Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Office of Water Resources.
You can take actions to prevent the further spread of AIS. It is essential for boaters and recreational users of lakes and ponds to be vigilant!
Reduce Risks from Invasive Species Coalition.
USDA. ARS. Tellus.
Rodrigo Krugner, an entomologist with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Parlier, California, has found an innovative way to control insect pests in California vineyards: tapping into the vibrational signals they use as mating calls.
Krugner’s efforts have mainly focused on glassy-winged sharpshooters, which spread a bacterium that causes Pierce’s disease in vineyards and costs the California grape industry an estimated $104 million a year. Growers use chemical sprays to control the pests, but insecticides also kill beneficial insects, leave residues, and become less effective as the insects develop resistance.
DOI. United States Geological Survey.
Changing climate conditions have bearing on every aspect of biological invasions, in some cases worsening existing problems. Climate change is creating new pathways for invasive species to be introduced, such as shipping routes that open up as sea ice retreats. Warmer temperatures can allow existing invasive species to expand their range into habitat that is currently too cool. Similarly, impacts to native species and people may change if new conditions affect invasive species abundance. Climate change may make existing invasive species control tools less effective, such as aquatic barriers that require minimum water flows.
Environmental Protection Agency.
In addition to intergovernmental efforts and research to detect and monitor aquatic nuisance species (ANS), the EPA addresses ANS using numerous regulatory tools.
The EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Vessel General Permit (VGP) and Small Vessel General Permit (sVGP) regulate discharges incidental to the normal operation of commercial vessels, including ballast water and hull fouling, which are both pathways for introductions of aquatic nuisance species. The EPA and the Department of Defense are jointly developing the Uniform National Discharge Standards for vessels of the Armed Forces which will also regulate ballast water and hull fouling to help control the introduction of aquatic nuisance species.
Note: On December 4, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, which includes as Title IX the
French National Centre for Scientific Research.
Scientists from the CNRS, the IRD, and the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle have just released the most comprehensive estimate to date of the financial toll of invasive species: nearly $1.3 trillion over four decades. Published in Nature (31 March 2021), their findings are based on the InvaCost database, which is financed by the BNP Paribas Foundation and the Paris-Saclay University Foundation’s AXA Chair of Invasion Biology. The annual expenses generated by biological invasions are only increasing, with no sign of any slowing.
Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Magazine.
Scientists have long warned that Hawaii’s cover of nonnative shrubs is kindling waiting to burn.
See also: Additional Invasive Species related articles
Learn how the U.S. government is responding to the Hawaii wildfires affecting Maui and the Big Island.
USDA. FS. Southern Regional Extension Forestry.
Publication NA–FR–01–11.
University of California - Berkeley. Cooperative Extension; USDA. Forest Service.
Minnesota Invasive Species Advisory Council.
One of the keys to a rapid response to invasive species is the early identification of new occurrences. Please help report occurrences of invasive species in Minnesota. To report suspicious pest species arriving on plants or articles from foreign countries or other states, please contact the MDA's Report a Pest. To report invasive aquatic plants or wild animals, please contact the DNR Invasive Species Program at: 651-259-5100 (metro) or 1-888-646-6367.
USDA. ARS. Tellus.
Imagine a devastating plant disease that sweeps the land, decimating crops. For Florida’s citrus growers, that apocalyptic vision is not a horror movie, but a reality: since it was first identified in the Sunshine State in 2005, citrus greening disease has reduced Florida’s citrus production by a whopping 70%. Without any treatment or cure available, desperate growers have cut down infected trees or abandoned their groves entirely. Scientists have been racing to come up with a solution. Now, an ARS research team believes it may have one, in the form of: stingrays.
USDA. Blog.
Invasive fruit flies, such as the Oriental, Mexican, Mediterranean, and European cherry fruit fly, pose threats to many U.S. commercial and homegrown crops. If established, these flies could cause significant economic losses, requiring costly treatments to protect fruits and vegetables and reducing the marketability of infested fruit both locally and abroad. What’s at stake? The market value of invasive fruit fly-host commodities totaled approximately $11.7 billion in the United States in 2022. Approximately $8.3 billion of that was from California and $2.9 billion from Florida.
Great Lakes Commission. Great Lakes Detector of Invasive Aquatics in Trade.
Provides information on action vendors and consumers can take to help prevent the spread of invasive species.
DOI. NPS. Saguaro National Park.
Learn how to help stop the spread of invasive plants.
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
University of California - Riverside. Center for Invasive Species Research.
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Access a variety of curricula designed to make youth aware of invasive species and the damage they cause. There are lessons and resources – for both classroom and outdoors – that engage students in the process of discovery.
See also: Service Learning Curriculum which includes toolkit and sample outreach plan to help engage educators and young people learn more about invasive pests
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Learn how hungry pests get around and what you can do to stop them.
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Spread the word to help stop the spread of harmful invasive plant pests! Download, print, and use these materials in your state outreach efforts.
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Learn how can do your part and leave hungry pests behind. Damaging pests can hitchhike from place to place on our cars and trucks and hide in fruit, vegetables, plants, firewood, or on common outdoor items. Working together, we can protect America's crops and trees from harm during our travels or outdoor activities.