The Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Silver Carp H. molitrix are nonnative species that pose a threat to Great Lakes ecosystems should they advance into those areas. Thus, technologies to impede Asian carp movement into the Great Lakes are needed; one potential technology is the seismic water gun. We evaluated the efficacy of a water gun array as a behavioral deterrent to the movement of acoustic-tagged Bighead Carp and Silver Carp in an experimental pond. Behavioral responses were evaluated by using four metrics: (1) fish distance from the water guns (D); (2) spatial area of the fish's utilization distribution (UD); (3) persistence velocity (V p ); and (4) number of times a fish transited the water gun array. For both species, average D increased by 10 m during the firing period relative to the pre-firing period. During the firing period, the spatial area of use within the pond decreased. Carp were located throughout the pond during the pre-firing period but were concentrated

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For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment-visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747) For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.Suggested citation: Luoma, J.A., Severson, T.J., Weber, K.L., and Mayer, D.A., 2015, Efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf-CL145A) spray dried powder for controlling zebra mussels adhering to test substrates: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1050, 519 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151050. ISSN 2331ISSN -1258 AcknowledgmentsThis study was funded through a combination of a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant and U.S. Geological Survey appropriated funds. AbstractA mobile bioassay trailer was used to assess the efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf-CL145A) spray dried powder (SDP) formulation for controlling zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) from two midwestern lakes: Lake Carlos (Alexandria, Minnesota) and Shawano Lake (Shawano, Wisconsin). The effects of SDP exposure concentration and exposure duration on zebra mussel survival were evaluated along with the evaluation of a benthic injection application technique to reduce the amount of SDP required to induce zebra mortality.Groups of zebra mussels were collected from each lake and allowed to adhere to test substrates for at least 15 days before exposure to SDP. Two independent trials were completed at each lake: (1) a whole water column (WWC) application trial was used to evaluate the effects of SDP exposure concentration and exposure duration on zebra mussel survival; and (2) a benthic injection (BI) application trial in which the SDP was injected into the test tanks to determine the efficacy of a benthic injection application technique to reduce the amount of SDP required to induced zebra mussel mortality. Three exposure durations (6, 9, and 12 hours) were evaluated in the WWC trials and a 12-hour exposure duration was evaluated in the BI trials. All trials contained zebra mussels which were removed at the completion of each exposure duration, consolidated into wire mesh cages, and held in the lake for approximately 30 days before being assessed for survival.For all trials, treatment was assigned to each test tank according to a randomized block design (n = 3 test tanks per treatment). The treatment groups included (1) an untreated control group, (2) a group that received an application of 50 milligrams of SDP per liter (mg SDP/L), and (3) a group that received an...

The live marine baitworm trade harvests, packages, and ships polychaete worms and packing algae (wormweed) from Maine, USA to consumers globally, inadvertently transferring numerous invertebrates that naturally occur in the algal habitat. Here, we use a focal taxa, the globally invasive European green crab Carcinus maenas, to examine costs associated with the successful introductions via this vector and suggest an alternative packaging, already in use in Europe. We show that restricting the use of wormweed at the source could solve the problem of transferring hitchhikers without a change in product cost. However, to the extent that baitworms in wormweed are what US consumers are accustomed to receiving, alternative packing might restrict demand for baitworms, lower producer prices, and reduce quantities traded. Avoiding such economic costs and receiving the benefits of reduced likelihood of unwanted invasion at low or no cost to producers should be of interest to policymakers and practitioners tasked with protecting ecosystems.

For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment-visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747) For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.Suggested citation: Luoma, J.A., Weber, K.L., Severson, T.J., and Mayer, D.A., 2015, Efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CL145A spray dried powder for controlling zebra mussels adhering to native unionid mussels within field enclosures: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1051, 301 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151051. ISSN 2331ISSN -1258 iii AcknowledgmentsThis study was funded through a combination of a U. Table 2. Mean (standard deviation) number of adhering zebra mussels per unionid mussel before and after exposure, percent change of zebra mussel reduction, zebra mussel burden (as percent unionid body weight), and spray dried powder (SDP) reduction coefficient for number of adhering zebra mussels for each treatment group. . AbstractThe efficacy of a commercially prepared spray dried powder (SDP) formulation of Pseudomonas fluorescens (strain CL145A) was evaluated for removing zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) adhering to a population of unionid mussels in Lake Darling (Alexandria, Minnesota). Two groups of unionid mussels were used in the study. Unionid mussels were collected near the test area, weighed, photographed, individually tagged, and randomly allocated to one of nine test enclosures in equal proportions and then divided into two groups. The first group of unionid mussels (Group 1, n = 5 per test enclosure) were indiscriminately selected from each test enclosure and used to estimate the number of zebra mussels adhering to unionid mussels prior to exposure. The second group of unionid mussels (Group 2, n = 22 per test enclosure) were used to evaluate the efficacy of SDP for removal of adhering zebra mussels. Both Group 1 and Group 2 mussels were used to evaluate the effects of SDP exposure on unionid mussel survival.Treatment was assigned to each test enclosure by using a randomized block design. The three treatment groups were tested in triplicate and included an untreated control group and groups that received a single application of 50 or 100 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of SDP based on active ingredient. All treatment concentrations are reported as active ingredient of SDP. Test enclosures were removed at the 8-hour exposure termination. Both Group 1 and Group 2 mussels remained in their assigned exposure loc...