Unwanted Species Awareness

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The Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) - Detroit River Substation has been diligently working to build an outreach program to increase public awareness of the threat Grass Carp pose to the Great Lakes. Working collaboratively with state and university partners, signage was developed to promote public awareness of the ecological threat Grass Carp pose, as well as work being conducted to control them, and how the public can assist.

Large interpretive signs were developed with the goal of providing context of Grass Carp in the Great Lakes. These signs provide the history of Grass Carp in the U.S., how their feeding directly impacts aquatic ecosystems and indirectly affects native species, how to properly identify them, and research and control efforts being implemented in the Great Lakes. Interpretative signs will be on display at the Detroit River International and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuges. Smaller signs, which also provide details on how to identify Grass Carp and information on who to contact if a Grass Carp is captured, will be placed at boat launches throughout Michigan and Ohio. In total, five large interpretive and 207 smaller signs will be strategically distributed along Lake Erie to engage the public in the regional effort to control this 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 .

By continuing to develop outreach strategies, such as interpretive signs, the Alpena FWCO is supporting the mission of the Service and the Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee to increase awareness of invasive carp and promote the removal and reporting of Grass Carp.