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Aquatic Invasive Species�Origin – Impacts - Prevention

Liz Lodman

Montana Invasive Species Council

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Aquatic Invasive Species

One of leading causes of biodiversity loss

Major changes in ecosystem function & services�

Definition: Species non-native or expanding in range

“Non-native” to where?

U.S.
Montana
Watershed

Aquatic Invasive Prevention = Pathways

Invasive species are globally known to be a major cause of the loss of biodiversity (extinction of native species). Second only to the loss of habitat (development), the introduction of invasive species have detrimental effects on ecosystems, habitat and food sources available for native species. Once introduced, invasive species are known for their rapid reproduction rate and ability to outcompete native species for limited resources. The definition used globally is the species is non-native, and poses a risk to the environment, economy, or human health. In the case of zebra/quagga mussels (that we’ll talk about a lot today), all three are at risk. When we talk about ‘non-native,’ it isn’t even necessarily about species coming from other countries, we should be mindful of this even moving between watersheds.

One of the main differences in terrestrial invasive species and aquatic ones is that we tend to focus on the PATHWAY or vector (e.g. boats, angling equipment, firefighting equipment, etc.) instead of the individual species. This is because it much harder to detect and identify aquatic species, so we need to target the pathway from which they could be introduced. This issue is a great example of where social science and biological problems intersect – we need to address this from both angles.

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Where do they come from?

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Ballast water spreads an estimated 7000 living species to new habitats across the globe.

185 AIS in Great Lakes alone…

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#1 Source of AIS Spread:

Trailered Watercraft & Water-Based Equipment

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#2 Source of AIS Spread: �Intentional Release

2^nd most likely source of introductions (not for mussels, for other invaders!): Intentional release – surprising but true! The second most likely source of introductions is people intentionally releasing their pets or moving critters from one place to another! This is not humane or good for anything – if your pet doesn’t die a horrible & cruel death, it runs the risk of harming all of the native species that live in our rivers, lakes, and streams. If people have pets they no longer want, the best thing to do is find a new home for it, but never release it into the environment! Furthermore, aquarium water is also notorious for the disease and parasites that can be transmitted to natural waters.

This also includes planting ornamental plants and ‘bucket biologists’ moving non-native species from one waterbody to another.

From L top: goldfish removed from stormwater ponds in N. Alberta (size of dinner plates!); Chinese mystery snail (aquarium release); Idaho example of someone who broke hole in ice to dump fish in and left tank; flowering rush planted on the shoreline (now one our biggest invaders).

Don’t let it Loose!

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Don’t Let It Loose Campaign

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#3 Source of AIS Spread: �Ornamental Plants

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Environment & Recreation Impacts

Degraded water quality
Damaged aquatic ecosystems
Outcompete native species
Endangered/threatened species impacts
Decreased property values
Reduced tourism
Degraded fisheries
Damaged boats, docks, pipes and� pumps
Limited access to waterbodies

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Eurasian Watermilfoil�(Myriophyllum spicatum)

Submerged, rooted, perennial
Long branching underwater stems
Feathery leaves in whorls of 4-5
Can create mono-stands of single species
Spreads by fragmentation
Single leaflet can start new colony

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Fragrant Water Lily�Nymphaea odorata�

Reproduces through both seeds and spreading rhizomes.
Spreads quickly and widely.
Fouls boat motors and restricts passage for non-motorized boats
Stagnant mats create mosquito breeding areas and increase water temperatures.

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Flowering Rush�Butomus umbellatus

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Curly Leaf Pond Weed

Potamogeton crispus L.

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Yellow Flag Iris�Iris pseudacorus

Yellow flag-iris (Iris pseudacorus) is an eye-catching perennial that creates dense stands in wet areas, excluding native wetland species and threatening plant and animal diversity. Yellow flag-iris invades ditches, irrigation canals, marshes, stream and lake shorelines, and shallow ponds. �Yellow flag iris is particularly bad for cattails, sedges and rushes that are used by many birds for nesting. Established infestations can reduce the carrying capacity of water storage in temperate wetlands, and can also block irrigation canals and flood control ditches—both of which are important for agriculture areas.

Yellow flag-iris reproduces quickly through seed dispersal and horizontal root systems, creating thickets in the water like cattails. Up to several hundred flowering plants may be connected under the water, and fragments can form new plants when they break off and drift downstream. Yellow flag-iris is widely sold in nurseries and on the Internet for wet areas and well-mulched soil. While seeds disperse in the wind and water, popularity of the plant in the market exacerbate efforts to contain new infestations.

Yellow flag-iris can sicken livestock if ingested, though it is generally avoided by grazing animals. Contact with the resins can cause skin irritation in people.

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Zebra & Quagga Mussels�(Dreissena polymorpha / bugensis)

Small freshwater mussel
Native to Black/Caspian Sea

(present day Ukraine/Russia)

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IMPACTS

Filter feeders: food web impacts (environmental)
Attachment: hydro, irrigation, municipal water intakes, etc. (economic)
Linked to cyanobacteria blooms (human health)

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Invasive mussels ATTACH to substrates
Native mussels DO NOT attach
Rapid reproduction

1 million eggs/female/year

Dioecious (takes 2 to tango)

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Where are invasive mussels?

Map of introduction/spread: RED = zebra, GREEN = quagga

1989: introduced to Great Lakes (Lake St Clair, spread to all of them from there)
By 2000: most of Midwest and eastern seaboard infested (largely by trailered watercraft, but also following the natural course of rivers to the next downstream lake or reservoir. We don’t generally see attachment in rivers – the flow is too great. But they are a great conduit for flushing them downsteam).
2007: The first detection west of the Mississippi (Lake Mead)
In the subsequent years that followed the Lake Mead detection – Lake Havasu, Lake Pleasant, Lake Powell – all major destinations for boaters and snowbirds!
2014: Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba
2016: Tiber Reservoir, Montana (positive) & Canyon Ferry Reservoir, Montana (suspect)
The silver lining: all western states have been evolving in their programs and networks enough that now we share the same standards for inspections and decontamination, education campaigns, and notify each other of high risk or mussel fouled boats crossing jurisdictions. If you drove up from Lake Mead tomorrow, you would likely be inspected in at least three states. And by the time you got to Montana, we would know you were coming. ☺

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New Zealand Mudsnail�Potamopyrgus antipodarum

Asexual – all female clones
Overwinter in riparian roots
Easily hidden in mud on waders or gear
Loves to hitchhike on plants & mud
Reduce availability of native invertebrate prey for fish
Biomass issue

They are less than 1/8” in length and can hide in mud for weeks out of water. They hitchhike in mud on waders, boots and on boats. Bottom Line = NO MUD!

New Zealand mudsnails in North America are all females and reproduce by cloning.

They can withstand a large fluctuations in temperature and survive through winter by burrowing in mud and riparian roots.

Can survive out of water for multiple days as it has the ability to close its shell opening (called the operculum),

These tiny snails are spread very easily as they are well hidden in mud or on waders and gear. They are widespread in Montana.

(More) Nonindigenous Occurrences: This snail was first discovered in the middle portion of the Snake River in Idaho in 1987. By 1995, the mudsnail had reached the Madison River in Montana and into Yellowstone National Park the following year (Wyoming). Since then, they have been found in the Madison River and several other rivers in and near Yellowstone National Park.

�The snail tolerates siltation, thrives in disturbed watersheds, and benefits from high nutrient flows allowing for filamentous green algae growth. It occurs amongst macrophytes and prefers littoral zones in lakes or slow streams with silt and organic matter substrates, but tolerates high flow environments where it can burrow into the sediment.��Potamopyrgus antipodarum is ovoviviparous and parthenogenic. Native populations in New Zealand consist of diploid sexual and triploid parthenogenically cloned females, as well as sexually functional males (less than 5% of the total population). All introduced populations in North America are clonal, consisting of genetically identical females. The snail produces approximately 230 young per year. Reproduction occurs in spring and summer, and the life cycle is annual

�This species is euryhaline, establishing populations in fresh and brackish water. The optimal salinity is probably near or below 5 ppt, but P. antipodarum is capable of feeding, growing, and reproducing at salinities of 0–15 ppt and can tolerate 30–35 ppt for short periods of time. It tolerates temperatures of 0–34°C.

Potamopyrgus antipodarum can survive passage through the guts of fish and may be transported by these animals .

It can also float by itself or on mats of Cladophora spp., and move 60 m upstream in 3 months through positive rheotactic behavior.

It can respond to chemical stimuli in the water, including the odor of predatory fish, which causes it to migrate to the undersides of rocks to avoid predation .

Means of Introduction: Potamopyrgus antipodarum was most likely introduced to the Great Lakes in ships from Europe, where there are nonindigenous populations or in the water of live gamefish shipped from infested waters to western rivers in the United States.

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Asiatic Clam� Corbicula fluminea

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No byssal threads
Ridges or striations in shells – no stripes
Large numbers block intakes for water canals and power plants
Outcompete native bivalves for food and space
Widespread in the west!
Found in Lake Elmo in Billings

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Spiny Water Flea�Bythotrephes longimanus

Invasive zooplankton (tiny organisms that travel by wind and water currents)
One large black eye and 1-3 barbs on tail
Reduces food supply for small fish
Causes native zooplankton declines 30-40%
Small fish can’t eat
Passes thru digestive track of large fish ALIVE
Jelly-like globs fouls fishing lines and equipment
Produce sexually and asexually

Spiny waterflea is an invasive zooplankton (tiny organisms that travel by wind and water currents) that originated from Eurasia. This invasive species outcompetes native species for food, which can have cascading impacts to the entire food web.

Spiny waterfleas have a single large black eye with a branching antenna that is used to propel them through water. Their abdomen contains four pairs of legs and they have an egg pouch located on the dorsal (top) side of the abdomen (http://www.invadingspecies.com/spiny-and-fishhook-waterfleas/). Spiny waterfleas are just visible with the naked eye at approximately 1.5 cm in length. This species has 1-3 paired barbs on its tail spine, which are used as a defence mechanism to deter predation by small fish

Spiny waterfleas reproduce both sexually and asexually; waterfleas with kinked spines reproduce asexually, while waterfleas with straight spines reproduce sexually (https://tucanada.org/stop-the-spread-spiny-water-flea/). Sexual reproduction occurs in the fall, when female spiny waterfleas produce eggs inside the dorsal egg pouch. The eggs are released and settle to the bottom of the lake, where they remain dormant over the winter until temperatures rise above 4°C. In addition to withstanding winter temperatures, dormant eggs can survive traveling through the digestive tracts of fish without harm (https://tucanada.org/stop-the-spread-spiny-water-flea/)! Asexual females reproduce during the spring, summer, and fall, producing approximately 10 offspring every two weeks. The dorsal egg pouch inflates as embryos develop and emerge as free-swimming juveniles

jelly-like globs of spiny waterfleas with black dots and bristles (eyes and spines) that get caught on fishing line and other fishing equipment.

found in all five of the Great Lakes and more than 100 other inland waterbodies in Ontario. Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba and several inland U.S. waterbodies surrounding the Great Lakes have also reported the presence of spiny waterflea.

threat to the biodiversity of native zooplankton communities found within the Canadian Shield (http://www.invadingspecies.com/spiny-and-fishhook-waterfleas/). Because spiny waterfleas consume zooplankton, the structure and abundance of native zooplankton communities are at risk (Yan and Pawson, 1997; Boudreau and Yan, 2003). In area where spiny waterflea is present, native zooplankton species have shown a 30-40% decline (http://www.invadingspecies.com/spiny-and-fishhook-waterfleas/). The spiny waterflea also affects other trophic levels, such as fish species that consume zooplankton (bass, walleye, and yellow perch), by reducing their food supply (Foster and Sprules, 2009). The health of fish species is also a concern in areas invaded by spiny waterflea, as consumption of spiny waterfleas and their spine tails can cause harm

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Northern snakehead�Channa argus

The northern snakehead is a type of snakehead fish native to China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea.
Voracious predator with mouth full of long sharp teeth. Eats anything that fits in its mouth.
Eats zooplankton, fish, fish larvae, frogs, invertebrates, small reptiles, birds and mammals.
Looks like bowfin and burbot
The northern snakehead is an obligate air breather. This unusual respiratory system allows it to live outside of water for several days; it can wriggle its way to other bodies of water or survive being transported by humans.
In many areas of the world, the snakehead fish is considered to be an important food fish. Due to its economic value, C. argus has been introduced (intentionally or not) to several areas in the continental United States.
In the US, the snakehead is a top-level predator. Introduction of C. argus poses a substantial threat to native fish populations.

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Asian carp (silver)�Hypopthalmichthys molitrix

Jumping silver carp

(“Redneck Fishing Derby” video)

Asian carp include four species: silver, black, bighead and grass. They are known to be highly invasive in most systems where they have been introduced.
Reproduce rapidly
Fast growing long lived species that can reach 100 lbs. No predators that big!
Most infamous is the silver carp that can jump up to 10 feet in the air when spooked (often by boats). When one jumps they all jump! Imagine going out for a Sunday boat cruise and getting a huge slimy fish to the face.
BLUE TITLE: NOT found in Montana
*see video if you have internet/speakers

(More): The black carp feeds on native mussels and snails, some of which can be already endangered. Grass carp can alter the food webs of a new environment by altering the communities of plants, invertebrates and fish. Silver carp feed on the plankton necessary for larval fish and native mussels. Because of their prominence, and because they were imported to the United States much later than other carp native to Asia, the term "Asian carp" is often used in the United States with the intended meaning of only grass, black, silver, and bighead carp. In the US, Asian carp are considered to be an invasive species. Of the Asian carp introduced to the United States, only two (crucian and black carp) are not known to be firmly established. Silver carp have become notorious for being easily frightened by boats and personal watercraft, which causes them to leap high into the air. The fish can jump up to 2.5–3 m (8–10 feet) into the air, and numerous boaters have been severely injured by collisions with the fish.^[3] According to the EPA, "reported injuries include cuts from fins, black eyes, broken bones, back injuries, and concussions." Silver carp can grow to 45 kg (100 lb) in mass. This behavior has sometimes also been attributed to the very similar bighead carp, but this is uncommon. Bighead carp do not normally jump when frightened. Catching jumping carp in nets has become part of the Redneck Fishing Tournament, in Bath, Illinois.

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Nutria�Myocastor coypus�

Native of South America
Introduced for fur farms
Some released for aquatic vegetation control.
Destroys vegetation on shorelines and marshes.

Between a beaver and a muskrat

A nutria will consume about 25 percent of its body weight each day. Because it eats the roots and stems of plants, it destroys about ten times more plant matter than it eats. Nutria have been known to turn shoreline areas into muddy bogs, destroying marshes that provide protection for flooding and habitat for other animals. Nutria often construct circular platforms of compacted vegetation, which they use for feeding, birthing, resting, and grooming. Nutria are known to construct burrows in levees, dikes, and embankments, causing bank collapse and erosion. They also are host to a variety of parasites and pathogens.

Male and female nutria are very similar in appearance.
The average adult is about 2 feet long from nose to the base of the tail.
The rat-like, sparsely haired tail is 1-1 1/2 feet long.
The fur of a nutria has three lengths. The short under fur is less dense than that of either a muskrat or beaver. The next layer is longer, more dense, and is the primary overall coloration of the species. The outer layer hairs are about 3 inches long.
Nutria’s whiskers are about 4 inches long.
The front feet have five toes, one of which is a small toe akin to the human thumb. The hind feet are much larger and all the toes, except the one corresponding to the little toe in humans, are connected by a skin web for swimming.
The nutria has glands near the corners of the mouth that produce oils the nutria uses to groom itself and waterproof its fur.
The mammary glands on females are high on their sides, which allows their young to nurse while the mother is swimming.
Nutria spend much of their time in water.

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Message

AIS have negative impacts on Montana
Primary vector for transporting AIS is watercraft
Montana laws aim to stop the spread of AIS into & within MT
Its everyone responsibility to help Protect Our Waters
Get into the habit of. . . . . Clean. Drain. Dry.

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Liz Lodman�Montana Invasive Species Council�liz.Lodman@mt.gov�406-444-0547�invasivespecies.mt.gov�

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El Dorado, KS, Zebra Mussels 2003

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Watercraft Inspections at Ravalli

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Dreissenids: Perfect Poster Child

Costs to end user

Irrigation infrastructure, hydro, municipal water

Proximity/movement

30 days out of water, veligers microscopic

Excellent for engaging partners, public

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El Dorado, KS, Zebra Mussels 2006

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Other Vectors�Not just vessels --Watch Equipment

Construction in Water

Risk of transporting AIS from out of state�or between waterbodies
In-Water Work (Contractors/310/Joint Permits)

Sea planes
Fire Fighting Equipment�