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Understanding how wild birds facilitate the maintenance, reassortment, and dispersal of influenza A viruses (IAV) is key to forecasting global disease spread. The current highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in North America highlights the question of how viruses are transported between continents. Recent NWHC research sheds light on this question and the potential role Iceland may play.

The Great Lakes remain one of the most heavily invaded freshwater systems in the world. Ballast water from cargo ships crossing the ocean inadvertently brought in many aquatic invasive species (AIS), accounting for the introduction of 40% of all nonindigenous aquatic species in the Great Lakes. However, collaborative efforts have led to pioneering research and policy changes that have reduced this threat.

Congressional Research Service Report RL32344.

Compiled and Edited by: Gregory Ruiz and David Reid, NOAA Technical Memorandum GLERL-142.
See also: GLERL Technical Reports for more reports

The aim of this report was to identify the resources, strategies, and policies necessary to create, maintain, and make accessible one or more commodity/invasive species databases that EPA and other relevant agencies can apply to trade policy decision-making in a timely and scientifically-based manner.

On Monday April 8, 2024, a total eclipse of the sun will be visible in a roughly 115 mile wide swath (called the path of totality) crossing North America as it passes over Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. Millions of travelers are expected to camp out over the weekend so they can be in the best viewing area on Monday to see the amazing spectacle of a complete solar eclipse. The Nature Conservancy is asking everyone that plans to use firewood for the solar eclipse celebration weekend to buy local firewood near their destination, bring packaged certified heat-treated firewood, or gather their firewood responsibly on site if permitted by the campground or landowner.

Firewood is widely recognized as a major source of non-native forest insect and disease infestations. A rule governing the importation of untreated firewood into Vermont went into effect on May 1, 2016. Visitors to Vermont State Parks, Vermont State Forests, and the Green Mountain National Forest may only bring firewood originating from Vermont or that is heat treated and in its original, labeled package. To help slow the spread of emerald ash borer within Vermont, ash firewood that has not been heat treated should not be moved outside of the Emerald Ash Borer Infested Area in Vermont.

As of Jul 2011, New Hampshire has banned the importation of untreated firewood without a commercial or home heating compliance agreement. Firewood is a major source of damaging insects and diseases. This quarantine will help protect the health on New Hampshire's forests.

A cozy campfire for summer days, a warm fireplace for winter evenings– the use of firewood is an "established cultural norm". However, moving firewood from place to place can have devastating consequences, as it can spread forest pests that decimate forests to collectively cost an estimated $4.2 – $14.4 billion per year. In order to better address the problem of people moving firewood and vectoring forest pests, Solano and colleagues examined trends and gaps in the existing literature on firewood and human-mediated forest pest movement in North America. The existing literature demonstrates the risk of firewood movement, but fails to address the level of awareness the public has on such risks, or the level of effectiveness of firewood regulations to prevent forest pest spread.

Building Partnerships to Assist Developing Countries to Reduce the Transfer of Harmful Aquatic Organisms in Ships’ Ballast Water, simply referred to as GloBallast Partnerships (GBP), was initiated in late 2007 and is intended to build on the progress made in the original project. This was initially planned as a five-year project, from October 2007 to October 2012, but was extended until June 2017.

The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) released a report on the second phase of its work to stop internet sales of aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the Great Lakes region. The GLC initiative, known as the Great Lakes Detector of Invasive Aquatics in Trade (GLDIATR), demonstrated that “web crawling” applications can be used to track the online sale of priority AIS and support the work of AIS researchers, outreach coordinators, managers, and law enforcement officials across the Great Lakes basin.

The Great Lakes Detector of Invasive Aquatics in Trade (GLDIATR) is an innovative approach developed by the Great Lakes Commission that uses advanced technology to search the internet for sites where aquatic invasive species can be purchased and shipped to the Great Lakes region. This information can be used by invasive species managers to inform and help target a variety of activities including outreach and education, risk assessment, monitoring and surveillance, and enforcement.

As communities continue to recover from widespread destruction caused by recent hurricanes Helene and Milton, floodwaters from these storms may have accelerated the spread of invasive wildlife and plant species into new areas.

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

Wood-boring pests from around the world have historically entered the U.S. through wood packaging materials used in trade, causing billions of dollars of damage to forests. Recognizing the importance of safeguarding international trade against wood-boring insects, the International Plant Protection Convention established the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15). Its main objective is to minimize the chances of wood-boring pests hitching rides in wood packaging material (WPM) used in global trade. NRS scientists are studying the effectiveness of these standards.

 The Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance was notified by the State of California on the detection and identification of golden mussel (Limnoperna Fortunie) in the Port of Stockton. To minimize the spread of the golden mussel it is recommended that operators continue to ensure that ballast water management systems are operational and used in accordance with the Operational Manual for that system.

UMass Amherst study finds that invasive species are widely available due to inconsistent regulation. Results of a new study by ecologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst show that 1,330 nurseries, garden centers and online retailers are still offering hundreds of invasive plant species as ornamental garden plants. This includes 20 species that are illegal to grow or sell nationwide.

The study, “Invaders for sale: the ongoing spread of invasive species by the plant trade industry,” published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, shows that existing regulatory and ethical guidelines do not serve to limit the widespread introduction of invasive plants and that more than 60% of the 1,285 plants identified as invasive remain for sale.