Round Goby
Native to Europe, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) was first found in the St. Clair River in 1990 and has expanded its distribution to many areas of the Great Lakes, Erie Canal, the interior of New York, as well as St. Lawrence and Richelieu Rivers in Quebec. The goby is gray, four to ten inches in length, and is physically similar to other species native to US waters.
The round goby out-competes native species for food and habitat by feeding at night, thriving in poor water conditions, spawning multiple times a season, and preying on native eggs and young. It has already affected recreational and commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes, resulting in seasonal restrictions on certain types of fish whose populations have been reduced by goby. While the round goby is known to eat zebra mussels(an invasive species that entered Lake Champlain in 1993), they do not eat them in great enough numbers to affect the population. The introduction of the round goby to Lake Champlain could dramatically impact the Lake’s game fish.
Environmentalists and politicians in Vermont are urging New York officials to close a lock in the Champlain Canal to prevent the round goby, an aggressive invasive fish, from entering Lake Champlain.
If the small green fish, which is native to the Caspian and the Black Sea regions, makes its way into the lake, it could have a devastating impact on the local ecosystem. A prolific breeder, the fish spawns more than once per season, and it eats the eggs of other fish and their young.
The species is resilient — it can survive in poor water quality — and it would likely bring a pathogen called viral hemorrhagic septicemia that could affect other aquatic species.
“Once it gets into Lake Champlain, there’s no controlling it,” said Meg Modley, aquatic invasive species management coordinator for the Lake Champlain Basin Program. “Game over.”
The round goby has traveled through the manmade canal system that stretches from the Great Lakes, where its population has run rampant, through New York.
If the fish were to enter Lake Champlain, it would need to travel up the Hudson River and the Champlain Canal. Locks currently create physical barriers between the river and the lake, but they typically reopen in the summer.
The Nature Conservancy is calling for New York officials to keep closed Lake Champlain Canal Lock C7 — used by boaters to traverse the waterway — until a long-term solution can address the problem. As of now, it’s scheduled to open on May 20, according to the staff at the New York State Canal Corporation.
For the last 50 years, Vermont has worked to rebuild its lake trout population, which has recently made a significant comeback, said Lauren Oates, policy director at the Vermont chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Lake Champlain is the source lake for several inland water bodies in Vermont and the Adirondacks, she said, so if the fish spreads to Lake Champlain, it’s likely to travel elsewhere.
“The round goby will be a direct competitor to lake trout and significantly impede, if not reverse, that recovery that we’ve worked so hard for,” Oates said.
U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., issued a joint statement to VTDigger Friday afternoon, urging immediate action to mitigate the spread of the species.
“The round goby is a clear and present threat to Lake Champlain’s fisheries and ecosystem. Not only is it a voracious predator, but the round goby also carries botulism, which can spread easily to the area’s water birds,” the statement said.
The congressional delegation has been pushing for a permanent barrier to prevent invasive species from entering Lake Champlain from the canal system.
“Until that work is completed, immediate emergency measures must be taken to stop the advance of the round goby, possibly including restricting the use of the canal,” the statement said.
While historically the canal was used for industry and commerce, recreational boating is now its main purpose. Oates said last year, boaters passed through the C7 lock about 100 times. The canal would be open north and south of the lock, but boaters looking to traverse it entirely would need to find another method, such as using a trailer.
“It would be an inconvenience, but it would be a temporary measure that would be protecting against a much, much, much greater harm if the round goby got into Lake Champlain,” said Gruskin, with The Nature Conservancy’s New York chapter.
So far, New York officials haven’t committed to closing the lock.
In a joint statement, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Canal Corporation said they’re “assessing the potential spread of the round goby” and developing actions to mitigate its spread.
“Before advancing any actions, DEC and the Canal Corporation will undertake public outreach to educate and engage stakeholders on any measures identified to limit the spread of round goby, including actions individuals can take to reduce the spread of the invasive fish,” the statement said.
A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the governor “is aware of the threats posed by aquatic invasive species and the role the canal system can play in their movement and has directed DEC and NYPA/Canal Corporation to evaluate options necessary to address this issue and will coordinate with partners, including Quebec and Vermont, on issues that impact our shared waterways.”
Gruskin said the situation requires more urgent action.
“I do have a concern that, while they continue to study it, the fish aren’t going to be studying, they’re going to be moving,” he said. “There really does need to be this temporary protection.
Modley, with the Lake Champlain Basin Program, said the round goby has long been on the organization’s invasive species watch list and said its spread throughout the canal system happened much more quickly than expected.
The organization has had an ongoing discussion about “recognizing that the Champlain Canal is the pathway by which the greatest number of harmful non-native species have entered Lake Champlain,” Modley said.
“If today, we’re dealing with round goby, we may in the future deal with quagga mussel, hydrilla, snakehead or Asian carp,” she said.
“An ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure,” said Eric Howe, program director at the Lake Champlain Basin Program. “If it gets into Lake Champlain, there’s nothing that we can do about it. And we’ll be looking at, probably, significant ecological changes to the lake, at least at the fishery level.”
What can people do to prevent invasive species from getting into Champlain? Why wash your boat?
Whenever you transport your boat, jet ski, kayak, canoe, fishing gear, or other recreational equipment from one waterbody to another, you risk accidentally spreading invasive species like zebra mussels or Eurasian watermilfoil to a new waterbody. Pressure washing your boat, equipment, and trailer helps remove aquatic plant fragments, zebra mussels, and other unseen “hitchhikers.” By always washing your boat and equipment between launches, you can help protect the waterbodies you enjoy from harmful infestations.
Axle
Lower Unit/Propeller
unless they came out of that body of water.
What are aquatic invasive species?
Aquatic invasive species are non-native plants and animals, introduced into our waters, that outcompete native plants and animals for food and habitat. They can obstruct waterways, clog recreational areas and greatly reduce biodiversity. For example, water chestnut and Eurasian watermilfoil can grow to extremely high densities, hampering boating, fishing, and swimming. Zebra mussels can clog water intake pipes, clutter beaches, encrust docks and equipment, and harm native mussels. There are now 49 non-native species occupying Lake Champlain, and many more threaten to invade in the near future. Many inland lakes in the region remain uninfested but are threatened due to their proximity to Lake Champlain. Once an invasive species is established it can be difficult to manage and impossible to eradicate. Preventing new introductions is the key to protecting our waters from these harmful invasive species.
I find those gobies hecking adorbs, would not be the first time a cute looking animal would have caused so much damage as an invasive species... see also the rabbits in Australia for another example.
ReplyDeleteThey are already far up the Saranac river by coming up from Lake Champlain. They are I. Tiny head water tributaries of the Saranac where only Speckled brook trout have lived before. I have been catching them for two years now. It's way too late.
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