Resource Search

Welcome to the Campaign Resources section for Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!. This section provides resources to help achieve your goals of building awareness and increasing engagement. Resources include a graphics library, marketing showroom, and image library.

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers is an ANS Task Force public awareness campaign intended to educate the public on aquatic nuisance species (ANS) and stop or reduce unintended spread of ANS to new habitat by recreational activities such as boating, fishing, swimming, waterfowl hunting, SCUBA diving or snorkeling, windsurfing, seaplane operations, personal watercraft use, and recreational bait harvesting. This campaign is supported by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Aquatic invasive species pose an ongoing threat to the environment, economy, recreation, and human health and safely. These species are a direct driver of biodiversity loss, yet also hinder economic development, serve as vectors of disease, decrease the aesthetic value of nature, and prevent recreational activities. Keep reading to learn more about these specific threats.

One of the projects supported by the Arctic Co-operation programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers is launching a major campaign to raise public awareness of the threat posed to the Arctic by alien species travelling with tourists and other visitors. Nordregio takes part in the campaign in its capacity as secretariat for the Nordic-Arctic programme. “Are you travelling alone?” asks an animated polar bear in a new campaign video as he examines some clothes, shoes and equipment belonging to the travellers that step off boats and airplanes that bring them to the Arctic. The video is launched together with travel operators, airline companies, travel agencies and tourist offices that have the Arctic as a travel destination, as well as national and regional authorities to make sure it reaches as far as possible – hopefully unlike the alien species it aims to warn against.

"Tracking the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug" shows growers and others how to identify BMSB, why this pest is important in agriculture, and what's at stake if we don't stop it. Also includes new videos to address recent developments in monitoring, trapping, management, and biological control.

This initiative includes more than 50 researchers from 10 institutions across the U.S. working together on this project team. The team of researchers has mobilized to form a defense against the invasive pest brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). The project team is working to find management solutions for growers, seeking strategies that will protect our food, our environment, and our farms.

The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is a sap-feeding insect native to Asia that feeds on more than 65 plant species and is projected to become a serious pest of specialty crops including grapes, tree fruit, ornamentals, and hardwoods. The goals for this project are to develop efficacious tactics for managing the invasive SLF, on vulnerable specialty crops to reduce the risk of widespread, catastrophic damage and to develop strategies for long-term SLF management.

Find spotted lanternfly (SLF) quarantine regulations and reporting information by state

See also: Stop the Invasion Fact Sheet Set for more resources

See also: Stop the Invasion Fact Sheet Set for more resources

See also: Stop the Invasion Fact Sheet Set for more resources

With the Stop the Invasion Fact Sheet Set, students will read about six different invasive species, the damage they cause and how to stop their spread. The accompanying lessons and activities are aligned to California Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. This resource was funded through a Specialty Crop Block grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

Little fire ants (LFA) may be tiny, but they pack a powerful sting. Native to South America, these speck-sized invaders have hitchhiked across the Pacific, hidden in imported goods, establishing new populations in islands like Hawai'i. Much smaller than the average ant, LFA are about as long as a penny is thick. Little fire ants may have reached our shores, but we can't treat it like "just another ant." LFA are considered one of the World's 100 Worst Invasive Species (IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group), because of their ability to reach very high numbers, to the point where people and animals can't avoid stings. It's up to each of us to Spot The Ant and Stop the Ant. Report little fire ants today.
See also: October is "Stop the Ant Month": Help Find the Hidden Ants of Hawai'i (Sep 29, 2023)

Invasive species surveillance programs can utilize environmental DNA sampling and analysis to provide information on the presence of invasive species. Wider utilization of eDNA techniques for invasive species surveillance may be warranted. This paper covers topics directed towards invasive species managers and eDNA practitioners working at the intersection of eDNA techniques and invasive species surveillance. It provides background information on the utility of eDNA for invasive species management and points to various examples of its use across federal and international programs.

Citation: Morisette, J., S. Burgiel, K. Brantley, et al. 2021. Strategic considerations for invasive species managers in the utilization of environmental DNA (eDNA): Steps for incorporating this powerful surveillance tool. Management of Biological Invasions. 12(3): 747-775.