Resource Search

Over the last year, MAISRC research teams have worked tirelessly in the field, lab, and at their computers to generate and analyze data that is informing evidence-based decisions from the end of your dock to the State Capitol. The incremental steps are making a difference, leading to big wins, and eventually to real-world solutions to aquatic invasive species problems. MAISRC is sharing past year's research highlights in the form of a story map—enjoy an interactive experience, watch project videos, click straight to project pages, and see exactly where research is happening on the map.
See also: 2022 Research Report and 2021 Research Report

In addition to comprehensive information about the European green crab in Washington state, please see the following:

• European Green Crab Background Information - StoryMap including monitoring and how to report sightings
• Interactive European Green Crab Hub which supports coordination of ongoing emergency measures, data collection, and science.

Areawide Pest Management (AWPM) is the systematic reduction of a target pest(s) to predetermined levels using uniformly applied pest mitigation measures over geographical areas clearly defined by biologically-based criteria (e.g., pest colonization, dispersal potential). This storymap provides the following: Background, Current Projects, Success Stories, and Data Exploration. The program has six active projects on crops, insects, invasive plants, and agronomic weeds spread across the US. These updates provide a brief summary, current status and projections along with photos and graphs.
Note: Success Stories include The Ecological Areawide Management (TEAM) of Leafy Spurge, Invasive Annual Grasses (cheatgrass medusahead),  Fruit Flies (Mediterranean fruit fly, melon fly, Oriental fruit fly, and Malaysian fruit fly).

As APHIS is an animal and plant health agency, data visualization tools are critical to their work. APHIS surveys for pests and diseases, set quarantine boundaries, and track wildlife hazards, among other tasks that require spatial awareness and dynamic engagement. This section provides plant and animal health publicly available applications (interactive story maps) which support the APHIS mission. 

The USGS provides information and tools needed to help solve problems posed by invasive species across the country. Key components of USGS invasive species science include developing novel prevention, forecasting, early detection, decision support, and control tools.
See also: Geonarratives for all USGS geonarrative / story map resources

The Laurel Wilt Public Dashboard story map – a collaboration between the Georgia Forestry Commission, multiple branches of the Forest Service, and other state forestry agencies – shows the annual spread of the disease. The story map shows that new detections occur mostly in the Coastal Plain, not in the Appalachian mountains where sassafras reaches its greatest sizes.

The Chesapeake Bay Nutria Eradication Project (CBNEP) historically used working dogs to locate invasive nutria populations across the Delmarva Peninsula. As nutria populations decreased, the transition to detection and detector dogs was necessary. Dogs can be trained to smell the evidence of specific animals and plants in an area without visual identification.  

The short story of invasive fishes in Maryland.
See also: Report an aquatic invasive using Maryland Invasive Species Tracker (MIST); tool for the public to help the state track invasive species in its waterways.

Building a structure for interagency coordination to support early detection surveillance and rapid response to invasive species. Scientists and resource managers agree that preventing invasive species establishment is the most cost-effective approach to avoiding many of the long-term economic, environmental, and societal costs associated with invasive species.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was passed in 2021, a portion of which was directed to funding invasive species detection, prevention, eradication, including research.

See also: Geonarratives for all USGS geonarrative / story map resources

The National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation is a state-of-the art facility for advanced research providing expertise in DNA sequencing and environmental and forensic DNA sampling. Environmental DNA (eDNA) can be collected from bodies of water and offers great potential for monitoring and detecting species of interest. The Center is designed for cross-agency partnerships to provide cost-effective and reliable genetic and genomic data for species monitoring.

State and Federal agencies collaborate in a national integrated pest management (IPM) program called the Slow the Spread Program (STS) to reduce the spread rate of Lymantria dispar and limit its impacts. Slow the Spread is one of the world’s largest and most successful integrated pest management programs. 
See related resource: National Slow The Spread (STS) Program

Oak wilt is complex, with a high degree of variability in distribution, severity, and associated management options. This publication provides a detailed overview of oak wilt and is intended to help natural resource managers in the Northeast and Midwest choose the most appropriate tools for a given situation. Using the Story Map format, information has been organized into selectable sections/tabs for easy navigation and exploration.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Invasive Species Program provides essential research and tools to help resource managers reduce or eliminate the threat of invasive species.
See also: Geonarratives for all USGS geonarrative / story map resources

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) delivers high-quality data, technologies, and decision-support tools to help managers reduce existing populations and control the spread of invasive carp in the Nation's waterways.
See also: Geonarratives for all USGS geonarrative / story map resources

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) delivers high-quality data, technologies, and decision-support tools to help managers reduce existing populations and control the spread of invasive carp in the Nation's waterways.
See also: Geonarratives for all USGS geonarrative / story map resources

Science conducted by the USGS and the White-nose Syndrome (WNS) Response Team. Our scientists are tracking the fungus as it spreads and characterizing the effects of WNS on hibernating bat populations in North America.