Asian Carp Research Articles

Lock operations influence upstream passages of invasive and native fishes at a Mississippi River high-head dam

Asian carps continue to expand their range in North America, necessitating efforts to limit the spread and establishment of reproducing populations. Mississippi River Lock and Dam 19 is a high-head dam that represents a population ‘pinch-point’ as passage through the lock chamber is the only means by which fishes can complete upstream movement. As such, this location could be a pivotal control point for minimizing the spread of invasive fishes in the Upper Mississippi River and a possible candidate site for installation of deterrent measures. Our objectives were (1) to study the timing (i.e., weekly and diel) and behavior of fishes in the downstream lock approach, (2) evaluate the relation of presence in the downstream lock approach with environmental factors and lock operation, and (3) identify any upstream or downstream passage events through the lock chamber and the relation between these events and the operation of the lock. Acoustic transmitters were surgically implanted into 262 Asian carps and 216 native fishes to monitor fish activity on a telemetry receiver array deployed around and within the lock for 622 days during 2017–2018. One hundred eighty-six telemetered fish were detected in the downstream lock approach. We documented 14 upstream Asian carp passages and 10 upstream native fish passages; these passages coincided with a specific sequence of large vessel lockages. The results of this study advance our understanding of fish presence and behavior at a Mississippi River mainstem lock and dam and inform the development and testing of deterrent systems at this location or at similar pinch-point lock and dams.

Bowfishing in the United States: History, Status, Ecological Impact, and a Need for Management

In this paper we review the history and development of bowfishing, provide a case study of a high-profile bowfishing tournament in Oklahoma, survey and summarize management of the sport in all 50 states, and provide scientifically-based approaches for its management. Bowfishing has a distinct niche in the evolution of the bow and arrow and in fishing, as one of several methods practiced by many and scattered indigenous cultures worldwide. In the past century, advances in technology, including the development of the compound bow, custom boat and lighting systems for night bowfishing, and improved information transfer have opened the sport to many people previously unable to participate in the sport at a satisfying level. Bowfishing poses some distinct challenges for fisheries managers compared to angling, including the impracticality of catch-and-release, non-catch (wounding) mortality, and by-catch mortality of non-targeted native species. In 2019, we conducted a survey of 50 state fish and wildlife agencies that indicated only nine states had bowfishing education programs and none had articulated management goals or plans specific to the sport. Evidence indicates that bowfishing may provide plentiful opportunities for harvesting nuisance invasive species such as Asian carps (Cyprinidae) and the Common Carp Cyprinus carpio, but must be practiced much more judiciously, and in some instances, not at all, depending on locality, for higher valued native species such as buffalofishes (Catostomidae: Ictiobus spp.), Paddlefish Polyodon spathula, gars (Lepisosteidae), and rays (Batoidea). Whereas in the terrestrial and avian species that bowhunters most commonly target, males reach a larger size than females, in fish species targeted by bowfishers, the opposite is the case. The result is selective depletion of large, older, mature females and evolutionarily disruptive truncation of life histories. We suggest ten of many potential topics for consideration in agency management planning for bowfisheries. We seek to provide agencies information for developing historical, ecological, and socioeconomic perspectives for managing bowfisheries, as other fisheries, as instruments of species conservation, public benefit, and sound long-term public policy.

Toxicity of Carbon Dioxide to Freshwater Fishes: Implications for Aquatic Invasive Species Management.

Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a new aquatic pesticide to control invasive Asian carps and other aquatic nuisance species in the United States. However, limited CO2 toxicity data could make it challenging for resource managers to characterize the potential risk to nontarget species during CO2 applications. The present study quantified the toxicity of CO2 to 2 native riverine fishes, bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), using 12-h continuous flow-through CO2 exposure at 5, 15, and 25 °C water temperatures. Resulting survival indicated that bluegill (median lethal concentration [LC50] range 91-140 mg/L CO2 ) were more sensitive to CO2 than fathead minnow (LC50 range 235-306 mg/L CO2 ) across all water temperatures. Bluegill were also more sensitive to CO2 at 5 °C (LC50 91 mg/L CO2 , 95% CI 85-96 mg/L CO2 ) than at 25 °C (LC50 140 mg/L CO2 , 95% CI 135-146 mg/L CO2 ). Fathead minnow showed an opposite response and were less sensitive at 5 °C (LC50 306 mg/L CO2 , 95% CI 286-327 mg/L CO2 ) relative to 25 °C (LC50 235 mg/L CO2 , 95% CI 224-246 mg/L CO2 ). Our results show that CO2 toxicity can differ by species and water temperature. Data from the present study may inform decisions related to the use of CO2 as a control tool. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2247-2255. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Asian carp spawning success: Predictions from a 3-D hydrodynamic model for a Laurentian Great Lake tributary

Asian carps are threatening to establish in the Great Lakes basin and the examination of factors leading to spawning success is vital for preventive efforts. Hydrodynamic modelling can determine if successful hatching of carp eggs can occur in a tributary, by predicting egg movement during a spawning event to see if hatching can occur before eggs settle. A 3-D hydrodynamic model, coupled with a Lagrangian particle tracker, was used to assess hatching rates of three Asian carp species (bighead, grass, and silver carps) in different temperature and flow scenarios in the east Don River, a potential spawning tributary to Lake Ontario. In-river hatching rates were highest in scenarios with warmer summer water temperatures (23–25 °C) and flow magnitudes of 15–35 m3/s, which occur at least once every year. Using a 3-D hydrodynamic model allowed the inclusion of low-velocity zones where eggs become trapped in lower flow scenarios, thereby reducing modelled hatching success. In-river hatching rates were significantly reduced when the spawning location was moved close to the mouth of the river, with no modelled hatching if spawning occurred in the lower 8 km of the Don River, indicating that preventing Asian carp movement upstream would viably reduce the chances of successfully spawning occurring in this tributary. The magnitude of reduction in spawning success caused by limiting Asian carp passage upstream can guide preventative strategies and the method of using a 3-D hydrodynamic model as a predictive tool could be applied in similar tributaries across the Great Lakes basin.

An adaptive management approach for implementing multi-jurisdictional response to grass carp in Lake Erie

The Great Lakes are influenced by established aquatic invasive species (AIS) and the threat of new invaders persists. Grass carp, one of four species commonly referred to as Asian carp, are considered invasive because of their ability to adversely modify aquatic habitat through consumption of aquatic macrophytes. Grass carp have been infrequently detected in the Great Lakes since the mid-1980s. More frequent reports of grass carp captures from commercial fishermen in the early 2010’s elevated the concern of the potential risk of colonization in Lake Erie. This paper provides a case study detailing the development and implementation of a multi-jurisdictional response strategy for grass carp in Lake Erie. To respond to threats of grass carp in Lake Erie, Michigan and Ohio Departments of Natural Resources led targeted responses using a collaborative multi-jurisdictional approach, while simultaneously investing in reducing critical life-history uncertainties to refine strategies in an adaptive and science-based manner. Efforts to address uncertainties about grass carp life history documented spawning in two Lake Erie tributaries. Building on these early responses, the binational Lake Erie Committee developed a five-year adaptive response framework to guide response actions. The collaborative response efforts resulted in the capture and removal of 184 fertile grass carp since 2014, and efforts are ongoing to increase effectiveness of strategies to achieve desired population reduction. Coordinated grass carp response actions under the five-year strategy will continue using adaptive management principles with outcomes providing useful insights for adapting existing response frameworks and more broadly for AIS responses implemented elsewhere.

Evaluating the potential role of bioactive chemicals on the distribution of invasive Asian carp upstream and downstream from river mile 278 in the Illinois waterway

Two non-native carp species have invaded the Illinois Waterway and are a threat to Great Lakes ecosystems. Poor water quality in the upper Illinois Waterway may be a factor contributing to the stalling of the carp population front near river mile 278. In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey collected 4 sets of water samples from two sites upstream and 4 sites downstream from river mile 278, and one tributary. Each sample was analyzed for up to 649 unique constituents of which 287 were detected including 96 pesticides, 62 pharmaceuticals, 39 wastewater indicator chemicals, 29 metals, 19 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 6 disinfection by-products (DBPs), 5 hormones, and 5 carboxylic acids. Potential for bioactivity was estimated by comparing chemical concentrations to aquatic life or human health criteria and to in-vitro bioactivity screening results in the U.S Environmental Protection Agency ToxCast™ database. The resulting hazard quotients and exposure-activity ratios (EARs) are toxicity indexes that can be used to rank potential bioactivity of individual chemicals and chemical mixtures. This analysis indicates that several bioactive chemicals (BCs) including: carbendazim, 2,4-D, metolachlor, terbuthylazine, and acetochlor (pesticides); 1,4-dioxane (VOC); metformin, diphenhydramine, sulfamethoxazole, tramadol, fexofenadine, and the anti-depressants (pharmaceuticals); bisphenol A, 4-nonylphenol, galaxolide, 4-tert-octylphenol (wastewater indicator chemical); lead and boron (metals); and estrone (hormone) all occur in the upper Illinois Waterway at concentrations that produce elevated EARs values and may be adversely affecting carp reproduction and health. The clear differences in water quality upstream and downstream from river mile 278 with higher contaminant concentrations and potential bioactivity upstream could represent a barrier to carp range expansion.

Book Reviews

KEY POINTS Statistical Analysis of Ecotoxicity Studies — Glenn Suter Troubled Water: What's Wrong with What we Drink — Richard Wenning Overrun: Dispatches from the Asian Carp Crisis — Glenn Suter Stronghold: One Man's Quest to Save the World's Wild Salmon — Glenn Suter Science Diction — Glenn Suter

The Fish Fauna of the Zarineh River (Urmia Lake Basin) Downstream Sector – Conservation and Management

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the fish fauna in the downstream sector of the Zarineh River, Urmia Lake basin. Seven stations were sampled along the Zarineh River before and after Shahin-Dezh City to help gain a better understanding of human activities on its fish fauna. The results revealed 11 fish species, which belong to three families, including Cyprinidae, Nemacheilidae and Gobiidae. Nine of them were Cyprinidae. Out of 11 species, five species, Carassius gibelio, Rhodeus amarus, Pseudorasbora parva, Hemiculter leucisculus and Rhinogobius lindbergii were exotic that were unintentionally introduced to the Zarineh River along with Asian carps. The threats to fish fauna are categorized into two categories: natural and anthropogenic. According to the observations, anthropogenic activities such as overfishing, pollutions, sand and gravel extraction, dam construction and introduction of exotic fish species were among the main threats for the ichthyofauna of the Zarineh River.

On the Environmental Embeddedness of Redneck Identity and Politics: The Original Redneck Fishin’ Tournament and Invasive Species in a Rural Community

AbstractHere, we examine the environmental embeddedness of redneck identity and politics. To do so, we use data from 22 in‐depth, semi‐standardised interviews and participant observation from several rural Illinois River communities whose citizens have had to confront, interpret, and adapt to the arrival of Asian carp, an invasive species that has significantly altered life in the region. Moreover, some community members now organise the ‘Original Redneck Fishin’ Tournament’, an annual event geared toward challenging the continued invasion of Asian carp. We use this tournament as a window into the manner self‐identified redneck communities negotiate the co‐constitutive cultural, political, and material dynamism of local environmental relationships. Findings reveal a great diversity of nuanced ways a specifically redneck identity, politics, and environmental embeddedness build through each other, relationships that must be furthermore contextualised within broader socioenvironmental histories of state and urban interventions upon rural life.

Overrun: Dispatches from the Asian Carp Crisis . By Andrew Reeves. Toronto: ECW Press, 2019. 374 pp. Maps, bibliography, and index. Paper $18.95.

<i> Overrun: Dispatches from the Asian Carp Crisis </i>. By Andrew Reeves. Toronto: ECW Press, 2019. 374 pp. Maps, bibliography, and index. Paper $18.95.

Occurrence, virulence gene and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Arcobacter sp. isolated from catla (Catla catla) in India.

In the present study, a total of 100 catla (Catla catla-major South Asian carp, local name botcha) collected from local fish markets and aquaculture ponds were subjected for isolation and characterization of Arcobacter sp. In all, 21 Arcobacter sp. were isolated, of which 18 (85·7%) were Arcobacter butzleri and three (14%) were A. cryoaerophilus as identified by multiplex PCR. All 18 A. butzleri isolates were positive for mviN, ciaB and tlyA virulence genes, three of A. cryoaerophilus isolates carried mviN gene and none of the isolates were positive for cadF, irgA, cj1349, hecA and hecB genes. All isolates (n=21) were resistant to penicillin (100%). Meanwhile, 71·43, 23·81, 23·81, 14·29 and 9·52% of the isolates showed resistance towards vancomycin, nalidixic acid, erythromycin, cefixime and kanamycin, respectively. Multidrug resistance was observed in 23·81% of the Arcobacter sp. isolates and none of the isolates were positive for any of the extended spectrum beta-lactamases either by phenotypic or by molecular identification genes (blaOXA , blaSHV , blaTEM , blaCTX-M1 , blaCTX-M2 and blaCTX-M9 groups). The results emphasize the need to implement specific control procedures to reduce the use of antibiotics in aquaculture particularly the ones which are very important in human medicine. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Arcobacter species are emerging food- and water-borne human pathogens. In this study, Arcobacter butzleri was predominant in fish compared to A. cryoaerohilus and A. skirrowii. Higher incidence of arcobacters in fish market samples suggests cross contamination and unhygienic handling of fish in markets. Virulence genes profile and antibiotics resistance of the Arcobacter sp. isolated in current study indicate pathogenic potential of Arcobacter sp. to humans. Occurrence of multidrug-resistant Arcobacter sp. in fish is a major concern in food safety. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Arcobacter sp. from freshwater fish, catla (Catla catla) in India.

On the Interactive Nature of Place-Making: Modifying Growth Machine Theory to Capture the Spatial and Temporal Connections that Spawned the Asian Carp Invasion

ABSTRACT Growth machine theory has provided an influential foundation for thinking about the political economy of place-making and related environmental transformations. It remains silent, however, on how such dynamics can connect through time and space to influence subsequent growth machine dynamics elsewhere. I address this gap by advancing a modified “incorporated comparison” of the Asian carp invasion, an invasive species event generating significant social turmoil in the American Midwest. Empirics draw from document analysis and 71 semi-structured interviews. Results illuminate how local place-making and landscape transformations can connect in contingent ways to render nature a powerful force in subsequent growth-machine battles.

Tennessee River Resource Stewardship and Protection: The Tennessee River Line Trail Project and Partnerships

The Tennessee River had a long and colorful history of transporting Native Americans, settlers, armies, and cargo of all types in 1700s and 1800s. The headwaters of the Tennessee River, the largest tributary of the Ohio River, originates in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern United States. Created by the confluence of the Holston and French Broad rivers at Knoxville, the Tennessee River flows approximately 1049 km to Paducah, Kentucky where it drains into the Ohio River. This paper highlights how the landscape and geological resources of the Tennessee River and tributaries watershed contributed to the successful economic development of this historical region of North America. The Tennessee River is one of the most biologically diverse freshwater systems in the United States. Environmental challenges included an unsuccessful attempt to keep invasive species, such as the Asian carp, out of the Tennessee River and the Kentucky Lake. The 1049 river kilometer Tennessee River regional trail system with charter River Towns was designed to promote recreational tourism, increase the use of the Tennessee River and to create generations of people who care about the river and are willing to provide environmental stewardship of the watershed resources and protect the river.

Public risk perceptions associated with Asian carp introduction and corresponding response actions

Public risk perceptions associated with Asian carp introduction and corresponding response actions

St. Lawrence Seaway: Western Great Lakes Basin

The St. Lawrence Seaway connects Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean. The lakes and connecting rivers, St. Mary’s, St. Claire, Detroit, Niagara and St. Lawrence, have been a major artery for transportation, migration and trade. The Menominee River flows into Green Bay and Lake Michigan and connects to the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Great Lakes have been sailed for trading and commercial purposes since at least the 17th century. Approximately 6000 ships have sunk killing more than 30,000 sailors and passengers. Cold Canadian winds over the three Western Great Lakes pick up moisture when the lakes are not yet frozen and create snow belts in the states of Wisconsin, Michigan and in Ontario, Canada. The Western Great Lakes moderate the seasonal temperatures as they absorb heat and cool the air in the summer. The lakes radiate heat in the fall. This temperature buffering creates fruit belts further north of where the fruit is traditionally grown. During the 1950s and 1960s all of the Agent Blue, the arsenic containing herbicide used in Vietnam War, was manufactured on the banks of the Menominee River by the Ansul Company at Marinette, Wisconsin. The groundwater and the river bottom are now heavily contaminated with arsenic compounds that were released from 1957 to 1977 by Ansul as a result of the manufacture of the herbicide. The linkage of Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River has allowed Chicago’s wastewater to be disposed of into the tributaries of the Illinois River and Mississippi River to avoid contaminating Lake Michigan the source of Chicago’s drinking water. An unintended consequence of linking the Western Great Lakes basin with the Mississippi River basin was the creation of the wet pathway (Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal) through which the flying Asian carp is trying to use to get into the Great Lakes. An electric fish barrier was constructed on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in an attempt to prevent the carp from migrating into Lake Michigan, the Great Lakes basin and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Western Great Lakes shorelines are actively eroding partly as a consequence of the high surface water levels. In June of 2020 Lake Michigan, Lake St. Claire and Lake Huron experienced the highest water level ever recorded since the 1800s. The high risk erosion areas are retreating at the average rate of 30 cm per year for the last 15 years. Planned urban development in a high risk area helps to prevent the loss of buildings. Locating structures back from lake bluffs promotes natural shorelines and reduces the need for engineered shore protection. Erosion of the sediment under the Mackinac Bridge and pipeline has occurred. The pipeline which carries 87 million liters of oil per day between Sarnia, Ontario and Superior, Wisconsin is at risk.

A laboratory investigation of the transport mechanism of floating fish eggs: A case study of Asian carps

The transfer mechanism of fish eggs in water after spawned is assumed to cause the most intense impact on their hatching rate. Settling characteristics are different depending on the physical and biological properties (such as density, diameter and surface viscosity). In this study, the terminal settling velocities of the floating eggs of four carps at different water hardening stages were measured. The terminal settling velocities of the eggs gradually decreased with water hardening process. The terminal settling velocity of the eggs of bighead carp was highest, followed by black carp, silver carp and grass carp. Subsequently, an empirical formula describing the relationship between the drag coefficient and the Reynolds number was developed. The applicability of this formula was investigated in drifting experiments. We proposed a formula for calculating the drag coefficient of floating fish eggs. The drag coefficient formula of the floating fish eggs is suitable for the Reynolds numbers below 490. At Reynolds numbers >490, the drag coefficient was about 0.12. The results show that floating fish eggs differ significantly from other solid particles in their behavior and an own formula is necessary. This is the first study on the drag coefficient of the floating fish eggs. It further provides new insight on the movement of floating fish eggs in water and can be used in numerical simulation to describe the transport of floating fish eggs, essential for carp protection.

Assessment of Asian carp spawning potential in tributaries to the Canadian Lake Ontario basin

Urgent action is needed to prevent the successful establishment of four invasive fish species, collectively known as Asian carps, within the Great Lakes basin. Preliminary assessments of spawning potential of Great Lakes tributaries are needed to effectively allocate resources to early-detection programs and more detailed hydrodynamic modelling. Previous preliminary assessments determining the Asian carp spawning potential of tributaries potentially masked temporal variations in stream temperature and velocity. A preliminary assessment was developed that incorporates both the spawning biology of Asian carps and the hydrodynamics of tributaries, based on data at a higher temporal resolution than used previously, to determine the spawning potential of a tributary. The assessment was conducted on eight Lake Ontario tributaries, based on in-situ temperature and velocity data from 2009 to 2014. Two tributaries were found to be suitable using mean data across the assessed time frame; however, inter-annual suitability varied greatly and six tributaries were found to be suitable in at least one of six years over the study period. The assessment highlights previously unexplored inter-annual variation in suitability and provides a method using existing data to identify suitable tributaries for more detailed analyses involving hydrodynamic modelling. This approach can be used as a heuristic first step to inform management actions, such as early-detection and rapid-response programs, to prevent Asian carp spawning in the Canadian Great Lakes basin.

Research on the transport and dispersion of Asian carp eggs in the “man-made flood pulse” in the middle Yangtze River by Reynolds-averaged numerical simulation

Eggs and early larvae of fishes is important to the early life stages of fish, it is closely related to the fish hatching and resource supplementation, the fish egg movement is essential to studied for re-operation ecological-flow determination, re-operation effect evaluation and fish spawning ground repair. In this paper, fish eggs of Four major Chinese carps were used as the object of study, and the fish eggs were generalized to sediment-like particles. Assuming that their diameter was constant and other mechanical properties were given, the analytic solution considering the change of lateral velocity along the curve were proposed, and the improved three- dimensional hydrodynamic model was used to simulate the distribution characteristics of the fish eggs of the sediment - like particles in the curved channel. (1) cross-section: In straight river section, cross-section of eggs distribution is more uniform in vertical direction, the middle concentration is slightly larger than the two sides in horizontal direction; in the bent river, from the convex bank to the depression concentration gradually reduced. (2) Longitudinal section: the overall concentration of eggs showed a decreasing trend along the trend, the bank near the shore, the egg concentration is increase in a certain time and region, affected by the flow field conditions. The research results can provide the basis for the egg movement simulation by the sink channel and the law of its movement.

Resolving the genetic paradox of invasions: Preadapted genomes and postintroduction hybridization of bigheaded carps in the Mississippi River Basin.

The genetic paradox of biological invasions is complex and multifaceted. In particular, the relative role of disparate propagule sources and genetic adaptation through postintroduction hybridization has remained largely unexplored. To add resolution to this paradox, we investigate the genetic architecture responsible for the invasion of two invasive Asian carp species, bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix) (bigheaded carps) that experience extensive hybridization in the Mississippi River Basin (MRB). We sequenced the genomes of bighead and silver carps (~1.08G bp and ~1.15G bp, respectively) and their hybrids collected from the MRB. We found moderate‐to‐high heterozygosity in bighead (0.0021) and silver (0.0036) carps, detected significantly higher dN/dS ratios of single‐copy orthologous genes in bigheaded carps versus 10 other species of fish, and identified genes in both species potentially associated with environmental adaptation and other invasion‐related traits. Additionally, we observed a high genomic similarity (96.3% in all syntenic blocks) between bighead and silver carps and over 90% embryonic viability in their experimentally induced hybrids. Our results suggest intrinsic genomic features of bigheaded carps, likely associated with life history traits that presumably evolved within their native ranges, might have facilitated their initial establishment of invasion, whereas ex-situ interspecific hybridization between the carps might have promoted their range expansion. This study reveals an alternative mechanism that could resolve one of the genetic paradoxes in biological invasions and provides invaluable genomic resources for applied research involving bigheaded carps.

A food web modeling assessment of Asian Carp impacts in the Middle and Upper Mississippi River, USA

The invasion of non-native fishes has caused a great detriment to many of our native fishes. Since the introduction of invasive carps, such as Silver, Bighead, Common and Grass Carp, managers and researcher have been struggling to remove these species while also hypothesizing the detriment of further invasion. This study developed a food web model of four locations on the Mississippi River and used those models to assess the impacts of two scenarios: carp removal and carp invasion. In the Middle Mississippi River where these invasive carps are already present, the models found that it would take a sustained exploitation of up to 30% of initial biomass over an extended period to remove Grass Carp and up to 90% removal of initial biomass to remove Silver and Bighead Carp. In the locations where Silver, Bighead, and Grass Carp are not yet established (i.e., Pools 4,8, and 13) the invasion of these species could cause declines from 10 to 30% in initial biomass of native fishes as well as already established nonnative invasive species.