Asian Carp eDNA Found In 6 Western Lake Erie Samples

Jul 13: Federal and state wildlife officials working in conjunction with academic researchers announced six water samples taken from Sandusky and north Maumee bays tested positive for the presence of Asian carp environmental DNA in Michigan and Ohio waters. The positive samples were among 417 taken from Lake Erie in August 2011, and more than 2,000 samples taken from the Great Lakes Basin since 2010. The Lake Erie batch was recently analyzed and test results were confirmed by eDNA researchers. The six positive samples represent less than 1.5 percent of the Lake Erie samples. Four samples from Sandusky Bay, in Ohio waters, tested positive for bighead carp eDNA, while two samples from north Maumee Bay, in Michigan waters, were positive for silver carp eDNA.

    In response to these findings, electro-shocking and netting began on July 13, in Sandusky Bay with no evidence of Asian carp found. However, additional testing and monitoring are planned by the Ohio and Michigan Departments of Natural Resources in conjunction with partner agencies. The findings indicate the presence of genetic material left behind by the species, such as scales, excrement or mucous, but not the establishment of Asian carp in Lake Erie. Positive eDNA tests are regarded by the scientific community as an indicator of the species' recent presence, however, positive results can occur whether the organism was alive or dead.

    While the eDNA findings suggest the possible presence of the invasive species, officials have no physical evidence the fish have migrated to the Great Lakes. Prior to 2003, three individual bighead carp were collected in Lake Erie. No additional observations have been reported during the past decade.

    MDNR Fisheries Division Chief Jim Dexter said, "The results from these water samples are certainly concerning, as this marks the first time Asian carp eDNA has been detected in water samples from Lake Erie, or any of the Michigan waters intensively surveyed for the presence of invasive carp. Protecting the Great Lakes from the threat of Asian carp is critical to the health of our sport and commercial fisheries and to the quality of life in Michigan. We are actively engaged in Asian carp surveillance programs throughout the Great Lakes, including Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, and the Department stands ready to take the necessary and appropriate actions to investigate and respond to these test results."

    In response to the positive test results, officials from the Michigan and Ohio DNRs, MDEQ, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) are developing a plan of action in collaboration with the eDNA research team to obtain follow-up samples and test results as quickly as possible. Test results from future water samples will dictate the nature of further response methods.

    Since 2010, the MDNR, Ohio DNR, USFWS, University of Notre Dame, Central Michigan University and the Nature Conservancy have partnered to collect water samples from Great Lakes basin waters, including the Chicago Area Waterway System, southern Lake Michigan, western Lake Erie and tributary streams of lakes Michigan and Erie. The collaborative early-detection Asian carp surveillance program is funded by the USFWS with a federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, administered under the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework.

    The Lake Erie announcement follows rapid response action by the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee's (ACRCC) Monitoring and Rapid Response Work Group (MRRWG) announced July 9, which triggered intensive monitoring action in Lake Calumet and surrounding areas after three consecutive rounds of Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling yielded positive results for Asian carp eDNA [See WIMS 7/11/12]. The actions also follow the release of a July 12, bi-national Canadian and United States risk assessment released indicating that Asian carp pose substantial environmental risk to the Great Lakes if they become established there. Bighead and silver carps -- two species of Asian carp -- pose an environmental risk to the Great Lakes within 20 years, with the risk increasing over time [See WIMS 7/12/12].

    U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), author of the Stop Invasive Species Act signed by President Obama last week [See WIMS 7/2/12], issued a statement saying, "This alarming discovery underscores the need for action now to stop Asian carp and other invasive species from devastating our Great Lakes and the hundreds of thousands of Michigan jobs that depend on them.  Temporary fixes have proven inadequate and evidence of this dangerous invasive species is now being detected for the first time in the Great Lakes. The new law I authored with Congressman Camp [R-MI] requires the Army Corps of Engineers to act quickly to prevent the destruction of the Great Lakes ecosystem, which is critical to our Michigan way of life."

    Access a release from MDNR with links to more information and a map (click here). Access the Michigan Asian Carp website (click here). Access the ACRCC website for more information (click here). Access the statement from Senator Stabenow (click here).

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RFA Great Lakes Long-Term Biological Monitoring Program

Jul 13: EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office has announced a Request for Applications (RFA) under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI or Initiative) for FY 2012. The RFA solicits applications from eligible entities for a cooperative agreement to support a Great Lakes Long-Term Biological Monitoring Program pursuant to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan.

 

    Applications must be submitted to EPA electronically (or through any alternate authorized submission method) for RFA Number EPA-R5-GL2012-2, entitled, "Great Lakes Long-Term Biological Monitoring of Zooplankton, Benthos and Chlorophyll" by
August 13, 2012, 11:59 AM, Eastern Daylight Time. EPA will notify finalist on September 3, 2012 (tentative); and will make an official award on September 24, 2012 (tentative).

    Access the 38-page RFA (click here). Access an application website for information relating to the RFA process, applicant mailing list, and link to frequently asked questions (FAQs) (click here). Access the grants.gov website (click here). Access the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan (click here). [#GLakes]

 

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Great Lakes Asian Carp Risk Assessment Report

Jul 12: A bi-national Canadian and United States risk assessment released today indicates Asian carp pose substantial environmental risk to the Great Lakes if they become established there. Bighead and silver carps -- two species of Asian carp -- pose an environmental risk to the Great Lakes within 20 years, with the risk increasing over time. Lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie face the highest risk relative to the other lakes. The risk assessment report was led by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and included a team of scientists from Canada and the United States. Two U.S. Geological Survey scientists were among the co-authors of the report.

 

    The report examined the likelihood of the survival and establishment of Asian carp in the lakes.  It relied on prevention measures under way through November 2010, and did not take into account extensive preventive actions implemented since that time. The authors also assessed the probable ecological consequences should the fish invade the Great Lakes.

 

    USGS Director Marcia McNutt said, "Ever since these non-native fish first escaped and began to breed prolifically in the rivers of the Midwest, the questions everyone has been asking are: 'Can a breeding population survive in the Great Lakes and would it be a significant problem if they did?' Now we know the answers and unfortunately they are 'yes and yes.' This study will help scientists and resource managers in Canada and the U.S. determine how and where to redouble their efforts as they continue to prevent the establishment of these invasive fish."

    The reason for the high risk of invasion is because portions of the Great Lakes offer sufficient food and habitat to enable these invasive fish to spawn, survive and spread, the report's authors noted. They identified the most likely pathway for Asian carp to enter the Great Lakes is via the Chicago Area Waterway System. The report suggests that the major ecological consequence resulting from the establishment and spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes would likely be an overall decline in certain native fish species, including some commercially and recreationally important ones. Such declines could occur because Asian carp would compete with prey fish that primarily eat plankton. This could lead to reduced growth rates and declines in abundance of prey fish species, and thus predatory fish would also likely decline. Asian carp also reduce survival of open-water fish larvae -- like those of walleye and yellow perch -- most likely through competition for plankton or by preying on the larvae.

    However, the authors emphasized that the establishment of Asian carp in the Great Lakes and resulting ecosystem damage are not foregone conclusions. Preventing the establishment of Asian carp in the Great Lakes is the best means of avoiding harmful ecological and economic effects. Preventing establishment remains the main objective of ongoing efforts of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC), a partnership of federal and state agencies, municipalities and other groups, led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. 

    Access a release from USGS (click here). Access the complete 63-page Binational Asian Carp Risk Assessment (click here).

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New eDNA Prompts More Intensive Asian Carp Monitoring Action

Jul 9: The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee's (ACRCC) Monitoring and Rapid Response Work Group (MRRWG) announced intensive monitoring action will begin in Lake Calumet and surrounding areas on July 10th, after three consecutive rounds of Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling yielded positive results for Asian carp DNA. The ACCRC's 2012 Monitoring and Rapid Response Plan calls for a Level 1 response to three consecutive rounds of positive eDNA results in one area. While Lake Calumet is regularly monitored for the presence of Asian carp, a level 1 response adds commercial fishing crews as well as additional electrofishing boats, larger sweeping nets, called seines, and additional sampling gear to the area during an intensive four day fishing period. At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources, such as bilge water.

    John Goss, Director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) said, "Finding three or more consecutive sets of positive eDNA results triggers us to use significant resources to determine if any Asian carp are present. In addition to significant commercial fishing and electrofishing crews, this response will include brand new netting technologies, and we remain vigilant throughout the region in monitoring to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, developing cutting edge technologies, and investigating all possible sources of Asian carp DNA."

    Biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will be on the water with commercial fishermen beginning July 10th through Friday July 13th. The crews will lay several net types throughout the Lake Calumet area, including half-mile long seine nets to sweep large portions of the area. Electrofishing boats will sample fish in shoreline areas and will be used to drive fish towards the nets. The response will deploy new net technologies including, for the first time, pound nets to isolate Lake Calumet and prevent fish movement in and out. Additionally, other new gear being developed for Asian carp detection, including deep water gill nets and six-foot hoop nets, will be deployed as part of the response action. Nets will be equipped with boat-ways to allow boat passage during this extended deployment, and commercial and private vessel traffic will be able to proceed with minimal interference from the monitoring activity.

    Access a release from the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee's (ACRCC) (click here). Access the ACRCC website (click here). [#GLakes]

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2012 Lake Huron Cooperative Science & Monitoring Initiative

Jul 9: During July and September, scientists on board a half dozen research vessels will crisscross Thunder Bay, Saginaw Bay, and the open waters of Lake Huron, collecting samples of sediment, water, mussels, microscopic organisms, and fish. The NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) is joining an international effort to study invasive species, water quality, fisheries and climate change. Much of the research is taking place in the NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

    GLERL is partnering with several Federal, state, and provincial agencies in the 2012 Lake Huron Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative, a joint U.S.-Canadian program, led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Great Lakes National Program Office and Environment Canada. The initiative examines one Great Lake per year on a rotating basis and supports the goals of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, signed in 1972 by the United States and Canada, in which each country commits to protecting the Great Lakes.  

 

    Research cruises began in April and will continue through September. Researchers are using an impressive fleet of research vessels, including EPA's 180-foot Lake Guardian, GLERL's 80-foot Laurentian and 50-foot Storm, and two large U.S. Geological Survey research vessels, the Sturgeon and Grayling. Sampling missions will also be conducted aboard Environment Canada's Limnos across Lake Huron.

 

    Access a release from NOAA with more details, and multiple links to related information including the project website (click here).

 

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Notice: July 4, 2012

Subscribers & Readers Note:

WIMS will not be publishing today,

July 4, 2012. We'll be back on July  5.

Be safe, stay cool, and

enjoy your July 4th holiday.

Stop Invasive Species Act On Its Way To President's Desk

Jun 29: Bipartisan legislation to stop Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes' ecosystem passed both houses of Congress today and is now poised to become law. The Stop Invasive Species Act (S.2317 & H.R.4406) [See WIMS 4/23/12], written by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Representative Dave Camp (R-MI) and supported by Members of Congress in both parties, would require the expedited creation of a plan to block Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes through a number of rivers and tributaries across the Great Lakes region. The bill was included as part of comprehensive, bipartisan transportation legislation.

    Senator Stabenow said, "Michigan needs action now to stop Asian carp and other invasive species from devastating our Great Lakes and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that depend on them. Temporary fixes have proven inadequate and this dangerous invasive species is now on the Great Lakes' doorstep. Congress must pass this bill to require quick action on a permanent solution to stop Asian carp." Representative Camp said, "It's a great day for the Great Lakes. We're finally moving toward an actionable plan to permanently prevent Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes and the $7 billion fishing industry and 800,000 jobs they support. Before, we've had temporary fixes; this legislation puts us on the path towards a lasting solution."

    The Stop Invasive Species Act requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to submit to Congress an expedited action plan with options for stopping Asian carp from penetrating the Great Lakes across 18 possible points of entry. The bill requires the Army Corps to submit a progress report to Congress and the President within 90 days of the law's enactment. The full plan would need to be completed within 18 months, meaning the Corps would have to complete its work sometime in 2013.

    After Stabenow and Camp introduced their legislation, the Army Corps voluntarily said they would expedite the creation of a plan for permanent solutions for stopping Asian carp [See WIMS 5/8/12]. While that announcement was welcome news, the Corps' plan would not present fully completed solutions, and it would focus primarily on the Chicago Waterway System, rather than all of the carp's 18 possible points of entry. The Stop Invasive Species Act requires a completed plan, with proposed solutions for all 18 possible entry ways.  The plan would include proposals for engineering and infrastructure projects to block Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes while still allowing shipping transportation across these waterways to continue.

    Access a release from Sen. Stabenow and Rep. Camp that includes comments from other Great Lakes legislators (click here). Access legislative details for S.2317 (click here); and H.R.4406 (click here).

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