Effective management of invasive carp populations in the missouri river basin requires 1) an understanding of human-mediated pathways for potential introduction, 2) knowledge of where, when, and how…

This federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Fish and Aquatic Conservation - Aquatic Invasive Species program (CFDA 15.608) provides $456,850 to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) Wildlife Division to assess pathways of human-mediated spread of invasive carp, determine movement behavior of invasive carp, establish baseline demographic information, and identify locations at risk of future invasion in the Missouri River Basin.

The key activities include: 1) Interviewing recreational anglers to identify critical differences in knowledge, information sources, messaging effectiveness, and likelihood of compliance across user groups to determine human-mediated pathways for invasive carp introduction; 2) Tagging invasive carp with acoustic transmitters and monitoring their movements throughout the Missouri, James, Big Sioux, and Vermillion Rivers using a network of telemetry receivers; 3) Analyzing otolith microchemistry to identify source locations of invasive carp reproduction and assess long-term movement patterns; and 4) Developing a sampling and monitoring program to quantify baseline relative abundances, size distributions, age, growth, and condition of invasive carp populations in select tributaries. The project will also use remote sensing data to map waterbodies connected to currently invaded areas that represent potential routes for future spread. This research will help state and federal agencies target management actions to control invasive carp populations and prevent their spread to new areas within the Missouri River Basin.

Effective management of invasive carp populations in the missouri river basin requires 1) an understanding of human-mediated pathways for potential introduction, 2) knowledge of where, when, and how individuals move into and within recently invaded areas, 3) an understanding of how populations respond to management actions, and 4) knowledge of which locations are most at-risk of becoming invaded in the future. This information helps determine where to focusmanagement actions and what types of actions to take (e.g., movement deterrents, surveillance monitoring). The purpose of this project is to assess pathways of human-mediated spread of invasive carp, determine movement behavior of invasive carp in the missouri river and its tributaries, understand baseline invasive carp population demographic information that can be used to quantify population response to management actions, and to identify locations throughout the missouri river basin that are most at-risk of becoming invaded in the future. This project will be a collaboration between south dakota game, fish and parks (sdgfp) and south dakota state university (sdsu). Human-mediated pathways for invasive carp introduction will be determined by interviewing recreational anglers throughout the missouri river basin to identify critical differences in knowledge, information sources, messaging effectiveness, and likelihood of compliance across a diversity of user groups. For identifying invasive carp movements, sdgfp and sdsu will tag carp with acoustic transmitters, with movements recorded on a network of telemetry receivers (maintained by sdgfp, USFWS) located throughout the missouri, james, big sioux, and vermillion rivers. Broad-scale movements throughout the missouri river basin will also be assessed by identifying natal origins of invasive carp in missouri river tributaries using otolith microchemistry to identify source locations of reproduction and examine movement at a longer timescale. Baseline invasive carp population demographic information will be quantified by developing a sampling and monitoring program for invasive carp in the james, big sioux, and vermillion rivers of south dakota to provide data on baseline relative abundances, size distributions, age and growth, and condition. Invasion risk throughout the missouri river basin will be assessed using remote sensing information to identify waterbodies that are connected to currently invaded areas during flooding. Outcomes of this work include: an understanding of tributary movement patterns, habitat use, and timing of movements at the edge of the invaded range in the missouri river basin identification of tributaries most contributing to the invasive carp population that could be targeted for management actions and maps depicting waterbodies sharing a physical connection with currently invaded habitats that represent potential routes for novel spread. This information will benefit a diversity of stakeholders, including state and federal natural resource management agencies so that management actions are informed by the best available data for controlling invasive carp populations and preventing spread to new areas in the missouri river basin.