RECENT ANS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Public comments being accepted regarding Department of Natural Resources rulemaking on
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting public comments through Dec. 9, on its proposal to classify 13 species or species groups of high-risk invasive aquatic plants, fish and invertebrates as prohibited invasive species. Please submit your comments to ais.dnr@state.mn.us (link sends email). All information you submit in a public comment during formal rulemaking proceedings is public data, including your name and contact information. The DNR invasive species rulemaking website will be updated with final decisions about the proposed rules. More information on the DNT Rulemaking can be found HERE.
AIS in Commerce: please consider filling out survey by Nov 30
Many species of plants and animals are bought and sold globally. The majority of these transactions cause no harm to the environment as responsible sellers and buyers trade species that do not become invasive. However, the increase in global sales is resulting in an increase in the trade of aquatic plants and animals that become invasive. You have been invited to complete this survey because of your experience, expertise, employment, or other nexus with the oversight, management, or enforcement of aquatic plants and animals. Your perspectives will help us collaboratively develop actions and strategies that lessen the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species while ensuring the sustainability of responsible aquatic plant and animal commerce.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
- Northeast ANS Regional Panel Fall Meeting
November 29 – 30, 2022; Concord, New Hampshire - Gulf and South Atlantic Regional Panel Fall Meeting
November 30 – December 1, 2022; New Orleans, LA - 100th Meridian Initiative CRB Team Meeting
December 6-7, 2022; Spokane, Washington - Innovations in Invasive Species Management Conference Training
December 13-16, 2022; Nashville, TN - Mid-Atlantic Regional Panel Meeting
December 14-15, 2022; Annapolis, Maryland - Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force National Meeting
January 11 – 12, 2023; Falls Church, Virginia with Virtual Option - Invasive Species Forum
February 7-9, 2023; Virtual meeting - 11th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions
May 15 – 19, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland
UPCOMING WEBINARS
NAISMA Monthly Webinars:
November 16, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm CST - Invasive Mussel Collaborative Tools and Accomplishments
Invasive Mussel Collaborative Tools and Accomplishments Presented by: Ashley Elgin with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Diane Waller with the U.S. Geological Survey, and Jeff Tyson with the Great Lakes
December 21, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm CST - Understanding ISPM 15 to Reduce the Risk of Pests in Wood Packaging
ISPM 15 was fully implemented in the United States in 2006 to reduce the risk and spread of quarantine pests associated with wood packaging. This session will review the ISPM 15 program and how it has evolved to successfully achieve its goal, and where there are efforts of continuous improvement so that wood packaging can be used effectively and safely to facilitate safe trade.
Virtual Island Biosecurity Workshop
December 6 & 7, 2022; 1pm to 5pm PST
Connect with colleagues around the world to learn and share your island biosecurity knowledge! We welcome presentations on all aspects of invasive species prevention, detection, and response. Click HERE to register.
Invasive Species Centre
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022 11:00 A.M. EST - Coming in Hot: Early Detection and Rapid Response Priorities in SE Michigan
For those in the field of invasion biology, or residents who are trying to manage their property, it can sometimes feel like a race against time until the next species appears! We will discuss some of the priority species for our region, such as European frog-bit, mile-a-minute weed, red swamp crayfish, and Japanese stiltgrass. We have two highways that run through our CISMA which see heavy traffic from Chicago to Ann Arbor, and connects southern Michigan to both northern Michigan and Ontario. We wish to share some of our challenges and successes in hopes to better prepare land managers for what is coming their way, and some of our educational efforts aimed at prevention.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This position is a Supervisory Fish Biologist, GS- 0482-12 working in Wilmington, IL for the R3-Carterville Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. The Wilmington IL substation works closely with state and federal partners throughout the Illinois River Waterway. The team is primarily focused on early detection and monitoring of invasive carps in the Upper Illinois Waterway for the purposes of assessing invasion risk to Lake Michigan via the Chicago Area Waterway System using a variety of field gear (boat-mounted electrofishing, various types of netting, acoustic telemetry, and hydroacoustic sonar). The substation is comprised of a team of 6-10 individuals (depending on season, with the field season typically being March through November). Please see the link here for the vacancy announcement:
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/687194100
Great Lakes Commission Position Available: Senior Program Specialist
Application deadline: December 2, 2022
Full announcement: https://www.glc.org/news/position-available-senior-program-specialist-2022
Description: The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) has an immediate opening for a self-starting, highly motivated team player to join our staff. This position will work under the direction of GLC project managers, assisting with implementation of various projects and providing support to several issue-specific regional collaboratives coordinated by the GLC. This position particularly will support the GLC’s portfolio of invasive species projects addressing a variety of invasive species issues relying heavily on regional coordination and collaboration to achieve desired outcomes. Over time this position may support projects focused on other Great Lakes issues, depending on agency needs.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
None this week.
RECOMMENDED READING
Tracing the Source: How Did Invasive Northern Pike Arrive in the Columbia River Basin?
November 1, 2022. U.S. Forest Service publication. Northern pike are among the most exciting freshwater fishes to land because they tend to put up quite a fight. This species is broadly distributed outside its native range due to human transport and subsequent expansion. Where pike have been introduced, native fish like bull trout, which are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), are suffering dire consequences as this longlived, generalist top predator is using native fish as a food source. A recent publication, “Mechanism of northern pike invasion in the Columbia River basin,” describes how a team of Tribal, State, and Federal biologists, led by Rocky Mountain Research Station Research Ecologist Dr. Kellie Carim, analyzed genetic information to explore the pathways that northern pike are taking to invade the upper Columbia River basin. The publication also discusses how the team is using this research to support pike control efforts.
Economic costs of protecting islands from invasive alien species
Bodey, T. W., Angulo, E., Bang, A., Bellard, C., Fantle‐Lepczyk, J., Lenzner, B., ... & Courchamp, F. (2022). Economic costs of protecting islands from invasive alien species. Conservation Biology.
Are lakes a public good or exclusive resource? Towards value-based management for aquatic invasive species
Andrew McCumber, Abigail Sullivan, Matthew K. Houser, Ranjan Muthukrishnan, Are lakes a public good or exclusive resource? Towards value-based management for aquatic invasive species, Environmental Science & Policy, Volume 139, 2023, Pages 130-138. ISSN 1462-9011, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2022.10.022.
A size-based stock assessment model for invasive blue catfish in a Chesapeake Bay sub-estuary during 2001–2016
Hilling, C. D., Jiao, Y., Fabrizio, M. C., Angermeier, P. L., Bunch, A. J., & Orth, D. J. (2022). A size‐based stock assessment model for invasive blue catfish in a Chesapeake Bay sub‐estuary during 2001–2016. Fisheries Management and Ecology.
Family forest owner perceptions of wildfire and invasive pest risk: The role of interpersonally-produced risks
Huff, E. S., deOliveira, A., Markowitz, E. M., Guckian, M. L., & Lomonoco, L. (2022). Family forest owner perceptions of wildfire and invasive pest risk: The role of interpersonally-produced risks. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 103417.
ANS IN THE NEWS…
Giant African snails cause alarm in Venezuela
November 11, 2022. First colonies of Achatina fulica snail were discovered at the beginning of November on Lake Maracaibo shores in western Venezuela, officials say, and have since then multiplied due to the prolonged rainy season.
Invasive Species Aren't Always the 'Boogeyman,' Biologists Say
November 10, 2022. Non-native species can have some devastating effects, but that’s not always the case.
Saskatchewan Releases Invasive Species Framework
November 10, 2022. The Ministries of Environment and Agriculture are pleased to release the Invasive Species Framework to help manage the threat and impact of invasive species in Saskatchewan, such as purple loosestrife, zebra mussels and mountain pine beetles.
Will Harmful Algal Blooms Finish Off White Sturgeon?
November 10, 2022. A team of researchers from the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences say these fish may be facing extinction in California. In this month’s California WaterBlog, they describe their concerns for white sturgeon and offer suggestions for how to help them.
Whole Alligator Found Inside Burmese Python in Gruesome Footage
November 9, 2022. The 18-foot Burmese python was caught by field workers in the Everglades national park in Florida. As soon as the field workers spotted the invasive reptile, they euthanized it on site.
Washington wildlife department holds invasive species awareness art contest
November 9, 2022. Washington high schoolers can win up to $500 from the Department of Fish and Wildlife in a digital art contest featuring invasive species, cosponsored with the Washington Invasive Species Council.
Invasive crab threatening shellfish industry, salmon found in another western Washington bay
November 9, 2022. An invasive crab is stirring up concerns for Washington's salmon and shellfish. The European green crab is one of the most aggressive marine creatures on the planet.
A Few Pioneering Species of Sea Life Arrive with Japan Tsunami Marine Debris
November 9, 2022.A few seaweeds, snails, oysters, and other marine life are hitching rides on debris items from the 2011 Japan tsunami which are now washing up in the U.S.
Algae innovator partners with US government to help control aquatic invasive species
November 8, 2022. Denmark’s Sundew ApS, an algae biotech firm, has entered a multi-year collaboration with the United States to help combat aquatic invasive species using its algal RNA-mediated interface.
Boat inspectors note big drop in invasive species
November 4, 2022. “Strengthening partnerships and adding innovations increases efficiency and further reduces the threat to Tahoe,” TRPA Aquatic Resources Program Manager Dennis Zabaglo said. “Our collaborative approach and focus on helping boaters are part of the reason Lake Tahoe’s program has become a model program in the nation.”
US Customs finds dangerous invasive species on board ship from China
November 4, 2022. Agriculture specialists with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) discovered four Asian gypsy moth (AGM) egg masses on a Panamanian bulk carrier in Laplace, Louisiana, in late September.
Crayfish case nets first criminal convictions under Wisconsin’s Invasive Species Law
Nov 2, 2022.The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced the first-ever criminal convictions under the state’s invasive species law, Chapter NR 40, related to the importation of live red swamp crayfish.
CABI supports fight against invasive species
Nov 2, 2022. As part of PlantwisePlus activities and with funding from the CABI Development Fund, visits took place to support the governments of Grenada and Barbados.
