Invasive Species - What's New on NISIC's Site

The ESA Governing Board voted unanimously last week to approve the addition of "spongy moth" to ESA's Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List, completing a process started in July 2021 when the previous name, "gypsy moth," was removed due to its use of a derogatory term for the Romani people. Translation of the French name is based on the destructive forest pest's sponge-like egg masses.

A new study led by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) and the University of Barcelona (UB) has revealed that marine plastic pollution could contribute to the introduction and transport of non-native species that attach to these particles of anthropogenic origin.

To win the "Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition for Management of Invasive Species," participants must submit their technology innovation solution -- such as tools, equipment, methods, strategies, etc., that help land managers directly reduce the spread and impacts of invasive species within the United States and its Territories. Solutions should focus on invasive species that cause harm to native ecosystems. Solutions may be species-specific, but universal control techniques that may have multiple species benefits are preferred. Submission period: Open until April 30, 2022, 11:59 EDT.

See also: Innovation for Conservation: Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competitions Engage Public in Top Wildlife Issues (Press Release - Mar 1, 2022).
The public now can help reimagine what drives wildlife conservation in the 21st century by participating in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competitions. The competitions will engage the public to help address six important issues: preventing wildlife poaching and trafficking, promoting wildlife conservation, managing invasive species, protecting endangered species, managing nonlethal human-wildlife conflict, and reducing human-predator conflict.

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.

In conjunction with National Invasive Species Awareness Week, Governor Jay Inslee proclaimed the same week (February 26-March 3, 2024) as Washington Invasive Species Awareness Week to raise awareness and find preventative solutions for invasive species.

Recent approval of the Alabama Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan opens avenues of federal funding for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division and Marine Resources Division to deal with aquatic invasive species in Alabama’s abundant waterways. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey submitted the aquatic invasive species plan to the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force, an entity of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the recent approval means Alabama will be eligible for up to $100,000 annually to combat aquatic invasive species. Visit www.outdooralabama.com/research/aquatic-nuisance-species-management-plan for more information on the Alabama Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan.

The “Introduced” podcasts are devoted to aquatic invasive species (AIS). Its tagline is “aquatic invaders and stories from our changing waters.” Topics are wide-ranging, from Asian carp to the trade in invasive species on the Internet.
See also: Introducing "Introduced," Sea Grant's Newest Podcast (May 20, 2020, news article about podcast)

The combination of invasive species and climate change creates unique challenges for natural resource managers. We are developing a network of experts to produce useful and usable science to protect native systems and enhance resilience in the North Central region (CO, WY, KS, NE, SD, ND, MT). This project will expand the successful model of the Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Management Network to the North Central region of the U.S. This effort will integrate the research and management of invasive species, climate change, and fire under one umbrella. Stakeholders in the North Central region have identified invasive species, woody encroachment, wildfire, and habitat and ecological transformation as key management issues which this project will address. Project length:  Jun 2, 2021 through Jun 1, 2023.
See also: Creating a North Central Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (NC RISCC) Management Network

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) reports that invasive quagga mussels have been detected for the first time in Texas. The quagga mussel discovery was made by National Park Service (NPS) staff at the International Amistad Reservoir in the Rio Grande basin along the Texas-Mexico border near Del Rio. Quagga mussels are a close relative of the zebra mussel, which has invaded 33 Texas lakes across six river basins since it was first introduced in Texas in Lake Texoma in 2009. In addition to being the first detection of quagga mussels in Texas waters, this is also the first finding of any invasive mussel species in the Rio Grande basin.

TPWD and partners monitor for invasive mussels in Texas lakes, but anyone who finds them in lakes where they haven’t been found before should report them immediately by emailing photos and location information to AquaticInvasives@tpwd.texas.gov.

The National Detector Dog Training Center trains specially selected dogs and their handlers to safeguard America’s agricultural and natural resources from harmful pests. These dog teams carry out a range of activities, from inspecting passenger baggage, cargo, and parcels at ports of entry to detecting certain invasive species in the environment. Together, they help protect our Nation's food crops, forests, farms, and environment.

Detector canines—trained by USDA's Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program—are ready to sniff out these damaging invasive pests to detect them early and prevent their spread. These highly trained dogs represent some of the recent successes of our Agricultural Detector Canines strategic initiative. Its goal is to expand the use of detector dogs to enhance domestic pest surveys, detect pests early, and facilitate the trade of U.S. agricultural products.