An official website of the United States government.
Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) fisheries biologists say that the Show-Me-State has another aquatic invader to be on the watch for. It's already been detected in the Mississippi River near St. Louis—and anglers might be the first line of defense. The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is native to the Black and Caspian Seas between Europe and Asia and was brought to the U.S. by way of the Great Lakes in cargo ship ballast. Since then, the invasive fish has made its way down the Illinois River and has been confirmed just across the Mississippi at Alton, Illinois. MDC encourages anglers to take photos and email MDC with details if they encounter any round gobies. Anglers should report the sighting and email photos to MDCgoby@mdc.mo.gov.
Missouri
Spotlights
Missouri Department of Conservation.
Missouri Department of Conservation.
Report feral hogs, don't shoot them. The take of feral hogs is prohibited on conservation areas and other lands owned, leased, or managed by the Conservation Department. Hunting hogs on other lands is strongly discouraged. Instead, report feral hog sightings to 573-522-4115, extension 3296 or online. The Conservation Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, along with other partners and hundreds of private landowners, are working to eradicate feral hogs in Missouri. When hunters shoot feral hogs, it complicates efforts to remove these pests. Hogs are social animals that travel in groups called sounders. Shooting one or two hogs scatters the sounder and makes trapping efforts aimed at catching the entire group at once more difficult, because hogs become trap-shy and more wary of baited sites. With their high reproductive rate, removing one or two hogs does not help to reduce populations. Anyone who observes a feral hog or damage caused by feral hogs should report it to the Conservation Department rather than shooting the animal so we can work together towards eradication.
University of Missouri Extension.
University of Missouri. Extension.
- Don't move firewood
- Don't transport walnut for woodworking (including buying walnut wood over the Internet)
- Promptly report dead or dying walnut trees
State Specific Threats
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Includes invasive species by category for insects, diseases, plants, and animals.
See also: Invasive Species Status Report by Congressional District
Selected Resources
The section below contains highly relevant resources for this subject, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Missouri
Council or Task Force
State and Local Government
Academic
University of Missouri-Columbia.
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable approach to managing insect, pathogen, and weed pests through a coordinated decision-making/action-taking process. The goal of IPM is to mitigate pest damage while protecting human health, environmental quality, and economic viability. The MU IPM program is partially funded by a federal grant. It is multidisciplinary and involves a large team of scientists and extension specialists.
Professional
Missouri Prairie Foundation.
Grow Native! is the native plant marketing and education program of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. Grow Native! helps protect and restore biodiversity by increasing conservation awareness of native plants and their effective use in urban, suburban, and rural developed landscapes.
Missouri Botanical Garden.