AIS (Page 2)

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/scott-mccomb-ready-to-take-on-aquatic-invasive-species-role-in-southeast-wisconsin/

Research reveals a more accurate picture of the occurrence of VHSV in Wisconsin waters

On: April 7, 2021

In: AIS, David Giehtbrock, Lake Winnebago, pathogens, Tony Goldberg, VHS, VHSV, viral hemorrhagic septicemia, Whitney Thiel

Wisconsin Sea Grant-funded research is revealing a more detailed picture of the range of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) in Wisconsin waters. This invasive pathogen can cause affected fish to die. Since the early 2000’s, it has caused deaths in more than 30 fish species in the Great Lakes region.

The researchers’ findings have been published in the Journal of Aquatic Animal Health, a publication of the American Fisheries Society. The findings show that VHSV in Wisconsin can be found further inland and in more bodies of water than previously known.

Authors of the research paper (“Widespread Seropositivity to Viral Hemmorhagic Septicemia Virus in Four Species of Inland Sport Fishes in Wisconsin“) are Whitney A. Thiel, Kathy L. Toohey-Kurth, David Giehtbrock, Bridget B. Baker, Megan Finley and Tony L. Goldberg.

They key to discovering this new information was testing fish for the presence of antibodies to VHSV through a process known as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). While the general method of ELISA is not new, the particular ELISA for VHSV is, and it was developed with Sea Grant support. “It’s a valuable tool in fish health testing,” said Goldberg, an epidemiology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.

In this July 2016 photo taken near Wauzeka, Wis., Whitney Thiel draws blood from a brown trout while Tony Goldberg observes. (Photo: Bryce Richter, UW-Madison)

While other, more common testing methods look for presence of the live virus, the new method detects past exposure to VHSV, which, said Goldberg, is “really useful for screening populations and looking back in time.” Blood samples are collected from fish in a non-lethal way.

The research team focused on four sport fish that are economically important in Wisconsin: bluegill, brown trout, northern pike and walleye. Fish with VHSV antibodies were found in 37 of 46 inland water bodies tested, including water bodies far from known outbreak events. Sampling occurred in 2016 and 2017.

Researchers found the results surprising. Said Thiel, first author of the journal article, “I suspected we’d see it spread out in some of the inland water bodies connected to the Winnebago watershed or the Green Bay area—where we already knew VHS was—but I didn’t expect we would see it so far inland.” Thiel completed a master’s degree in freshwater and marine sciences at UW-Madison in 2019 and is now a research scientist at the University of Idaho.

Another intriguing finding was what members of the team characterized as “hot spots” and “not spots,” which were often close together. Prior to the research, they expected that any additional instances of VHSV detected would be near bodies of water known to have problems. However, in a number of cases, a body of water with no evidence of VHSV could be found neighboring one with evidence of the virus.

Giehtbrock, fish culture section chief at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said that this new information was all the more reason for those using Wisconsin’s waters—like recreational boaters and anglers—to keep taking preventative steps against the spread of aquatic invasive species in general.

“We need to continue all those practices that have been in place for a long time, to mitigate any transfer of VHSV between bodies of water, which is what we were already asking people to do everywhere. From invasives like Eurasian watermilfoil to carp to VHSV, we’re already asking people to clean their boats, drain their live wells and not transfer water between bodies of water,” said Giehtbrock.

“What people should take away from this is, we want to keep it out of where it’s not,” echoed Goldberg.

Giehtbrock, who supervises DNR fish hatcheries around the state, does not foresee a change in fish stocking practices at this point. Citing both Department of Agriculture regulations and the DNR’s own policies, he said that managing the health of fish for stocking is already strictly controlled.

Blood samples were drawn from fish in a non-lethal way. In this 2016 photo, a sample is taken from a brown trout. (Photo: Bryce Richter, UW-Madison)

“VHSV is one big component of that,” explained Giehtbrock. “We do virus testing on all of the stocks prior to their departure from the hatchery for stocking. So in terms of actual stocking practice, I don’t see a change because we’re already doing all the testing and monitoring that is feasible to make sure that everything we put out there is healthy and not spreading disease.”

Where Giehtbrock does see a possible change, however, is on the demand side, if more fish are needed to maintain or supplement fisheries being affected by VHSV fish kills. However, such a situation has not occurred yet.

This new information paints a more accurate and complex picture of VHSV in Wisconsin than previously understood. The research team recommended vigilance against potentially spreading the virus or other invasives. The best offense is a good defense, such as adhering to current advice promoted by the “Clean Boats, Clean Waters” campaign and similar initiatives.

The post Research reveals a more accurate picture of the occurrence of VHSV in Wisconsin waters first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/research-reveals-a-more-accurate-picture-of-the-occurrence-of-vhsv-in-wisconsin-waters/

“Lake Talks” series returns for spring 2021 with presentation on invasive species communication

On: March 9, 2021

In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, Lake Talks, science communication, Tim Campbell, zebra mussels

A series of informal, interactive science presentations on Great Lakes issues will return in spring 2021 with new topics and speakers.

Wisconsin Sea Grant’s “Lake Talks” series highlights topics related to Lake Michigan or, more widely, the Great Lakes basin. Spring talks will be offered through Zoom in light of the ongoing pandemic.

The spring series kicks off on Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m. with “What cartoon zebra mussels taught me about invasive species communication.” (Register now for this Zoom webinar.)

Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Tim Campbell. (Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant)

The speaker is Tim Campbell, Wisconsin Sea Grant aquatic invasive species outreach specialist. Campbell will discuss how metaphors—such as aquatic invasive species as “hitchhikers” or “invaders”—affect how people perceive the issues, and how certain metaphors pose ethical issues or may not lead to productive engagement.

As Campbell explained, “People use many different message frames and metaphors when talking about invasive species, and we know that metaphor use can affect how people understand complex issues. We wanted to better understand how these communication strategies impact actions people might take in regards to invasive species.”

Because preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) depends significantly on public cooperation, communicating with the public in an effective way is highly important. Learn what Campbell and his fellow researchers discovered through work that was funded by Wisconsin Sea Grant. The research focused on communication about zebra mussels.

The Lake Talks series will continue with talks in April, May and June. Those future talks will address PFAS (contaminants in our waters often referred to as “forever chemicals”), tourism in the Great Lakes and rip current safety.

The image and tagline here are an example of “militaristic” message framing about invasive species. (Artwork: Brooke Alexander)

All sessions will last one hour on Zoom and include time for audience Q&A. For connection information for future talks, visit the Lake Talks page of the Wisconsin Sea Grant website, or follow Wisconsin Sea Grant on Facebook or Twitter as event dates draw closer. You can register for Tim Campbell’s talk now.

For questions about this series, contact Wisconsin Sea Grant science communicator Jennifer Smith.

The post “Lake Talks” series returns for spring 2021 with presentation on invasive species communication first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/lake-talks-series-returns-for-spring-2021-with-presentation-on-invasive-species-communication/

Wisconsin Sea Grant to host virtual “Lake Talks” this fall

On: August 31, 2020

In: AIS, Brandon Falish, Cadie Olson, Chris Litzau, Eat Wisconsin Fish, Green Bay, Lake Talks, Molly Bodde, public events, Titus Seilhimer

Topics include aquatic invasive species, eating local fish and Green Bay’s ecosystem

Wisconsin Sea Grant’s “Lake Talks” series of free, public events will return this fall—in cyberspace. Four virtual events in the series will take place on Thursdays at 7 p.m. between Sept. 10 and Nov. 12.

The series was launched earlier in 2020 with an in-person event in Green Bay in early March. However, remaining spring events were canceled due to public health concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Now, because of ongoing health concerns and university policy, the series will move to a virtual format this fall. Wisconsin Sea Grant is headquartered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Lake Talks cover topics of special interest to residents in communities along or near the Lake Michigan shoreline—though anyone is welcome to attend.

Fall speakers and topics are:

Sept. 10: Molly Bodde of Kenosha, Wisconsin Sea Grant aquatic invasive species outreach specialist for southeast Wisconsin, will present “But It’s So Pretty: Combating Purple Loosestrife with Look-a-likes.”

Sept. 24: Chris Litzau of Racine, Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps director.

Oct. 22: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay graduate students Cadie Olson and Brandon Falish will speak about “Green Bay: A Saga of Life, Destruction and Restoration.”

Nov. 12: Titus Seilheimer of Manitowoc, Wisconsin Sea Grant fisheries specialist, will offer “How to Eat Wisconsin Fish.” Seilheimer will talk about his favorite fish, the benefits of eating Wisconsin fish—both wild-caught and farmed—and how you can incorporate local fish into upcoming holiday celebrations.

Zoom will be used as the online event platform. Each event will last one hour and include time for Q&A after the presentation.

While web links and other technical details for the sessions are still being finalized, those interested can get more information when it is announced by following Wisconsin Sea Grant on social media (at the handle @UWiscSeaGrant on both Facebook and Twitter), or by going to the Wisconsin Sea Grant website at seagrant.wisc.edu (search for “Lake Talks”).

Questions about the series may be directed to Wisconsin Sea Grant science communicator Jennifer Smith at smith@aqua.wisc.edu.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/wisconsin-sea-grant-to-host-virtual-lake-talks-this-fall/

Training videos for fisheries managers cover techniques for sampling invasive carp species

On: August 18, 2020

In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, Asian carp, bighead carp, carp, silver carp, Tim Campbell

A series of online videos for fisheries managers who need to sample for invasive carp species like bighead and silver carp is now available. This unique resource—a collection of 17 videos that can be watched on YouTube—grew out of a workshop that took place in spring 2019 at Lake Barkley State Resort Park in Kentucky.

The partners behind the workshop and the resulting video series are the Mississippi River Basin Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species (MRBP), Wisconsin Sea Grant, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The videos can be found on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s YouTube channel.

Duane Chapman of the U.S. Geological Survey discusses an ichthyoplankton net and its use for silver, bighead, grass and black carp sampling. (Photo: Bonnie Willison)

The April 17-18, 2019 workshop on invasive carp species featured experts from around the country, who presented to about 65 attendees.

The MRBP funded the event, and Wisconsin Sea Grant Video Producer Bonnie Willison filmed on location in Kentucky to create the training videos, working in cooperation with Sea Grant Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Tim Campbell. Campbell also serves as the Wisconsin representative on the MRBP.

Said Campbell, “This workshop was a one-of-a-kind interagency effort to train people in the methods needed to sample for bighead and silver carp.” Those methods can be different from standard ones familiar to most U.S. fisheries professionals. For example, different gear may be needed, and the video series covers different types of gear and how to use it, among other topics.

“I’m so glad that workshop organizers had the forethought to capture this event so this knowledge could be preserved and shared with more people,” added Campbell.

The effort as a whole is aimed at more effective management of these invasive species in the waters of the Mississippi River basin, a vast watershed covering about 40% of the continental U.S. The methods demonstrated at the workshop can be used for a combination of monitoring (to know where the fish are) and control (to remove the unwanted species).

Emily Pherigo of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discusses the paupier boat and gives an overview of the equipment. (Photo: Bonnie Willison)

Bighead and silver carp are problematic because they eat a lot, grow rapidly and become quite large, with silver carp exceeding 60 lbs. and bighead carp exceeding 100 lbs. If left unchecked, they become abundant and make recreational uses of lakes and rivers difficult due to their sheer numbers. They also pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes, where they are not yet established.

The training videos may be viewed on YouTube.

Questions may be directed to Campbell at 608-263-3259 or tim.campbell@wisc.edu.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/training-videos-for-fisheries-managers-cover-techniques-for-sampling-invasive-carp-species/

UW-Milwaukee researchers enlist antibodies to understand spiny waterflea diet

On: July 29, 2020

In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, invasive species, John Berges, Spiny Waterflea

While New Zealand white rabbits do not normally spring to mind when you mention the fauna of Lake Michigan, a recently published paper in Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, a journal of the Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography, shows how this cotton-tailed creature plays a role in a newly validated method for assessing the lake’s food web, along with yielding surprising finds about the feeding habits of invasive spiny waterfleas.

Sea Grant-funded scientist John Berges, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor of biological sciences, and UW-M biology colleague Craig Sandren (now deceased), set about investigating the impact of invasive zooplankton on the big lake’s system. As they weighed and rejected three different research tools, Berges suggested an approach that he termed, “almost naively simple.”

Sea Grant-funded researcher John Berges on Lake Michigan for a study of the effects of invasive zooplankton on the food web. (contributed photo)

He harkened back to the 1970s for a process first used terrestrially to calculate what’s eating insects and what kind of insects are being eaten. Berges said the technique had seen limited use in the marine environment but that “this is really the first time it’s been used systematically in fresh waters.”

Berges noted, “What we like about it as opposed to some of the DNA techniques is that it’s pretty quick. It’s cheap. You don’t need big deep DNA sequencing. Most labs will be able to use this.” Additionally, he said, scientists—such as the University of Windsor’s Aaron Fisk—who are using stable isotopes to map food webs can use this process to corroborate findings.

So far, there’s been references to fish and bugs. Just where do the rabbits come into the picture? Berges provided a detailed rundown of this “simple” process: “You take the likely prey (of a spiny waterflea) and…you grind it up. You basically homogenize it, make a soup of it. You take that soup and you inject it into an animal. We’re going to use a bunny rabbit here. That bunny rabbit’s immune system goes nuts, making a whole bunch of antibodies against the proteins that are in the putative prey organism. You have a huge array, a suite, of antibodies which now recognize the proteins that are in that item that potential prey item, that you injected into it.”

There is then a rabbit blood draw—after six to 12 weeks, during which time the immune response has built up. In the lab, Berges’ team then took the antibody (also known as immunoglobulin IgG) fraction of the blood, “which is real easy to do, and you have basically stuff, the immunoglobulins, which are going to stick very, very precisely to the proteins that were in that particular (prey) organism. So, you have a nice little marker.”

The next step, he said, is to determine if any of the markers from the rabbit blood overlap with the predator, which is the spiny waterflea. “You grind up the predator (the spiny waterflea) and you let the immunoglobulin bind to all the predator’s proteins. You remove them (the predator’s antibody) …What we’ve got left over now is things that are going to react only to the prey and not to the predator.”

Berges continued, “We found a whole bunch of the predators and checked them out for 12 different prey and some of them we didn’t find. None of the predators had them and we can be pretty clear that the predators aren’t eating them. And other prey, almost everybody had some of the prey in them. Now, we have a fairly clear picture of what the spiny waterflea is eating and a couple surprises came out.”

A University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee research team collects samples that will later be used as part of a “almost naively simple” method to assess an ecosystem’s populations. The represents the first time the antibody-based method has been used systematically in fresh waters. (contributed photo)

There were two surprises. First was evidence that the spiny waterflea was consuming the larvae of invasive Dreissenid mussels, commonly known as zebra mussels or quagga mussels. “That’s a neat story. We have one invasive species eating another invasive species. Well, that’s kinda cool. But we think about it a little more and it doesn’t make an awful lot of sense because we have this great big predator why is it grazing on these tiny little larvae,” Berges said.

The researchers continued with their reasoning and are now confident that it’s a case of what is known as hyperpredation—the spiny water flea ate something that itself first ate the larval Dressenid mussel.

The second surprise was a 180-degree turn in the category of size—not a tiny food source like the Dreissenid mussel larvae, but a large organism. Evidence of a type of zooplankton called Limnocalanus macrurus, or one of the “big dogs in the lake” as Berges put it, was found to have been consumed by the spiny waterflea. In this instance, Berges said they reasoned the spiny waterflea was eating the juvenile and larval forms of the large copepod.

In the end and with the help of a few New Zealand white rabbits as interim hosts for ground-up zooplankton prey, Berges said, “We have reasonable explanations for those two strange things that we found, and a technique that now we’ve proven out.”

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/uw-milwaukee-researchers-enlist-antibodies-to-understand-spiny-waterflea-diet/

Moira Harrington

Report evaluates effectiveness of watercraft inspectors’ AIS prevention actions

On: July 22, 2020

In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, CD3, Molly Bodde, Tim Campbell

A research project recently completed by Wisconsin Sea Grant found that there was no statistical difference between an experienced watercraft inspector removing aquatic plants and small-bodied invertebrates from a watercraft using hand removal or using a CD3 waterless watercraft cleaning system. There was also no difference related to cleaning treatment duration. Study results are available in a recently finalized Wisconsin Sea Grant report authored by Tim Campbell, Molly Bodde and Titus Seilheimer.

A CD3 waterless watercraft cleaning system is used to clean a small boat during an experimental trial. (Photo: Molly Bodde)

Experimental trials consisted of a researcher placing a known amount of Eurasian watermilfoil or a mixture of spiny water fleas and wetland plant seeds on a watercraft. Then the inspector used each cleaning treatment for 90 or 180 seconds. The researcher then collected the removed specimens and recovered the remaining specimens to determine the percentage of specimens removed for each trial.

The same inspector completed every trial—a trained Wisconsin Clean Boats, Clean Waters inspector with two summers of inspection experience. The inspector did not have any previous experience with the CD3 cleaning system.

A key finding from the study was that a trained, experienced inspector can be very effective removing plants and small-bodied organisms from watercraft, with the inspector removing between 93 to 99 percent of aquatic plants and 80 to 92 percent of small-bodied invertebrates with the treatments, with no statistical difference between the methods.

Compared to a previous, similar study that also used a trained inspector (but not a CD3 system for comparison), these new results show a slightly higher removal effectiveness. Future research should investigate the roles that training and experience have in the ability of inspectors and boaters to remove aquatic plants and small-bodied invertebrates from watercraft.

For more information, contact Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Tim Campbell or Southeast Wisconsin Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Molly Bodde.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/report-compares-ais-prevention-actions/

Report evaluates effectiveness of watercraft inspectors’ AIS prevention actions

On: July 22, 2020

In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, CD3, Molly Bodde, Tim Campbell

A CD3 waterless watercraft cleaning system is used to clean a small boat during an experimental trial. (Photo: Molly Bodde)

For more information, contact Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Tim Campbell or Southeast Wisconsin Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Molly Bodde.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/report-compares-ais-prevention-actions/

Introducing “Introduced,” Sea Grant’s newest podcast

On: May 20, 2020

In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, Bonnie Willison, podcasts, Sydney Widell

Once niche, podcasts have gone mainstream. According to figures cited in Forbes, 62 million Americans now listen to podcasts each week.

Sea Grant’s Yael Gen designed the cover art for the new podcast.

While Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute have been involved in podcasting for years—from the current series Wisconsin Water News to older programs like Earthwatch Radio—there’s a new kid on the block: a podcast called “Introduced” that will be devoted to aquatic invasive species (AIS). Its tagline is “aquatic invaders and stories from our changing waters.”

“Introduced” is the brainchild of Sea Grant Video Producer Bonnie Willison and student employee Sydney Widell, a UW-Madison geography and geosciences major from Shorewood, Wis.

The series will span seven episodes, with one per week released beginning May 27. Listeners can find it on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and on Sea Grant’s website.

While the simple name for the series conveys a bit of mystery, it also makes perfect sense. Said Willison, “As Sydney and I started learning more about invasive species, we noticed that there is a tendency for people to villainize these species. But we also noticed that humans are the ones introducing all these species to new environments. The title for our series puts the agency on people, which is something that we focus on in the podcast.”

Sydney Widell, one of the creators of the new podcast, on a visit to an electric fish barrier in Illinois in February. The barrier helps keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. (Photo: Bonnie Willison)

Guests interviewed in the series include representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Geological Survey, UW-Madison, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and a rescue organization focusing on exotic animals. Several Sea Grant staff also make appearances.

Topics are wide-ranging, from Asian carp to the trade in invasive species on the Internet. Because the AIS field is so rich, Willison anticipates doing a second season of the “Introduced” podcast. Stay tuned!

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/introducing-introduced-sea-grants-newest-podcast/