Big data from a popular app reveals that fishing creates superhighways for aquatic invaders

Abstract

Human activities are the leading cause of biological invasions that cause ecologic and economic damage around the world. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are often spread by recreational anglers who visit two or more bodies of water within a short time frame. Movement data from anglers are, therefore, critical to predicting, preventing, and monitoring the spread of AIS. However, the lack of broad-scale movement data has restricted efforts to large and popular lakes or small geographic extents. Here, we show that recreational fishing apps are an abundant, convenient, and relatively comprehensive source of “big” movement data across the contiguous United States. Our analyses revealed a dense network of angler movements that was dramatically more interconnected and extensive than the network that is formed naturally by rivers and streams. Short-distanced movements by anglers combined to form invasion superhighways that spanned the contiguous United States. We also identified possible invasion fronts and invaded hub lakes that may be superspreaders for two relatively common aquatic invaders. Our results provide unique insight into the national network through which AIS may be spread, increase opportunities for interjurisdictional coordination that is essential to addressing the problem of AIS, and highlight the important role that anglers can play in providing accurate data and preventing invasions. The advantages of mobile devices as both sources of data and a means of engaging the public in their shared responsibility to prevent invasions are probably general to all forms of tourism and recreation that contribute to the spread of invasive species.

High-resolution app data reveal sustained increases in recreational fishing effort in Europe during and after COVID-19 lockdowns

“…A positive association with population size might indicate that many anglers fish close to their homes and that fish populations in densely populated areas are likely to be under higher recreational fishing pressure compared to more remote locations. While this is expected in large countries like Canada and the USA (although see Weir et al (49) for evidence of high angler movement rates in USA), anglers in smaller countries may be more likely to travel large distances to visit the most popular fishing locations. The negative association between population size and angling effort in Germany was unexpected.…”

High-resolution app data reveal sustained increases in recreational fishing effort in Europe during and after COVID-19 lockdowns

“…A positive association with population size might indicate that many anglers fish close to their homes and that fish populations in densely populated areas are likely to be under higher recreational fishing pressure compared with more remote locations. While this is expected in large countries like Canada and the USA (although see Weir et al [75] for evidence of high angler movement rates in the USA), anglers in smaller countries, like Lithuania or Czech Republic, could in theory travel large distances to visit the most popular fishing locations. Yet, our data indicates that even in these countries more anglers (including avid anglers who have the sonar device) fish closer to their homes.…”

“…While this is expected in large countries like Canada and the USA (although see Weir et al . [ 75 ] for evidence of high angler movement rates in the USA), anglers in smaller countries, like Lithuania or Czech Republic, could in theory travel large distances to visit the most popular fishing locations. Yet, our data indicates that even in these countries more anglers (including avid anglers who have the sonar device) fish closer to their homes.…”

Effects of Artificial Zebra Mussel Druses on Macroinvertebrate Communities and Benthic Carbon Accumulation

“…Since first discovered in the late 1980s (Hebert et al 1989), Zebra Mussels have expanded their range outward from the Laurentian Great Lakes and are now found throughout much of eastern North America (Benson et al 2022). Rapid dispersal of the species is facilitated by free-floating larval veligers able to survive for multiple days in small amounts of water (Griffiths et al 1991, Ricciardi et al 1995) and adult forms capable of attaching to solid surfaces (e.g., boats, barges) via byssal threads (Griffiths 1993, Ricciardi et al 1997, Stewart and Haynes 1994), allowing commercial and recreational aquatic gear to serve as vectors for new introductions (Johnson et al 2001, Weir et al 2022).…”