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 and in many non-tidal portions. The impacts of NSH in this region are unknown and we know too little about this population for effective management or mitigation.
To determine the impacts of this population and inform management by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PAFBC) and other agencies, we will determine the impacts of NSH on the food web of Darby Creek and the adjacent Tinicum Marsh, Pennsylvania’s largest tidal freshwater wetland.
The objectives of this work are to
1) compare pre-and post-NSH food webs to determine impacts
2) use this information to better understand and predict the impact of NSH throughout the basin.
The results of this work will be used to guide future management and predict potential impacts for species of management concern such as Striped Bass, American Eel, Sunfishes, and Shad and Herring species.
