New York Invasive Species Newsroom

STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES MEET TO RESPOND TO RECENT DISCOVERY OF HYDRILLA IN CAYUGA LAKE INLET
19 August 2011, Ithaca, NY
State and local municipal officials along with biologists from Cornell University gathered Friday, August 19, to discuss the scope of the problem and rapid response options brought to their attention by the August 16th discovery of the invasive water plant hydrilla in the Cayuga Lake Inlet. Attendees included representatives from the City of Ithaca, the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, the Finger Lakes Region of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and the NYS Canal Corporation. A follow-up meeting has been scheduled to develop plans for hydrilla management, spread prevention, and public outreach.

Hydrilla verticillata, commonly known as ‘water thyme’ or simply as ‘hydrilla’ is one of the world's most aggressive aquatic invasive plants. If left unchecked, hydrilla can clog waterways; interfere with boating, fishing, and swimming; and cost millions of dollars to control. Hydrilla has long slender underwater stems that can grow up to an inch per day to lengths of up to 25 feet. Once the plant reaches the surface, it creates a thick mat of vegetation, quickly shading out other aquatic plants and displacing native species like pondweeds and wild celery.

Recreational users of the Cayuga Inlet are urged to employ clean boating practices to prevent the further spread of hydrilla and other aquatic invasive species. All plants, mud or debris should be removed from boats or equipment that came in contact with the lake's water. Drain any water from boats before leaving a launch area. Clean and dry anything that came in contact with water including boats, trailers, gear, clothing, dogs, etc. Never release plants, fish, or bait into a water body unless they came out of that water body. Click here for full text of New York Invasive Species Research Institute August 19th press release on hydrilla in the Cayuga Inlet.

HYDRILLA, ONE OF WORLD'S WORST AQUATIC INVASIVE PLANTS, DISCOVERED IN CAYUGA LAKE INLET
16 August 2011, Ithaca, NY
One of the world's most aggressive aquatic invasive plants, Hydrilla verticillata, commonly known as ‘water thyme’ or simply as ‘hydrilla’, has been discovered in the Cayuga Lake Inlet in Ithaca, NY, by staff of the Cornell University Floating Classroom. A follow-up survey by Robert L. Johnson, a former research support specialist with the Cornell University Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, now with Racine-Johnson Aquatic Ecologists, located extensive hydrilla populations in several areas of the Inlet. According to Dr. Holly Menninger, Coordinator of the New York Invasive Species Research Institute, the hydrilla appears to be localized to the Inlet, with no evidence of the plant in Cayuga Lake proper. This is the first detection of hydrilla in upstate New York.

Hydrilla can be easily spread by fragments of the plant being moved by currents and on boats and trailers. The risk to Cayuga and the other Finger Lakes, as well as to other inland New York waterbodies is considered to be substantial. Hydrilla has long slender underwater stems that can grow up to an inch per day to lengths of up to 25 feet. Once the plant reaches the surface, it creates a thick mat of vegetation, quickly shading out other aquatic plants and displacing native species like pondweeds and wild celery. Click here for full text of New York Invasive Species Research Institute August 16th press release on hydrilla in the Cayuga Inlet.

EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND IN ORANGE COUNTY: State to Expand Quarantine
21 July 2011
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (DAM) Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today announced a new discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) on the U.S. Military Academy at West Point campus in Orange County, NY. An adult emerald ash borer was discovered on July 13, 2011 in an emerald ash borer purple prism trap that was hung in an ash tree at the West Point campus. The emerald ash borer specimen was confirmed by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) staff. An initial site investigation by DEC regional staff, Cornell University and West Point Natural Resources staff did not find any infested ash trees. Click here for full text of NYS DEC press release.

Second Infestation of Asian Clams found in Lake George: Infestation found in Boon Bay in the Town of Bolton.
21 July 2011
A new infestation of the invasive species Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) has been discovered in Lake George in Boon Bay in the Town of Bolton. The new infestation was discovered as part of the FUND for Lake George’s Eurasian watermilfoil management and control program in cooperation with the Lake George Park Commission. Initial survey work by the RPI Darrin Fresh Water Institute in Boon Bay estimates the population to be 3.75 acres - 5 acres in size. This is the second infestation discovered in Lake George. Last fall a 5-acre infestation in the Village of Lake George was discovered. The Lake George Asian Clam Rapid Response Task Force was organized to combat this infestation and a treatment effort has been underway in the Village since late April. Click here for full text of Task Force press release.

EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND IN BUFFALO: Collaborative Control Efforts Underway to Contain First Infestation Found in Erie County
16 June 2011
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced an infestation of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was found in the City of Buffalo's South Park. This is the first EAB infestation to be detected in Erie County. EAB is a small but destructive beetle that infests and kills North American ash tree species, including green, white, black and blue ash. "The discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer in Buffalo is extremely unfortunate but not surprising," DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said. "Awareness and preparedness are our best defenses, both of which are emphasized in DEC's strategic Slow Ash Mortality (SLAM) program." New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine said, "The economic impact of [the EAB] is tremendous on our forest products industries, and our parks and tourism industries, and is causing challenges for municipalities. As a state, we are dedicated to combating EAB and will continue to offer "train the trainer" workshops [. . .] that enlist citizens and volunteers to survey for this beetle, and which led to this detection." Click here for full text of NYS DEC press release.

LAKE CALUMET (CHICAGO) ASIAN CARP MAY HAVE SPENT ITS WHOLE LIFE THERE
6 August 2010
According to an article published in the Chicago Sun-Times, biologists at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, now believe the 3-foot-long, 20-pound bighead (Asian) carp discovered on June 22nd in Lake Calumet (an industrialized part of the Port of Chicago that drains into Lake Michigan through the Calumet River) may have been "planted" in the lake and spent most of its life there. If true, this would mean that the fish, the first of its species found in waters draining unrestricted into the Great Lakes did not make its way past the electric barrier in Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal meant to keep the species from invading the Great Lakes as was originally feared by resource managers and environmentalists. The fish may have been purposefully introduced into the lake by humans wanting to have easy access to a source of the carp and who did not understand the risks it posed to the Great Lakes ecosystem.

CATSKILL FOREST PRESERVE NEW HOME TO EMERALD ASH BORER
4 August 2010
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis and State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker have announced that a new discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in northern Ulster County within the boundary of the state’s constitutionally protected Catskill Forest Preserve has raised concerns about the beetle's spread into other important public forest lands. “This should be a wake-up call for everyone who enjoys New York’s forests and woodlands. We know that the transportation of firewood causes the spread of this destructive pest, so everyone should do their part to protect our trees: Don't transport firewood. Buy your wood locally,” said Commissioner Grannis.

The epicenter of the infestation appears to be in the Ulster Co. hamlet of Ruby; EAB have also now been found in hundreds of trees in 19 sites over an area of apporximately 15 square miles in the Ulster Co. towns of Saugerties, Ulster, Kingston, Woodstock and Hurley.

Two new counties have been added to the list of EAB-infested locales: a specimen has been found on private land in Catskill, Greene Co., and the beetle was also found in an EAB trap on a public right-of-way in Caledonia, Livingston Co. Click to read the full press release.

Invasive mysid shrimp species Hemimysis anomala (the “bloody red shrimp”) found in Oneida Lake, NY.
(August 20, 2009.) Researchers at Cornell University Biological Field Station announced that the invasive mysid shrimp Hemimysis anomala (also known as the “bloody red shrimp”) has been found in the diet of a white perch taken from Oneida Lake, NY. Fish diet assessments are part of routine monitoring of the Oneida Lake fishery conducted with support of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Thirteen individuals (5 males, 8 females, 6 to 8 mm long) were found in the white perch’s diet. As far as we know, this is the first introduction of this species in an inland lake outside of the Great Lakes. More information on this finding…

Hemimysis taken from the diet of an Oneida Lake white perch (Photo: Cornell University Biological Field Station)