An official website of the United States government.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers have identified the "least wanted" aquatic invasive species (AIS) that present an imminent threat to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region. In 2013, the Governors and Premiers committed to take priority action on the transfer of these species to and within the region. Since then, the states and provinces have taken more than 50 separate actions to restrict these high-risk AIS, and the US federal government has similarly restricted four of the species. See also: Aquatic Invasive Species for more resources.
Invasive Species Resources
Provides access to all site resources (alphabetically), with the option to search by species common and scientific names. Resources can be filtered by Subject, Resource Type, Location, or Source.
Displaying 1 to 20 of 300
Search HelpConference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers.
University of Alaska - Anchorage. Alaska Center for Conservation Science.
Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee.
The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee announced the release of its 2021 Asian Carp Action Plan, a comprehensive portfolio of projects focused on Great Lakes protection.
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (Canada). Fish and Wildlife.
See also: Wildlife Diseases in Alberta for more fact sheets
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Centre of Expertise for Aquatic Risk Assessment.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Central and Arctic Region.
Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2923.
Canadian Council on Invasive Species.
The Canadian Council on Invasive Species (CCIS) serves as a national voice and hub to protect Canada from the impacts of invasive species. With members and chapters from all corners of Canada, along with governments and businesses, the CCIS brings people together to build practical solutions to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Transport Canada.
Canada's coasts and waterways are vital to our environment, livelihoods, and economy, and must be protected. Ballast water, which helps keep vessels stable in the water, can accidentally introduce and spread aquatic invasive species, like the zebra mussel, if released in the water untreated. To further protect Canadian waters, the Government of Canada is taking action to limit the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species in ballast water. Today, the Canadian Minister of Transport announced the coming into force of the new Ballast Water Regulations to strengthen existing rules for vessels on international voyages and the introduction of new rules for vessels which remain in Canada and on the Great Lakes. These regulations, which replace the Ballast Water Control and Management Regulations, apply to vessels in Canadian waters and to Canadian vessels anywhere in the world. Vessels are now required to:
- plan their ballast water management and reduce the number of organisms in their ballast water, typically by installing a ballast water management system; and
- carry a valid certificate, keep records, and be regularly surveyed and inspected. Smaller vessels may follow an equivalent approach tailored to their operations and size.
For more information, see Managing Ballast Water and Backgrounder: Ballast Water Regulations.