 |
| The Sodus Bay Improvement Association mechanical aquatic weed harvester. Photo: Mary Penney/New York Sea Grant |
Can We Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers? Here's How
by New York Sea Grant Launch Steward Clinton A. Whittaker, Jr.
Aquatic Invasive species (AIS) are
non-native species that cause harm to the environment, the economy or human
health. AIS are an increasing problem threatening ecosystems all over the
United States. Locally, the eastern and southern shores of Lake Ontario and
Oneida Lake are being affected by Eurasian water milfoil and European water
chestnut. These AIS can reduce property values, harm ecosystems, reduce native
habitats where young fish grow, and damage the overall quality of fishing by
making entire areas impossible to fish.
Groups including local state
and federal agencies, Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management
(PRISM), and extension programs, including New York Sea Grant (NYSG), implement
or educate the public about several methods to prevent or slow the spread of
AIS.
Different types of AIS control include
prevention, and physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological means.
Prevention involves outreach
and education that aims to keep pristine areas free of AIS and to contain AIS
infestations to only the infested waters.
With the goal of prevention in
mind, the NYSG Launch Steward Program teaches boaters how to prevent the spread
of AIS through voluntary watercraft inspections. The launch stewards are
stationed at select boat launches located on Lake Ontario; Oneida Lake; the
Oswego, Salmon and Little Salmon Rivers; and Sandy and Stony Creeks to offer
voluntary education to boaters on how to look for, remove and properly dispose
of unwanted aquatic hitchhiking debris, including AIS.
Through this outreach, the
stewards are empowering the public to self-inspect watercraft, and by
implementing watercraft inspection the boaters are helping to prevent the
spread of AIS.
Physical control uses manpower
to manage AIS. Hand pulls to remove water chestnut from infested waters are
typically done by groups of people. On Oneida Lake water chestnut hand pulls
have been co-organized by the Oneida Lake Rotary Club and New York Sea Grant,
and the Finger Lakes PRISM with local Bass Masters.
The Oswego County Soil and
Water Conservation District’s hand pull efforts on Oneida Lake are focused at
Big and Muskrat Bays.
Those interested in organizing
a local hand pull will find a how-to tutorial by NYSG Launch Steward Nick Spera online.
Mechanical control uses
machinery to cut and remove AIS. The Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation
District runs a mechanical harvester on Sodus Bay in an effort to control
aquatic weeds. The aquatic harvester is used annually to control the water
milfoil and curly leaf pondweed there.
Chemical control is an
expensive, last-resort means of control that uses aquatic pesticides and
requires appropriate training and certification. Chemical treatment to control
water chestnut in the Oswego River has resulted in a smaller and less robust water
chestnut population compared to years when the chemical control was not used.
Biological control introduces
an invasive species’ natural predator into the aquatic environment. Years of
controlled laboratory research are completed on biological control methods
before a release is tested with diligent monitoring in a water environment. One concern with this method is that the biological
control species, e.g., introduction of Pacific salmon to consume alewives in
Lake Ontario, should not out-compete or prey on the local natural species.
Prior to the introduction of
Pacific salmon in Lake Ontario, the alewife population experienced major
die-offs in the summer months. As a result of the Lake Ontario Pacific salmon
stocking program by the NYS Department of
Environmental Conservation, the alewife population has been reduced to
manageable numbers.
AIS impact us all. While it may
be possible to contain, suppress, and, in some rare cases, eradicate AIS
infestations, management takes considerable time and money. Because some
control methods can be expensive and labor intensive, education methods, such
as the NYSG Launch Steward Program, are important as cost-effective ways of
engaging the public in helping to prevent and slow the spread of AIS.
For more information on
protecting native habitats against invasive threats, contact New York Sea Grant
at 315-312-3042, SGOswego@cornell.edu.
To learn more about the NYSG Launch Steward Program visit the program blog.
This is the third in a series
of articles by the New York Sea Grant Launch Stewards. The stewards are college
students helping to educate water users about how they can help slow the spread
of aquatic invasive species as part of a statewide effort. Learn more online at
www.nyseagrant.org.
Share:
.jpg)
0 Comments to "New York Sea Grant Launch Steward Series: AIS Management Methods"