Dear NEANS Panelists and ANS friends,
Please post to this page your Roundtable updates so that those not at the meeting will be able to read them and to keep the meeting summaries concise.
Thank you.
Michele L. Tremblay
Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel Forum
published by and for the Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel
Dear NEANS Panelists and ANS friends,
Please post to this page your Roundtable updates so that those not at the meeting will be able to read them and to keep the meeting summaries concise.
Thank you.
Michele L. Tremblay
Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Gulf Region, June 2019.
– Eleven marine Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) are confirmed as having negative impacts on natural ecosystems in Atlantic Canadian waters (DFO Atlantic Zone AIS monitoring program) (see State of the Atlantic Ocean Report; http://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/soto-rceo/atlantic-atlantique/index-eng.html). Ciona intestinalis, Styela clava, Botryllus schlosseri, and Botrylloides violaceus remain the most problematic non-indigenous tunicate species in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL). C. intestinalis and S. clava remain mostly off the east cost of (Prince Edward Island) PEI possibly due to increased management efforts pertaining to shellfish introduction and transfer restrictions as well as via recommended product treatment related to these transfers. B. schlosseri and B. violaceus are generally becoming more widespread within the sGSL. Diplosoma listerianum seems to be restricted to the Havre-Aubert area (Magdalen Islands).
– Distribution range of Didemnum vexillum remains within the Minas Basin and in the upper (Greville) and lower (northwest of Yarmouth) Bay of Fundy, off the northeastern coast of Nova Scotia. Ascidiella aspersa has been established in Lunenburg (NS) since 2012, but has not spread from this area.
– Carcinus maenas demonstrated a significant abundance reduction in 2014-2015 in monitored bays of the sGSL. However, C. maenas abundance has since recovered and is steadily increasing (2016-2018) according to ongoing DFO green crab monitoring.
– The oyster thief green alga (Codium fragile), the Japanese skeleton shrimp (Caprella mutica) and the coffin box bryozoan (Membranipora membranacea) are present, but less frequently reported in the Atlantic Region. See National DFO AIS website for information on each AIS found in Canada (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/ais-eae/index-eng.html).
-A recent study has confirmed the presence of a non-native grass shrimp (Palaemon adspersus) in two estuaries in PEI (Souris River and Trout River), representing the first documented occurrence of this species on the island (see Pearson et al. 2019; https://academic.oup.com/jcb/article/39/2/189/5320570). In Atlantic Canada, P. adspersus has been documented on the western coast of Newfoundland and the Magdalen Islands (2011).
– An invasion hazard assessment of marine recreational boating suggests a high potential for NIS transport within the Atlantic coast of Canada given the high degree of connectivity between and within ecoregions, and high survival probability (see Pelletier-Rousseau et al., 2019; https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10530-019-01991-1.pdf ). A DFO National Science Advisory Process is currently underway to estimate the pathway-level introduction risk posed by the aquarium, water garden, and live food trades in Canada.
– According to results from collaborative Genomics Research and Development Initiative study with DFO Gulf Region’s Molecular Biology Unit on eDNA methods for early detection of AIS, eDNA monitoring) could prove very useful in detecting AIS occurrences, particularly as a complementary tool to biofouling collectors (manuscript in prep.).
New Hampshire
Three pieces of legislation were discussed in New Hampshire over the winter:
1. A bill to appropriate $10M to invasive aquatic species prevention and management for the next two fiscal years. This passed the house and senate for a lesser amount, but the funds may be re-directed before they are actually appropriated. TBD.
2. A bill to require that boaters be required to use best available technologies for disinfection and decontamination technologies available at public access sites. Passed house and senate, should be signed by the governor in June.
3. A bill to create an out of state sticker program, similar to the state of Maine. The sticker will be at a cost of $20, and can be purchased online. Passed the house and senate, should be signed by governor in June.
New Hampshire also updated their program-specific Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) over the winter, and completed an Asian clam report (monitoring) and 2013-2017 program report.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
– For 2019 season more than 165 boat stewards deployed at more than 250 locations across New York State
– Anticipating about 300,000 survey records from the Watercraft Inspection Steward Program App (WISPA)
– Asian swamp eels were found in Hemlock Lake. All eels were found dead on shore. No live eels have been located.
– Croton River Hydrilla Control Project herbicide treatment will begin June 10th and Tioga County Hydrilla Control Project herbicide treatment will begin July 3rd.
– Work on the development of a NYSDEC eDNA lab continues.
The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database (NAS) has discontinued the NAS mobile sighting report app as of FY 19 due to technical and regulatory constraints, while the website sighting report page continues to function as the mobile alternative.
Since our meeting in December, we received two new species alerts for Massachusetts: a nutria in the Assabet River near Apsley and Wood Parks, SW of Hudson, on 2/17/2019 and a Cuban tree frog in a department store garden center in Chicopee on 2/2/2018 vouchered at Georgia Southern University (GSU 26257).
NAS plans a FY 20 release of two new tools to aid researchers, managers, and stakeholders.
We are compiling literature on ecological, economic, and human health impacts caused by 100 high-profile, non-native, aquatic species to create an impact matrix. The impact matrix will conveniently display types of impacts by species, showcasing impacts with abundant research as well as those with knowledge gaps. We are ranking references of impacts as either experimental, observational, or anecdotal. The impact matrix will integrate with the NAS database through the current species profiles, and will include both positive and negative impacts in a more consistent and thorough manner than previously provided on the profiles.
We also plan to release a tool for the public to Screen and Evaluate Invasive and Non-native Data (SEINeD). The SEINeD tool will allow users to check the native status of species in their surveys and research data sets with species in the NAS database. The tool checks the coordinates given by the user with the native ranges compiled by NAS for species with documented native ranges in the US. The user then receives a file indicating native/non-native status or unknown/terrestrial along with HUCs and waterbody names from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset. We are constantly updating our native range maps from available, peer-reviewed references.
In May, NAS met with the Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information Network (GLANSIS) in Gainesville, FL with a focus on future collaborations and program needs. We detailed further plans on our efforts to incorporate eDNA results in our respective databases with aims at consistency and caution.
Some brief comments on the marine side of Rhode Island’s work on aquatic invasive species
1. The CRMC will continue its Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring Project during the 2019 field season which will include the following research tasks:
a) floating dock monitoring at five sites distributed along a salinity gradient in Narragansett Bay to determine the presence, abundance, and distribution of AIS
b) larval settlement plate monitoring at the same five sites noted above to determine the outcome of competition between AIS and native species
c) SCUBA based eelgrass monitoring to determine the impact of AIS on this native habitat
2. The CRMC will hire a contract employee to write a comprehensive report on the results of the three AIS monitoring tasks described above during the ten-year period 2009-2018
3. The CRMC will continue to support outreach/education regarding marine AIS via appearances of “Mitzilla”, a kinetic human-scale costume of a Chinese Mitten Crab fabricated by the Big Nazo Lab, a collection of creative types affiliated with the RI School of Design who attend coastal related public events to teach attendees about the problem of AIS in the state.
June 2019 Program Update
Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Marine Invasive Species Program
Marine Invasive Monitoring and Information Collaborative (MIMIC)
MIMIC is CZM’s marine invasive species early detection and monitoring network which train volunteers to monitor docks, rocky intertidal zones and tidepools in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Since 2006, volunteers have monitored for the presence/absence and abundance of 18 established animal and plant species, and looked for potential invaders. In 2018, over 150 volunteers representing ten partners (state, non-profit and individuals) monitoring 59 sites in MA, NH and ME.
The 2019 monitoring season will use our updated datasheet and id cards datasheet and protocol for the 2019 field season. We are working with organizations on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard to add new monitoring sites on the islands.
July 2018 Rapid Assessment Survey
From July 23-27, CZM staff and a team of scientific experts visited marinas from Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, to Casco Bay, Maine, to observe, identify, and record native and invasive marine species found on floating docks and piers. The Rapid Assessment Survey (RAS), the sixth held since 2000, is critical for detecting new species introductions and identifying regional trends. During this survey, the team documented a number of established marine invasive species, such as the skeleton shrimp Caprella mutica, the red algae Grateloupia turuturu, the bryozoan Tricellaria inopinata, and several sea squirts. Some invasive organisms that were more common in the 2013 survey were absent or found in fewer numbers in 2018, such as the orange striped anemone (Diadumene lineata) and the European oyster (Ostrea edulis). Notably, native grass shrimp and invasive shrimp were commonly found along the docks in past surveys, but were collected at just one site in New Bedford this year. The final results of the RAS will be presented in a summary report once the RAS scientists have carefully gone through their samples and confirmed all identifications. Funding for the 2018 RAS was provided by CZM, the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, and the Massachusetts Bays and Buzzards Bay National Estuary Programs. To view photos and a video of the team in action, see these articles from the South Coast Today and the Salem News, and visit CZM’s RAS 2018 flickr album. For more information on the methods, sampling sites, and data from the last survey performed in 2013, see the Report on the 2013 Rapid Assessment Survey of Marine Species at New England Bays and Harbors (PDF, 53 MB), and see CZM’s Marine Invasive Species Program web page for additional details on this topic.
What MassDEP has done since December 2018:
• While issuing 401 Water Quality Certification to individuals/towns, providing conditions with best management practices on waterbodies with invasive species to prevent their further spread to other waterbodies such as City of Revere’s Water Front Square Project.
• Continue to add invasive species infestations to the CWA 303d List and 303b report;
• Provide invasive species prevention and control associated presentations to communities: Invasive Freshwater Species in Massachusetts: Biodiversity, Prevention, and Regulations. Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions. Worcester, MA. March 1, 2019.
What MassDEP plans to do:
To complete the AIS invasive species list database development and mapping project with assistance from MassDEP interns