ResearchTopic: Invasive Species

Japanese Knotweed Fact Sheet

Species Description Japanese Knotweed is an upright, shrub-like perennial plant that can grow to heights of over 13 ft (4 m). The leaves are wide, with a heart-shaped base that narrows to a point at the tip. Stems are smooth and hollow, resembling Bamboo, especially in older plants. Flowers are small and arranged in white […]

PA Sea Grant Success Sheet (2023-2024)

For 27 years, Pennsylvania Sea Grant has led successful research, extension, education, and communications programs that support Pennsylvania’s aquatic ecosystems and communities. The program is funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Penn State University, and through federal, state, and local funding. This fact sheet offers some of our successes for 2023-2024.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl occurrence and concentrations in lentic invasive snakehead populations: identifying gene expression signatures of toxicity with implications for human consumption advisories

Abstract: Contaminants of emerging concern and aquatic invasive species are of global interest for the health of aquatic ecosystems and humans. In Pennsylvania, like other parts of the world, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have seen increased scrutiny over the last few years due to their potential adverse ecological and human health effects. At the […]

Understanding the Food Web Impacts of the Invasive Northern Snakehead on Pennsylvania’s Largest Tidal Freshwater Wetland

Abstract: Northern Snakehead (Channa argus; NSH) are voracious predators capable of disrupting ecosystems and threatening desirable species through direct predation and food web impacts. NSH were first introduced to Pennsylvania and the Delaware River watershed in 2004. They have rapidly expanded their range and now occur in all freshwater tidal portions of the Delaware River […]

Predicting the impacts and spread for an emerging invasion of non-native round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) in a stream biodiversity hotspot (French Creek, Pennsylvania)

Abstract Invasive round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) became established in a tributary to the upper Allegheny River drainage in 2014 (French Creek, Pennsylvania). French Creek has the highest biodiversity of native bottom-dwelling fishes (16 darter species) and native unionid mussels (27 species) in Pennsylvania, and prior research indicates that both are susceptible to the impacts of […]

Golden Alga AIS Fact Sheet

Golden Alga (Prymnesium parvum) Species at a Glance Golden Alga is a naturally occurring, single-celled, microscopic organism. It is fast-growing, resilient, and under certain conditions, Golden Alga populations can produce toxins that kill fish, clams, and other gill-breathing species, resulting in ecological and economic harm to affected water bodies. Species Description Golden Alga is a […]

Zebra & Quagga Mussels AIS Fact Sheet

Zebra and Quagga Mussels Dreissena polymorpha & Dreissena bugensis Zebra and Quagga Mussels are fingernail-sized freshwater mollusks that attach to objects and other organisms. These two species are cousins, originating from the Caspian Sea region of southeastern Europe. Since their discovery in the Great Lakes, they have quickly spread to become one of the most […]

Yellow-bellied Slider AIS Fact Sheet

Yellow-Bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) Species at a Glance The Yellow-bellied Slider is a large, semi-aquatic, basking turtle that can be found resting on logs, stumps, or rocks in sunny, mild weather. It can live for more than 25 years in the wild, and up to 40 years in captivity. This species can mate with the […]

Didymo AIS Fact Sheet

Didymo – Didymosphenia geminata Didymo commonly referred to as “rock snot”, is a species of freshwater diatom native to cool water regions of northern Europe and North America. Didymo can form large colonies, or “mats” that may negatively impact fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Species Description Didymo is a large diatom, which is a type of […]

Freshwater Tubenose Goby AIS Fact Sheet

Freshwater Tubenose Goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris) Species at a Glance The Freshwater Tubenose Goby is a small, bottom-dwelling fish that gets its name from its tubular-shaped nostrils. It feeds mainly on aquatic insects, and while it may have negative impacts similar to that of the Round Goby, its range expansion has been fairly limited in comparison. […]

ResearchTopic: Invasive Species

Join Our Newsletter