The georgia department of natural resources gadnr is tasked with managing all wildlife in our state including both native and introduced species

To aid our management efforts for introduced aquatic species we developed the georgia aquatic nuisance species management plan ANS plan. The goal of the ANS plan is to prevent and control the introduction of ANS into georgia and minimize the future spread and impacts of existing ANS populations on native species environmental quality human health and the economy. Specifically within this plan objective 3.0 of the ANS plan identifies an action to prevent the establishment of ANS populations in georgia through early detection while objective 5.0 seeks to monitor the distribution and impacts of ANS in georgia. In this regard this project aims to expand our surveillance of georgias aquatic resources streams rivers and large small impoundments etc. In an effort to better increase our coverage area and detect new occurrences of ANS in georgia. While the gadnr has and continues to receive funds to survey and monitor ANS in our state those funds are limited and thus so too is our ability to survey as much area as we would like. The expansion of efforts beyond existing monitoring and surveillance activities via this grant will greatly aid in our ability to properly manage and respond to nonnative and invasive species in georgia. Through such efforts our predicted outcomes are that 1 expanded coverage will provide insight into potential nonnative species in waterbodies not currently being monitored and 2 development and implementation of appropriate management actions for new discoveries including targeted educational and outreach efforts to aid in addressing ANS and their impacts in georgia.