Similarly to my previous posts, I am going to talk about an issue with the Chesapeake Bay. Since I am from Maryland living on the Severn River- a direct connection to the Chesapeake Bay, I find this issue very important and pertinent. The issue is invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay.
As stated on the Chesapeake Bay Program’s website, invasive species are defined as “animals and plants that are not native to their current habitat and have a negative effect on the ecosystem they invade. Invasive species negatively affect an ecosystem by encroaching on native species’ food and or habitat.” Forty two percent of endangered or threatened plants/animals are in great danger because of these invasive species. In the Chesapeake Bay region, there are over 200 invasive species that are a threat to the native plants and animals. There are six that pose the greatest threat to the bay’s ecosystem that I will discuss.
The first is the mute swan. They were introduced in the 1930s, and they are a threat today because they threaten the protection and restoration of the bay grasses, which are an important part of the bay’s ecosystem. The second is the nutria, a aquatic rodent native to South America. They are considered invasive because they feed on the roots of marsh grasses, and therefore create circles of mud called “eat outs.” With the roots eaten, the grasses cannot stabilize in the soil and the marshes erode. It has said that they have destroyed over 7,000 acres of marsh. The third is phragmites, a reed. It is a marsh plant that overwhelms the marshes and reduces wildlife habitat and species diversity in the marshes. The fourth is the purple loosestrife, a perennial wetland plant native to Eurasia. It threatens rare and endangered species like the dwarf spike rush, bog turtles, and American bitterns. Fifth, is the water chestnut. It threatens the underwater bay grasses by forming a canopy of leaves, blocking sunlight from the reaching the bottom of the bay where the grasses grow. Finally, is the zebra mussel. Since it is not a native species, its tendencies to filter the water significantly reduces the amount of plankton in the water, which many native filter feeders need.
The impacts of these species are both costly and degrades the ecosystem. They are costly because a lot of money is spent on terminating the invasive species so the native species can flourish and support a healthy ecosystem. I personally believe more needs to be done. For instance, I believe the public should know about the invasive species, so they can try to prevent their spread. Things you can do include cleaning all your supplies you bring out to the bay with you (includes fisherman and hunters) to ensure no invasive species can be spread with your equipment. Also, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s website includes ways you can help like replanting bay grasses, because of the loss to the invasive species. All and all, I believe action needs to be taken on this issue, and little by little the bay will get healthier.
-Alex Athans
(**Sorry this wasn't posted yesterday, I forgot my user name, but sent an attachment to Professor Pitt so it WAS on time originally... Sorry.)
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I have lived in Northern Virginia my entire life and I could not agree with you more. My dad and I fish have been fishing there for as long as I can remember. And over the years the quality, quantity, and size of the fish we have caught have been slowly but surely going down. I see no reason why there should not be some extreme actions taken to eradicate some of these species. The bay is way to valuable of a resource in Virginia to let go to waste and degrade due to non native species.
ReplyDeleteThe Nature Conservancy (http://www.nature.org/initiatives/invasivespecies/help/) proposes many simple tasks that individuals can do on their own to prevent the spread of invasive species. Simple things like cleaning your boots before you hike in a new area or cleaning your boat thoroughly before introducing it to a new body of water are things that visitors to the Chesapeake bay should already be doing. I couldn't agree more that educating the public is a very important step in combating the invasive species problem at the bay. The challenge is how to reach the public which is altering this ecosystem. Local governments need to focus their efforts on preventing further species introduction through education efforts.
ReplyDeleteI think education and prevention are the best ways to manage invasive species. Unfortunately, once an invasive has established itself in a new area, its difficult if not impossible to remove them. Some standard control methods involve the use of chemicals, which could be harmful to other species residing in the Bay as well as the Bay itself. Physically removing the invasive is another option but it probably infeasible due to the number of invasive in the Bay. Lastly, introducing natural enemies of the invasive to the Bay is another option of control. However, in the end you may end up with just another invasive species. Aggressive education programs, prevention techniques and perhaps the establishment of an "Invasive Species Awareness Day" are our best options to control invasive species. Perhaps future studies of the invasives in the Bay will uncover new means to control them.
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