Principal Investigator: Sara Stalhman, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania Sea Grant
Years Funded: 2014-2015
Project Description:
Identifying new infestations before they have a chance to become established is critical to controlling and eradicating aquatic invasive species. The Pennsylvania Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) was developed with Mid-Atlantic Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species (MAPAIS) funding to help natural resource agency staff with AIS identification. Based on the success and popularity of this resource, this project proposed to expand the field guide with a regional Mid-Atlantic AIS focus. The guide will contain 100 AIS species in total, with 20-30 of those being new species of concern from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, as well as Pennsylvania.
The taxonomic breakdown of the guide included obligate plants, wetland/facultative plants, fish, algae, reptiles and amphibians, birds and mammals, invertebrates, and pathogens. In each species profile includes information on characteristics for identification, similar species, habitat, distribution (with maps), environmental impacts, and photos. A limited number of guides will be printed and distributed throughout natural resource agencies in the Mid-Atlantic, and electronic copies of the guide will be made available on the MAPAIS and Pennsylvania Sea Grant websites.
Publication:
The complete guide is free and available by request as an Adobe file (.pdf). To request a copy of the guide, please contact Sara Stahlman (sng121@psu.edu).
Photo: Pennsylvania Sea Grant Invasive Species Exhibit Credit: Sara Stalhman, Pennsylvania Sea Grant