RESPONDING TO AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES INTRODUCTIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA SARA STAHLMAN, PENNSYLVANIA SEA GRANT
Tactics for Dealing with AIS (in descending order of preference for use) 1.Prevention ( Keep it out of our waters ) 2. Early Detection (Find an infestation while it is small) 3. Rapid Response (React before population becomes established) 1. Management (control the population size, spread, etc.) 2. Eradication (eliminate established populations)
PENNSYLVANIA AIS RAPID RESPONSE PLAN seagrant.psu.edu
PURPOSE Interagency decision support framework designed to aid agencies in conducting a coordinated and structured response to new aquatic invasive species infestations.
DEVELOPMENT OF 2008 • Began development THE PLAN… 2009 • Workshop for Agency staff 2010 • Mock exercises and field testing • Round goby in Fairview gravel pits • Mock exercises and field testing 2013 • Didymo • New Zealand Mudsnail • Re-vamped to 3-tiered structure 2014 • Plan was approved by PISC 2015 • Rapid Response Mock Excercise: Starry Stonewort 2017 • Rapid Response Mock Exercise: Hydrilla 2019 • Rapid Response Mock Exercise: New Zealand Mudsnail
SECTION 1- DECISION TREE Concise overview of all the action steps that may be needed in the rapid response process.
SECTION 2 – CHECKLIST OF ACTIONS Action 1: Action 2: Action 3: Report Is the Identify/verify the suspected AIS to AIS report species coordinator high priority? completed completed completed Checklist of actions that can be used as a stand alone document
SECTION 3- DETAILED ACTION STEPS Detailed, comprehensive supporting information for each step Contact information for federal and state agencies, interested parties, and others Interactive tools: Response Options Template Incident Response Plan
GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE FUNDING Hold 1 mock exercise per year Hold 4-6 rapid response trainings per year
WHAT IS A MOCK RAPID RESPONSE EXERCISE? Simulate an emergency response to a mock scenario of a new infestation of a species in the Lake Erie Watershed Familiarize participants with the process T est the Pennsylvania rapid response plan framework and identify existing gaps and challenges Produce a report detailing the response to the scenario and have discussions about successes, future needs, and next steps
STARRY STONEWORT MOCK EXERCISE OCTOBER 22, 2015
HYDRILLA MOCK EXERCISE NOVEMBER 16, 2017, ERIE PA
MOCK SCENARIO In July, 2017 a park volunteer at Presque Isle State Park discovered a small patch of an unknown plant species near West Pier Boat launch on Presque Isle State Park. Using the Pennsylvania Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species he found that the plant most closely resembled the invasive plant, Hydrilla verticillata .
MOCK SCENARIO Careful not to touch or move the plant, the volunteer took several close up photographs of the infestation, and made notes of where the patch was found. He returned to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and reported his finding to a park manager.
MOCK SCENARIO In light of this discovery, one of the Presque Isle State Park managers took the ranger boat to do a quick sweep of the area described by the volunteer. In addition to the patch found near West Pier, she also identified an additional patch of the suspect plant about 525 feet outside the channel to Marina Lake, and another at the boat launch in Marina Lake.
DATA FROM PYMATUNING A boater survey conducted by the PymatuningVolunteer Launch Stewards program showed boat visitors traveling from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York in 2017 to visit Pymatuning, with over 40 boats reported from the Lake Erie watershed region of Pennsylvania.
FRAMING QUESTION What would it look like if Pennsylvania was a leader in aquatic invasive species rapid response?
ACTION 1: REPORT SUSPECTED SPECIES TO AIS COORDINATOR WHO IS THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT?
SUBMITTING A REPORT FOR HYDRILLA Volunteer reports the find to the park manager Park manager must then submit the report according to procedure in the rapid response plan.
SUBMITTING A REPORT Name and contact information of reporter Date of observation Exact location of discovery Driving directions to the nearest site access point Clear, close-up digital photographs (more to come on this)
CURRENT CHALLENGES Vacancy in invasive species council coordinator position Update: Position set to be filled in the next few months Need for general reporting mechanisms Working with PDA on a reporting hotline and e-mail In the meantime: Sea Grant reporting form
DON’T FORGET FEDERAL AGENCIES For federally or joint state- federally regulated species, agency responsible must contact federal authorities responsible for that taxon.
ACTION 2: IS THE REPORT HIGH PRIORITY? IS ACTION NEEDED? VS.
IS ACTION NECESSARY? A report may be low priority if…. The species is already known and well established in the area The species will not be able to survive Pennsylvania’s climate For that location, there is already an existing report of higher risk species to which resources should be allocated first
RED-BELLIED PACU ( PIARACTUS BRACHYPOMUS )
CLIMATE MATCH FOR HYDRILLA
LOW PRIORITY AT THIS TIME? STILL REPORT IT! Reports deemed low priority should be reported within the agency and to other agencies, organizations, and mapping and tracking initiatives
ACTION 3: IDENTIFY/VERIFY THE SPECIES
VERIFYING THE IDENTIFICATION OF SUSPECT AIS May need to consult outside sources and collect a specimen for positive identification Gather and document information accurately Keep the specimen secure to avoid spreading Note that it is ILLEGAL to possess or transport certain live AIS
CONSULTING AN EXPERT Academy of Natural Sciences-Philadelphia Carnegie Museum of Natural History Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Pennsylvania Department of Health Pennsylvania Sea Grant Tom Ridge Environmental Center Natural History Museum Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Cleveland Museum of Natural History The Aquatic Invasive Species Experts Database
INFORMATION GATHERING TOOLS Pennsylvania Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species Camera Hand lens GPS Units Notebooks
GATHER INFORMATION Record Latitude and Longitude Provide driving directions to the nearest access point Notes about the location, habitat and environmental conditions, and size of the infestation
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS Take clear, close-up digital photographs from different angles Include a reference object to establish scale Take photos of the immediate environment where the sighting occurred Provide good background contrast Take photos of any distinguishing characteristics
COLLECTING A SPECIMEN : APPENDIX C Leave stem intact with intact leaves and if available, intact flowers, fruits, and roots Be careful when collecting as fragmentation could occur Wash the plant in clean water to remove debris; do not allow the plant to dry out Fill out specimen label with date, location, collectors name, and any other relevant information To ship, place in a Ziploc bag with water and newspaper packing
ACTION 4: CONDUCT RISK ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE IF SPECIES IS A CANDIDATE FOR RAPID RESPONSE ACTION
RISK ASSESSMENT Systematic process of evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in a particular activity Is the risk of introduction and spread of Hydrilla in the Lake Erie Watershed low, medium, or high risk?
RISK ASSESSMENT Step 1: Is this a new invasion? Yes: Go to Step 3 No: Go to Step 2 Step 2: If a population already exists, is it increasing? Yes: Go to Step 3 No: Low Risk Step 3: Is the species known to cause significant impacts? Yes/Unknown: HIGH RISK No: Low risk
ACTION 5: CONDUCT SITE SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT
INFORMATION GATHERING Extent and abundance of the invading species Origin of the species Evidence of reproduction Type of substrate present Ecosystem type Presence of other species Recreational/economic uses
SITE ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR HYDRILLA What portion of the water body could be colonized (water depth less than 30 feet)? What is the potential for dense bed formation (areas with stiff muck or sandy silt substrate)? What is the potential for rapid (less than 3 years) spread of Hydrilla at the site? What is the strength of vectors for internal or external Hydrilla spread (boat traffic, flow, currents, seasonally mobile bird populations)?
SITE ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR HYDRILLA What resources and uses are potentially threatened (water supply, swimming, boating, fishing, aesthetics, populations of sensitive or protected species)? What is the potential for eradication (based on extent and density of coverage, vectors of spread)? Is law enforcement action or if any additional form of investigation is needed?
ACTION 5 (CONTINUED): EVALUATE RESPONSE OPTIONS
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