Recommended Sampling Gear Types and Standard Operating Procedures for the Early Detection of Non-native Fishes and Select Benthic Macroinvertebrates in the Great Lakes

This document identifies a suite of recommended sampling gear types and standard operating procedures to be used by each Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) during early aquatic invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species detection sampling. The specific gear types deployed by each Great Lakes FWCO will be identified in their lake-specific implementation plans. Gear types will be standardized and chosen to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness for the purpose of obtaining the highest probability of detecting a new invasive species. All sampling gears deployed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Great Lakes FWCOs should be standardized to the same dimensions and units of effort (e.g., fishing time/area/distance) for comparisons among lakes. Numerous sources were used to compile this document (e.g., The 2016 Monitoring and Response Plan for Asian Carp in the Upper Illinois River and Chicago Area Waterway System; Bonar et al. 2009). Most sample locations record GPS coordinates, temperature, and other water quality measurements.