June 2007 - Volume 68, Issue 6
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NextGEN Departments
Don't Dump That Bait!
Let’s keep invasive species from colonizing new waters.
“The invasive species are coming! The invasive species are coming!”
Imagine Paul Revere shouting that warning while riding his horse through Missouri towns. It’s likely that few people would panic, but Missourians do need to be on the alert. Many invasive species are assaulting our biological communities, threatening our native species and degrading natural habitats. Some of our most treasured natural resources are in danger.
Invasive species come from other places, usually other regions or continents. When they arrive, either naturally or by some kind of introduction, a few of them find conditions ideal for growth and reproduction. They may be larger, more aggressive or more fertile than the native species they compete against, and the new environment may lack predators or other natural checks on their population.
Missouri’s bountiful streams, lakes, ponds and marshes are particularly at risk. Missouri is blessed with more than 200 species of native fish, 65 species of native mussels and at least 33 species of native crayfish. Nonnative species, however, are invading our waterways at an alarming rate and have the potential to eliminate native species, disrupt food chains and harm prized fisheries.
Not all invasive species travel across oceans, mountain ranges or political boundaries to find their way into our local fishing holes. Although many invaders do originate from faraway places, some of Missouri’s most severe problems are the result of species that have been transported only a few miles, for example, from one stream to another.
About This Article
Authors
Invasive Species Coordinator BRIAN CANADAY
works statewide on aquatic and terrestrial
invasive species issues. he lives on a small farm
in southern Boone County with his wife, Bridget,
their two children, Joshua and Haley, and
their dog, Scooby. They enjoy boating, fishing,
hunting and camping in Missouri and beyond.
BOB DISTEFANO, a resource scientist for the
Department since 1986, researches stream
life and coordinates crayfish conservation and
management. He enjoys working with students,
making his tolerant wife and kids happy,
laughing at life and chasing other animals
through woods and streams and eating them.
CHRIS RIGGERT is a fisheries biologist with the
Department’s Stream Unit. He works primarily
with Missouri Stream Teams and educates citizens
about how streams function. He maintains
a strong interest in crayfish and introduced
species. He enjoys floating and fishing as much
as his wife, Jeanine, will tolerate.
