Blue Catfish Invades Potomac

      In the 1970s, Blue catfish, who are a native species of the Mississippi River Valley, were introduced to the Rappahannock and James Rivers. Subsequently, the Blue catfish, along with the Flathead catfish which is another invasive species, have turned up in the Susquehanna, Northeast, and Nanticoke Rivers, Upper Chesapeake Bay and other waters.

      “Blue and Flathead catfish are invasive, non-native species that are long-lived, fast growing and opportunistic feeders. Consequently, State and Federal fisheries managers are concerned about their affect on the ecosystem, and are working together to develop strategies to mitigate their impact” (Davidsburg 1). 

                                                                     Blue Catfish
                                         
               
      These fish are top predators and are believed to be a serious threat to native species such as the white catfish, channel catfish, largemouth bass, and freshwater mussels. The native species provide great economic and ecological benefits to the region which can be negatively affected by Blue and Flathead catfish.

                                                                   Flathead Catfish　

　

      “The Chesapeake Bay Program’s Sustainable Fisheries Goal Team, which includes representatives from Virginia, Maryland, the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, District of Columbia, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service, and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, recently adopted a Chesapeake Bay blue and flathead catfish policy to reduce these catfish populations and to stem their spread” (Davidsburg 2). The aim is to prevent these fish from entering other tributaries. It is already illegal for anyone to introduce live Blue and Flathead catfish into waterways.

          The Blue catfish were brought here to stock lakes and rivers for sports fishing.  In the Rappahannock and James River they are tbeginning to take over.  Blue catfish can grow up to 80 pounds and have huge appetites.  They eat large sums of other fish, worms, and crabs.  Blue catfish crowd out native species such as the channel catfish and white catfish.  They have wrecked havoc on Virginia's program to restore the fish such as the menhaden, American shad, and the blue crab.  It may take many years to find out whether this invasive species is having a significantly adverse affect on the ecosystem, but it is obvious that the Blue catfish is presently having a negative affect on native species of fish in Virginia.

Works Cited

Davidsburg, Josh. Angler Catches State Record Blue Catfish in the Potomac River.

      Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 12 March 2012. Web. 26 September

      2012.

　

　

Snakeheads in the Potomac

     Snakeheads are native to Russia, China, and Korea. The northern snakeheads can grow to over 40 inches in length and nearly 20 pounds in weight. These fish are also known by the name of “Frankenfish” because of their voracious appetite and large teeth. They have the ability to live for short periods of time out of water which allow them to move to other waterways that may be nearby.

                                                                    
                                                                       Snakehead

“Fisherman have caught them in tributaries north and south of the Potomac. Snakeheads -named for the snakelike pattern on their skin - first showed up in a pond in Crofton, Md., in 2002. Two years later, in May 2004, one was caught by an angler in Little Hunting Creek in Fairfax County” (Gross 1).

　

 
                                                          Snakehead “aka” Frankenfish

      Snakeheads are believed to be freshwater fish, but they appear to be not be as susceptible to salinity issues as first thought. Researchers are now expecting them to eventually make it to the mouth of the Rappahannock River.

      These fish have grown in population north of the Potomac every year since 2004, except for a leveling off in 2011. This year, 2012, will show whether the static numbers in 2011 is a trend or an anomaly. Maryland has encouraged fishermen to assist in limiting the population by allowing fishermen to sell Snakeheads. These fish have been found in Maryland in the Patuxent River and south of Annapolis in the Rhode River. There is now a niche market for Snakehead which is a white, mild, flaky fish. There is also The Potomac Snakehead fishing tournament that yields over 1000 pounds of the fish.
      The Snakehead is an invasive species because they are not native to this country.  They are originally from Asia.  They came to the U.S. as a food source sold at fish markets and as pets kept in aquariums.  The Snakehead are voracious eaters and 90% of their diet consist of eating other fish.  They are predators and crowd out native species of fish.  Though the Snakehead has not yet had the devastating affect on the ecosystem of the Potomac River as first feared, there is still a lot that is unknown about them. In the Potomac River, the population of Snakehead has not been accurately recorded. Until the true effects of the Snakehead are known, ways to reduce the numbers of Snakeheads in rivers and tributaries must be explored.  

Works Cited

Gross, Edie. Snakehead Fish, at Home in the Potomac River, Could Swim South to

      Rappahannock Waters. The Free Lance Star, 16 June 2012. Web. 26 September

      2012.

　



　

Two Potential Sources

     The two sources I'm considering using at this time for my final analysis paper are the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.

     These sources appear to have ample sources and resources that I can use to blog on many different topics.  These sources are basic websites that encompasses blogs, articles, and links to other sites.  Some of the bloggers I've found on the subject of environmental issues and invasive species are Tom Pelton, Karl Blankenship, and Michael Hutchins.  These bloggers are a good source of information because they knowledgeable about eco-systems and have written numerous articles on environmental matters.

Invasive Parasite in Chesapeake Bay

     There are parasites in the Chesapeake Bay that affects male mud crabs by transforming them to look like female crabs. The parasite hijacks the male crabs' reproductive systems and makes them reproduce the parasites.

     “Scientists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center discovered that many mud crabs are infected with an invasive species of parasitic barnacle called Loxothylacus panopaei that are multiplying through this gender-twisting, reproductive system take-over, said Dr. Amy Fowler, a researcher at the Smithsonian“ (Pelton 1).

     The parasites are originally from the Gulf of Mexico and are believed to have made its way into the Chesapeake Bay in the 1960s through the oyster trade. The parasites were stirred up from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico while the oysters were being harvested.

     The female parasite can smell crabs while swimming through waters. They then attach themselves to crabs, male and female crabs alike, and make their way to the crabs reproductive system.

Works Cited

Pelton, Tom. Parasites Hijack Sexual Functions of Crabs. Chesapeake Bay Foundaton,

      29 August 2012. Web. 19 September 2012.

No Farming in U.S. Waters

     The tiger shrimp is probably more prevalent in U.S. waters than what it actually
appears to be. Its population could be in higher numbers in U.S. waters had the farming
of tiger shrimp in America not ended in 2004.
      The reason why tiger shrimp were farmed in the U.S. at all was the attempt by
fishermen in inter-coastal states to tap into the huge world wide market for these shrimp.
“Tiger shrimp is one of the most widely farmed species of shrimp in the world, according
to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Over 770,000 metric tons of
tiger shrimp was produced in 2009, the last year data is available for, with a total value of over
$3.5 billion“ (Khan 3).
      We have to be careful regarding any push to restart farming of tiger shrimp within
the U.S. There may be those who claim that there are new farming techniques and
safeguards that will prevent future escapes when we know there is no way to guarantee
such a thing.
                                                                Works Cited

Khan, Amir.  Cannibal Shrimp Invading U.S. Waters.  IB Times, 30 April 2012.  Web. 12 September

       2012.

 

Tasty, But at What Cost

     There has been some talk about what could be the benefits of having tiger shrimp in U.S. waters. The belief is that tiger shrimp is an invasive species that may be controlled by eating them. “The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries had advised fisherman that the prawns should not be thrown back into any waters other than a boiling pot” (Wall 2).
      The tiger shrimp commands a higher price due to its sheer size and weigh. Some
people see this as a means of vastly increasing the income of fisherman. “But Leslie
Hartman, of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, is skeptical the economic value will
outweigh the damage to the native shrimp population” (Wall 2).
      Until the tiger shrimp is further studied, it is prudent to be careful and concerned about
the effects they can have by invading U.S. waters.

                                                                Works Cited

Wall, Tim.  Invasive, Tasty Tiger Prawns Prowl Gulf Waters.  News Discovery, 29 December 2011.

       Web. 12 September 2012.

      





     

　

Invasion

     The Asian tiger shrimp has black and white stripes on its back and on its tail. They are larger, more aggressive, and eat more than the native shrimp population. The Asian tiger shrimp eats smaller shrimp and produces more eggs than Gulf shrimp. "Tiger shrimp can produce about 1.5 million eggs in a spawning season versus approximately 500,000 eggs that is typical of their Gulf cousins" (Stallings 1).
      The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is in the process of doing research to evaluate the biology of the tiger shrimp to determine the effects that the tiger shrimp has on the marine ecosystems. The concern is that non-native species have the possibility of spreading parasites and new diseases. Native shrimp population could be completely wiped out by viruses. Naturally, the native shrimp and the Asian tiger shrimp will compete for survival. The tiger shrimp has the upper hand under these circumstances because of its spawning rate and its ferocious appetite. Particularly, since the tiger shrimp also eats the native shrimp.
      “Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are working with state agencies from North Carolina to Texas to look into how this transplanted species from Indo-Pacific, Asian and Australian waters reached U.S. waters, and what the increase in sightings means for native species” (Werner 1).
      The Asian tiger shrimp has not been deemed in U.S. waters as an established species by scientists.  An established species is regarded as a natvie species.  The USGS and NOAA are collecting and examining these shrimp and are looking at the DNA of the various tiger shrimps that have been caught to determine their origins.
      “The USGS serves the nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth: minimize loss of life and properly from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life“ (Werner 2). The mission of the NOAA is to understand, examine, and predict changes in the Earth’s environment. The NOAA is important in protecting, managing, preserving, and restoring, if at all possible, marine and coastal resources.
      The Asian tiger shrimp is edible which gives hope to some fisherman that they can become a lucrative market because of their enormous size as compared to native shrimp. But other fisherman are concerned about the unknown consequences that the tiger shrimp could have on the ecosystem in ways such as the transmission of disease and the crowding out of the native shrimp. Though the tiger shrimp has yet to get a foothold in the Gulf, the time is now to do research on this species and its behaviors to be proactive rather than waiting until it is too late.

Work Cited

Stallings, Penny. Invasion of the Giant Cannibal Shrimp. Ecology Global Network, 14

      Jun. 2012. Web. 5 September 2012.

Werner, Ryan. Rise in Asian Tiger Shrimp sightings prompts scientific look at invasion

      concerns. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 26 Apr. 2012. Web.

      September 2012.

History

     The Asian tiger shrimp were once farmed in the United States. It was reported that hundreds of
them were caught in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina when in 1988a storm hit a farm in South
Carolina. None were reportedly seen since then until 2006. The last tiger shrimp farm, which was
located in Florida, closed in 2004. In 2006,six were reportedly found and that number increased to
331 in 2011. There are probably many times the number found in 2011 since many fisherman do
not make reports concerning the tiger shrimp they catch.
     The main concern about the Asian tiger shrimp is that they may eventually decimate the native shrimp population through disease and the fact that they eat small shrimp. The tiger shrimp can get
 as large as 13 inches long a weigh 1/4 of a pound. 
     There have been claims by some fisherman that they have caught tiger shrimp that are close to
1 pound in weight. It is unknown where these tiger shrimp are originating from. Asian tiger shrimp are farmed in Africa and the Caribbean and one plausible explanation is that the tiger shrimp are being swept to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast from the Caribbean due to storms. Scientists are presently studying the DNA of the tiger shrimp to try and find out where they are coming from and their effects on native shrimp.
          
                                                              Work Cited

McConnaughey, Janet. Asian Tiger Shrimp Found on U.S. Coast and Gulf of Mexico, Worries

      Scientist. Huffington Post, 27 Apr. 2012. Web. 29 August 2012.

Introduction

     I chose this topic because I’m concerned the invasion of the Asian Tiger Shrimp on the native
shrimp population in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic Coast. Originally, I’m from New
Orleans, Louisiana and an avid seafood lover, especially shrimp. This topic is important because
the Asian tiger shrimp can have unknown and devastating consequences to the native shrimp
population.  My concern is that the tiger shrimp may have a devastating effect on the eco-system
and substantially reduce the native shrimp population in years to come.