INTRODUCTION TO AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES

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INTRODUCTION TOAQUATIC NUISANCESPECIES

• Presented by First District Southern Region
• Prevention Department Marine Safety Division

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WHAT IS ANS

• ANS is the acronym for Aquatic Nuisance Species
• You may also hear the term
• AIS or Aquatic Invasive Species or MIS Marine
  Invasive Species
• No matter what they are called they are a very
  serious problem

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WHAT DEFINES AN ANS

• They are non-native or alien to our waterways
• Their introduction causes or is likely to cause
  harm to the environment, economy or health of
  humans.
• ANS can be plants, fish, mussels, crabs,
  micro-organisms or etc,
• THE LIST IS EXTENSIVE

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ENVIRONMENTAL

• Here the aquatic nuisance plant curly leaf has
  choked a waterway

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ECONOMIC

• Invasive mussels destroy a piling. Many projects
  need to build redundant systems to keep systems
  operating during repair
• OVER 10 BILLION DOLLARS WERE SPENT IN 2009

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HUMAN HEALTH

• The Mitten Crab carries lung fluke disease and
  when eaten can cause tuberculosis symptoms

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TYPES OF AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES

• There are many different types of Aquatic
  Nuisance Species.
• Fresh, Estuarine (brackish) and
• Salt Waters can be effected

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EXAMPLE OF A FRESH WATER ANS

• Big head carp which are a major threat to the
  Great Lakes and also a danger to boaters. Carp
  have no stomachs and almost consume their body
  weight daily!

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EXAMPLE OF ESTUARINE ANS

• The Chinese Mitten Crab will migrate from fresh
  to salt water to spawn damaging delicate
  estuaries along its path. It consumes just about
  everything in its path.

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EXAMPLE OF MARINE ANS

• Lion fish are becoming more prevalent in our
  local waters. Their spines contain toxins that
  can cause allergic reactions (possible death) .

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FOR THOSE OF YOU WANTING TO BE MARINE BIOLOGISTS

• Here are some more examples of ANS species
• Alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides)
  Brazilian Waterweed (Egeria densa)Caulerpa,
  Mediterranean Clone (Caulerpa taxifolia) Common
  Reed (Phragmites australis) Eurasian
  Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)Didymo
  (Didymosphenia geminata)Giant Reed (Arundo
  donax) Giant Salvinia (Salvinia
  molesta)Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)Melaleuc
  a (Melaleuca quinquenervia)Purple Loosestrife
  (Lythrum salicaria)Water Chestnut (Trapa
  natans)Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia
  crassipes)Water Lettuce (Pistia
  stratiotes)Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica)

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AND MORE

• Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)Asian Carps Asian
  Swamp Eel (Monopterus albus)Bullfrog (Rana
  catesbeiana)Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir
  sinensis) Clubbed Tunicate (Styela clava) (Jun
  16, 2009) Eurasian Ruffe (Gymnocephalus
  cernuus)European Green Crab (Carcinus
  maenas)Flathead Catfish (Pylodictus
  olivaris)Lionfish (Pterois volitans)Northern
  Snakehead (Channa argus)New Zealand Mud Snail
  (Potamopyrgus antipodarum)Quagga Mussel
  (Dreissena bugensis) Round Goby (Neogobius
  melanostomus)Rusty Crayfish (Orconectes
  rusticus) Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)Sea
  Squirt (Didemnum vexillum)Spiny Water Flea
  (Bythotrephes longimanus) Veined Rapa Whelk
  (Rapana venosa)Zebra Mussel

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WHAT IS THE TOTAL EFFECT

• IF WE DO THE MATH
• ANS
• Pollution
• Current demand of declining
• marine resources
• DISASTER

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ANS IS A GLOBAL PROBLEM

• The invasion of the Black Sea by a voracious comb
  jellyfish from North America is one of the
  best-documented examples of a marine alien
  invasive species introduced through ballast
  water. The comb jellyfish arrived on ships from
  the American Atlantic coast in 1982. It eats both
  zooplankton, the food of commercially important
  fish in the Black Sea, and the eggs and larvae of
  the same fish species. In many areas the anchovy
  population has been wiped out.

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HOW DO ANS ARRIVE ON OUR SHORES

• ANS are hitchhikers and arrive here in a number
  of ways called vectors

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BALLAST WATER

• Ballast water discharge is currently the largest
  single source of ANS introduction into our
  waterways.

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SHIP FOULING

• Ships hulls pick up and drop off ANS as they
  travel from port to port.

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BAIT AND PACKING MATERIAL

• The US imports bait from 44 different countries.
  Bait themselves can be an ANS or the packing
  material can contain ANS.

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AQUARIUM TRADE

• Many fish tanks contains plants like hydrilla
  that when released into the wild can choke off
  our fresh water lakes.

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PONDS AND WATER GARDEN TRADE

• Ornamental plants imported from other Countries
  may be or contain ANS.

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SEA FOOD TRADE

• ANS like the Chinese Mitten Crab may be
  considered a delicacy in their native Countries
  and puposely brought to this Country.

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WHAT IS BEING DONE

• Preventing ANS from reaching our shores is very
  difficult with all the open vectors available

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BALLAST WATER

• Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements
• The master, owner, operator, person in charge, or
  vessel agent of any vessel equipped with ballast
  water tanks that is bound for ports or places of
  the United States, must ensure complete and
  accurate Ballast Water Reporting Forms are
  submitted in accordance with 33 CFR 151.2041, and
  signed ballast water records the kept on board
  the vessel for a minimum of two years in
  accordance with 33 CFR 151.2045.
•  
• Penalties for Failure to Comply with Mandatory
  BWM Requirements
• Maximum fine of 27,500 per day
• Willful violations Class C Felony

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BUT

• Safety
• BWM practices shall not jeopardize the safety of
  a vessel, its crew, or its passengers. Therefore,
  the master of a vessel will not be prohibited
  from discharging unexchanged ballast, in areas
  other than the Great Lakes and the Hudson River,
  if the master decides the practices would be a
  threat to safety, stability, or security due to
  adverse weather, vessel design, equipment
  failure, or any other extraordinary condition.

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BALLAST WATER EXCHANGE

• Exchanging ballast water at sea can be very
  dangerous!

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BALLAST WATER TREATMENT

• Systems are being designed to treat ballast water
  and remove ANS. Regulation are currently under
  review which will hopefully be implemented in the
  near future,

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SHUTTING DOWN VECTORS

• It is currently almost impossible to shut down
  all the vectors available for ANS to enter our
  waters

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WHAT ARE THE LAWS

• NANPCA OF 1990
• NISA OF 1996

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NANPCA OF 1990

• NONINDIGENOUS AQUATIC NUISANCE PREVENTION AND
  CONTROL ACT
• FIRST FEDERAL LAW TO ADDRESS THE SPREAD OF ANS
  INTO THE GREAT LAKES.
• DESIGNED TO STOP ANS FROM ENTERING THE GREAT
  LAKES
• ENACTED THE NATIONAL AQUATIIC NUISANCE TASK FORCE

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NISA of 1996

• AMENDED NANPCA 1990
• EXTENDED REGULATIONS FOR A
• NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR PREVENTION OF THE SPREAD OF
  ANS NOT JUST THE GREAT LAKES

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KEY ORGANIZATIONS

• STATE SEA GRANT OFFICES
• STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICES
• ANS NATIONAL TASK FORCE
• SERC- SMITHSONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER
  (ANS DATABASE)

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SECONDARY VECTORS

• How are ANS spread once they arrive here.

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WHO SPREADS ANS

• Boating community
• Fishing community
• Bait dealers
• Other

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BOATING COMMUNITY

• Recreational boaters spread ANS from on e body of
  water to the next by not properly cleaning their
  boat.

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JETSKIS

• Can easily spread ANS from one body of water to
  another in a single day due to them being easily
  transported. Jetskis also run in shallow water
  containing plant life and smaller organisms.

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FISHING COMMUNITY

• Discarding unused bait and or its packing
  material introduces ANS into new bodies of water.

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BAIT DEALERS

• Bait dealers also sell bait to fisherman who
  travel to different bodies of water.

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Wading fisherman

• The soles of waders trap ANS which are then
  transferred to other sections or bodies of water

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CRABBERS
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SEAPLANES

• Seaplanes pick up weed on the floats and rudders
  depositing them in other bodies of water

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SCUBA DIVERS

• ANS attach to their diving equipment .

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OTHERS

• Yes even man best friend that have swam in one
  body of water and then are transported to another
  can spread ANS in their coats.

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USCG AUXILIARYAND EDUCATION

• USCG Auxiliary is the environmental education and
  outreach arm of the USCG.
• USCG Auxiliary has the greatest presence with the
  American public as it pertains to its waterways.

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USCG AUXILIARY PROGRAMS FOR INTEGRATION OF
ANSAWARENESS

• VE Vessel examinations
• PV Program Visitor
• PE Public Education
• CFVE Commercial Fishing exams
• Dock Walker Program
• Sea Partners

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VESSEL EXAMINATIONS

• While undergoing a vessel safety check is a good
  time to discuss how to best prevent the spread of
  ANS. Even a boater not needing or wanting a
  vessel safety check ANS should be discussed.

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PROGRAM VISITOR

• While visiting Marine dealers, bait /tackle
  shops and etc take time to discuss ways to stop
  the spread of ANS.

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PUBLIC EDUCATON

• Work ANS prevention into your boating safety
  classes

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COMMERCIAL FISHING AND UNINSPECTED VESSEL EXAMS

• These groups are especially prone to picking up
  ANS. They are also great resources for reporting
  information on ANS spread.

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SEA PARTNERS

• Environmental education and outreach is a perfect
  time to discuss the damage ANS can cause and how
  to stop the spread.

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ANS NEEDS INTEGRATION INTO EXISTING USCG
AUXILIARY PROGRAMS

• ANS can be a stand alone program but is most
  effective when presented as part of an overall
  program addressing responsibility on our
  waterways!

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WHAT IS THE MESSAGE

• WHAT ARE THE
• BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPS) WE WANT TO TEACH

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MESSAGE WE WANT TO SPREAD TO STOP THE SPREAD
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EMPTY ALL WATER FROM

• BILGES, BAIT WELLS, ANCHOR LOCKERS AND ANYWHERE
  STANDING WATER HAS ACCUMULATED. FLUSH ENGINES
  INCLUDING JET SKIS.

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REMOVE FROM THE HULL AND TRAILER

• All weeds, mud, organisms and etc placing them
  into a waste receptacle. Rinse with fresh water
  and allow boat to dry.

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DISPOSE OF ALL

• Bait and its packing material into a trash
  receptacle, never empty into the water.

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TOOLS TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE

• Many of the tools available to spread the ANS
  message are available from many different sources

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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TOOLS

• District ANS Traveling Trunk
• Stop the spread stickers

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WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL OF ALL IN HELPING
YOU ESTABLISH AN ANS PROGRAM
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YOUR DISTRICT MARINE SAFETY TEAM