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

A genetic discovery by ARS and University of Florida scientists could speed the search for hybrid citrus trees that tolerate citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing) and produce orange-like fruit ideal for making juice.

Is artificial intelligence (AI) a viable tool in the fight against invasive species? UF/IFAS scientists are exploring that question on a small scale in a project using traps equipped with AI technology. For this study, the traps are targeting Argentine black and white tegus in Fort Pierce. Scientists hope these AI 'smart traps' will help suppress and remove an established population of these lizards that have quickly invaded this Treasure Coast city. St. Lucie county has become a hot spot for tegus over the last seven years.

Several tick species spread diseases to humans, including American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis), blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), western blacklegged ticks (Ixodes pacificus), and lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum). With international trade transporting arthropods among continents, warming temperatures expanding habitable ranges, changes in land use, and increases in host populations, invasive tick species are a growing problem in North America. And, when invasive tick species do become established, they raise the concern of spreading diseases to humans, pets, and livestock. Over 100 tick species from other countries have arrived in the continental U.S. already.

A New Tool for Helping Managers Make Decisions about Inspections -- to help inform decision making, researchers developed AIS Explorer: Prioritization for Watercraft Inspections, a web-based decision-making support tool for optimizing watercraft inspection efficiency. The online dashboard incorporates data about which lakes are infested and how boats move among lakes in Minnesota (gathered from surveys at watercraft inspection stations), and it updates automatically as new entries are added to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Infested Water List.

This decision support tool can help counties position their limited inspection resources strategically to protect the greatest number of waterbodies and safeguard the state’s ecological and economic assets.

Help the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stomp out invasive pests this spring! Challenge your detection prowess: Look for spotted lanternfly and spongy moth egg masses on vehicles, trees, and other outdoor surfaces during the winter and early spring.

Montana’s first mussel-fouled watercraft of the year was intercepted at the Anaconda watercraft inspection station on March 10.

All watercraft entering the state of Montana with the intent of being launched into any body of water are required to be inspected, including kayaks, canoes, rafts and paddleboards. These inspections are required by law, and failure to comply may result in a fine of up to $500. Learn more how Protect Montana Waters from Aquatic Invasive Species.

Yellowstone National Park seeks public comment on proposed measures to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into park waters. The proposals include a 30-day mandatory dry time for some types of motorized boats and sailboats before entering park waters and the prohibition of watercraft previously fouled by mussels regardless of dry time.

The comment period will begin March 7, 2024 and be open for 30 days. The preferred method for submitting comments is online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/yellboats. Comments may also be mailed to: Yellowstone Center for Resources Attn: AIS Proposed Changes, PO Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. The deadline to submit comments is Friday, April 5.

How can an insect that is smaller than a penny cause so much ecological, economic, and cultural devastation? The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle native to Asia, is one of the most destructive invasive species in North America. These tiny pests killed tens of millions of ash trees in the northeast – and continue to this day.

In Maine, a coalition of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, tribal members, state and federal foresters, conservation groups, and local communities have been working for the past twenty years to prepare for the onset of emerald ash borer in northeastern forests. The group, called the Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik, is focused on identifying research-informed strategies to protect the future of ash trees.

In a study recently published in the journal Ecology, "Long-term drought promotes invasive species by reducing wildfire severity," University of California, Irvine scientists uncover the intricate dance between drought, wildfires and invasive species in Southern California’s coastal sage scrub ecosystems.  Titled “Long-term drought promotes invasive species by reducing wildfire severity,” the research, led by Sarah Kimball, Ph.D., director of the Center for Environmental Biology at UCI, sheds light on the critical interplay of these factors and its profound implications for ecosystem health.

Biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey are racing the clock to pull four species of native Hawaiian Honeycreeper forest birds back from the brink of extinction. Factors such as habitat loss, invasive species, and non-native predators have been fueling the birds' decline for centuries. However, introduced diseases, particularly avian malaria spread through mosquitos, which are not native to the Hawaiian Islands, coupled with climate change, are the greatest threat facing Hawaiian forest birds today. 

"As the climate warms and more mosquitoes move into the once malaria-free regions of the mountains, healthy birds are running out of places to escape the cycle of infection," said Eben Paxton, a research ecologist with the USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center (PIERC) in Hawai'i. Now, PIERC biologists are working with a range of partners, including other Interior Department bureaus and the Birds Not Mosquitos Coalition, to intercept the disease cycle using a novel conservation tool.