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Science Takes On a Silent Invader By ROBERT H. BOYLE The New York Times Since they arrived in the Great Lakes in the 1980s, two species of mussels the size of pistachios have spread to hundreds of lakes and rivers in 34 states and have done vast economic and ecological damage. These silent invaders , the quagga and zebra mussels, have disrupted ecosystems by devouring phytoplankton , the foundation of the aquatic food web, and have clogged the water intakes and pipes of cities and towns, power plants, factories and even irrigated golf courses. Now the mussels may have met their match: Daniel P. Molloy, an emeritus biologist at the New York State Museum in Albany and a self-described “Bronx boy who became fascinated by things living in water.”... Leading a team at the museum’s Cambridge Field Research Laboratory in upstate New York, he discovered a bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CL145A , that kills the mussels but appears to have little or no effect on other organism...
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New York State DEC wants mute swans killed or captured by 2025  By Cyndi Murray Riverhead News Review Citing “aggressive behavior towards people” and “destruction of submerged aquatic vegetation,” the state Department of Environment Conservation has released a new plan to kill or capture all wild mute swans by 2025. The DEC’s Management Plan for Mute Swans in New York State aims to reduce the population of mute swans, which has grown considerably in recent years on Long Island. ... The DEC is accepting comments on the mute swan plan through Feb. 21. Mail your thoughts to NYSDEC Bureau of Wildlife, Swan Management Plan, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754 Read the full story at link .
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The environmental, and economic, costs of invasive species Ignoring the impacts of ecosystem changes comes with a price tag  By Alexandra Pecci The New Hampshire Business Review T he tunicate is a spineless marine animal that’s better known by another name -- sea squirt, which sounds like a cute little creature that might be the best friend of a cartoon mermaid. But Larry Harris has a nickname for didemnum, one particular kind of sea squirt that is anything but cute.   "My term for it is the tunicate from hell,” says Harris, professor and chair of the department of biological sciences at the University of New Hampshire. That’s because didemnum grow in thick, sheet-like colonies that cover moorings, pilings, float bottoms and anything else they can get a hold of. In New Hampshire, it’s a serious marine pest. Didemnum is one of many non-native, invasive species that dominate the coastal waters of New Hampshire and New England. Invasive marine species like didemnum do m...
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Extreme cold may wipe out high percentage emerald ash borer larvae By Paul Huttner Minnesota Public Radio Here’s one resident who may welcome the extreme cold wave headed for Minnesota. Your local ash tree. The extreme temperatures moving in with Sunday’s arctic blast may kill off a significant percentage of emerald ash borer larvae, according to one of the premier forestry experts in Minnesota. Read the full story at link .
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State cracks down on harmful invasive species  November 3, 2013 By JOAN GRALLA at Newsday New York State is cracking down on harmful invasive species after years of delays, adding scores to its list of banned plants, insects and animals. Under the state plan, 115 species would be outlawed -- about 10 times the current number. Another 29 would be subject to restrictions. The Department of Environmental Conservation quietly posted the expanded list on its website late last month, a move that was hailed as overdue by environmentalists and decried as an overreach by commercial nurseries, including some on Long Island. ... Under the state law, anyone who imports, ships, or introduces or sells banned invasives can be fined as much as $250. For repeated violations by professionals, the top fine is $2,000 -- and they could jeopardize their licenses or permits. ... A 60-day comment period ends Dec. 23. The rules take effect six months after they are finalized. Read the full story at: link ...
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Invasive Kudzu Bugs May Pose Greater Threat Than Previously Thought www.ScienceDaily.com April 15, 2013 The invasive kudzu bug has the potential to be a major agricultural pest, causing significant damage to economically important soybean crops. Conventional wisdom has held that the insect pests will be limited to areas in the southern United States, but new research from North Carolina State University shows that they may be able to expand into other parts of the country. Kudzu bugs ( Megacopta cribraria ) are native to Asia, and were first detected in the U.S. in Georgia in 2009. They have since expanded their territory as far north as Virginia. The bugs have an interesting life cycle, which has been thought to be a limiting factor on far they can spread. Eggs laid in the spring hatch into a first generation, which we'll call "Generation A." The immature bugs of Generation A normally feed on kudzu plants until they reach adulthood, when they have been known to move into...
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Invasive species may be key to understanding death of hundreds of loons by Dan Kraker , Minnesota Public Radio DULUTH, Minn. — Spring is in the air, with daylight savings taking effect on Sunday, and loons will begin their migration back to the north woods in less than a month.           Loons, of course, are a cultural and natural icon, not only in Minnesota but across the Great Lakes states. But last fall, nearly 900 loons died while migrating south across Lake Michigan, probably more. And it's likely at least some were from Minnesota.           Scientists are not sure what killed the loons, but they suspect that invasive species may be to blame. In October, Lynette Grimes was hiking toward Lake Michigan at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, outside Traverse City, Mich. The 52-year-old from the nearby town of Benzonia has walked the beaches there for y...
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