotic underwater vehicle that can hover in place like a helicopter — an invaluable tool for deepwater oil explorers, marine archaeologists, oceanographers and others.
The new craft, called Odyssey IV, is the latest in a series of small, inexpensive artificially intelligent submarines developed over the last two decades by the MIT Sea Grant College Program’s Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Laboratory.
The new Odyssey IV, which has just completed sea trials off Woods Hole, Mass., can move through the deep ocean, up to 6,000 meters down, stopping anywhere in the water column and constantly correcting for currents and obstacles. Navigating to its preprogrammed destination, it can hover in place, making detailed inspections of the footings of an offshore oil platform, or photographing the flora and fauna around an undersea vent.
This summer, this latest-generation craft has been demonstrating its new abilities on its first scientific mission, a study of the George’s Bank area of the Gulf of Maine, which is hugely important to the region’s commercial fisheries. Odyssey is being deployed in a series of dives to map and observe an invasive species of sea squirt called Didemnum that has been infesting New England waters. MIT Sea Grant’s Judy Pederson has been tracking the Didemnum invasion for several years, hoping to prevent it from smothering important native species; Odyssey IV will be her eyes on the seafloor. Article
---------------------------------------------------------
New Members of Invasive Species Advisory Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. — At a meeting of the National Invasive Species Council today, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the new members of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, who will provide advice and recommendations to the council.
The Invasive Species Advisory Committee is made up of 31 individuals representing a broad range of stakeholders including scientific, conservation, agriculture, State and Tribal governments and industry organizations that are impacted by invasive species.
Members of the Fifth Convening of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee:
Peter Alpert, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts
Nancy Balcom, Connecticut Sea Grant
Leslie Cahill, American Seed Trade Association
Timothy Carlson, Tamarisk Coalition
Earl Chilton, II, Ph.D., Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Janet Clark, Montana State University
Joseph DiTomaso, Ph.D., University of California, Davis
Otto Doering, III, Ph.D., Purdue University
Susan Ellis, California Department of Fish and Game
Miles Falck, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
Christopher Fisher, Colville Confederated Tribes
Amy Frankmann, Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association
Ann Gibbs, Maine Department of Agriculture (Representing National Plant Board)
Catherine L. Hazlewood, Esq., The Nature Conservancy
Lisa Ka’aihue, Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council
John Kennedy, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Representing the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies)
Robert McMahon, University of Texas at Arlington
Kathy Metcalf, Chamber of Shipping of America
Edward L. Mills, Ph.D., Cornell University
Jamie K. Reaser, Ph.D., Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council
Steven Jay Sanford, New York Department of Environmental Conservation
Jeffrey D. Schardt, Florida Department of Environment Protection
Celia Smith, Ph.D., University of Hawaii
David E. Starling, Aqueterinary Services, P.C.
Nathan Stone, Ph.D., University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Douglas W. Tallamy, Ph.D., University of Delaware
John Peter Thompson, The Behnke Nurseries Company
Jennifer Vollmer, Ph.D., BASF Corporation
Damon E. Waitt, Ph.D., Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center University of Texas at Austin
Robert H. Wiltshire, Center for Aquatic Nuisance Species (Representing the Federation of Fly Fishers)
Kenneth Zimmerman, Lone Tree Cattle Company
News Release
-----------------------------------------------------------
New York DEC partners with Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced the signing of a five-year contract with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP), an award-winning program focused on detecting and eradicating invasive species such as garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed and purple loosestrife in the Adirondack Park.
APIPP is one of New York’s regional partnerships focused on the problem of invasive species, which have proliferated throughout the state’s waterways, forests and farmlands. Because they typically come from other parts of the world, invasive species such as zebra mussels and Eurasian milfoil often don’t face natural ecological checks and balances and, therefore, reproduce and spread at alarming rates. Their negative impact is increasing largely due to the rise in global trade and travel.
A national- and state-award winning program, APIPP over the years has made presentations, developed public-service publications, produced videos and undertaken other efforts to spread awareness about the ecological damage caused by non-native plants. Volunteers have served as monitors for hundreds of lakes, ponds, rivers and forests and have ripped out tons of invasive plants from Adirondack roadsides. Currently, more than 30 invasive species including Japanese knotweed, garlic mustard, giant hogweed, swallowwort, Eurasian milfoil have been found in the Adirondack region. With this new contract in place ($1.36 million through the state Environmental Protection Fund), APIPP plans on expanding its working boundaries and broadening its mission beyond plants.
APIPP’s principal partners are The Nature Conservancy (TNC), DEC, Adirondack Park Agency (APA), and State Department of Transportation (DOT). TNC hosts the program at its Keene Valley office and coordinates volunteer efforts.
---------------------------------------------------------
Crab attack: Chinese mitten crabs are invading Columbia County, NY
By TADD GERO, Indenews.com
FISHERMEN NEAR THE MOUTH of the Hudson River found the first Chinese mitten crabs in the Hudson in 2007. Robert Schmidt of Hillsdale, Professor of Biology at Bard College at Simon's Rock and assistant director of Hudsonia, says he had discovered Chinese mitten crabs at the mouth of the Roeliff Jansen Kill by this past spring. In a couple of years, he says, "They'll be coming to a neighborhood near you."
Schmidt says as recently as September 23 he found four mitten crabs in the Kline Kill under a bridge on Wire Road in Germantown, and with the help of interns Erin Swift and Ira Shadis he consistently found mitten crabs in other waterways of Columbia Dutchess counties this past summer. Near Hudsonia, the environmental research institute on the campus of Bard College in Annandale, Schmidt says he has found more than 150 exoskeletons shed by mitten crabs in a small stream, indicating a sizable population there. He has also found crabs in the Cheviot Brook in northern Germantown.
When Nyack Fisherman Bob Gabrielson discovered the first crabs in the Hudson River, he was struck by their appearance. "When we caught the first one in 2007 the crab was pretty darn ugly," says Gabrielson. "It looked like a spider crab, looked like it had a muff of hair on its claws. I guess that's 'cause it looked like a mitten."
They're actually downright destructive, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. "They have the potential to destroy commercial catches and nets by pinching the fish and nets--this was a big issue in San Francisco Bay," Lori O'Connell of DEC said in an email.
Mitten crabs were first discovered in the United States during the 1990s in San Francisco Bay, where Schmidt says they have interfered significantly with commercial fisheries. On the east coast, they've been found in the Chesapeake Bay and the St. Lawrence River.
A potential problem for the Hudson River ecosystem is that the crabs reproduce at a rapid rate and are known to lay upwards of a million eggs at a time, causing them to push native species of all kinds out of the environment and clog water systems by their sheer numbers. Mitten crabs also make their homes by burrowing into riverbanks, causing significant erosion and habitat destruction.
Another issue is that there are no indigenous fresh water crabs of any kind in North America: blue crabs native to the Hudson are saltwater crabs that exist primarily in the southern part of the river, where the water has a high salt content. Schmidt says the mitten crabs' rapid reproductive rate will force a sudden high density of crabs into an environment that never has had crabs, and that this will disrupt the ecosystem.
Mitten crabs mate in salt water, but they migrate into freshwater as they mature. The fact that they have moved into Columbia County only two years after they were first discovered at the mouth of the Hudson is the result of the crabs' ability to travel through waterways rapidly. Another problematic factor is that mitten crabs have the capacity to travel long distances on land.
No one has come up with any sort of method to control their population yet, according to Schmidt, so they're continuing to spread at alarming rates. "They're frightening," he says. "They could spread all over Columbia County and the United States."
Article
-----------------------------------------------------------
Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Open Space Stewardship Program (OSSP)
Courtesy of "Sound Bytes," the newsletter of the Long Island Sound Study
The Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Open Space Stewardship Program (OSSP) encourages students to become “environmental stewards” by involving them in research projects throughout Long Island. This year, Long Island Sound Study (LISS) has joined OSSP to coordinate research projects within LISS stewardship sites. Some projects that have already begun include surveying plant, macro invertebrates, and fish populations at Sunken Meadow State Park; examining wetland disturbance at Cedar Beach; mapping and removing invasive plants at Nissequogue River State Park; and examining the distribution and effects of invasive Asian shore crab populations at Flax Pond. For more information on OSSP, please contact Mel Morris or Larissa Graham.
---------------------------------------------------------
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