Invasive Carp Control: Carbon Dioxide
Invasive carps (silver, bighead, black, grass) cause considerable economic and ecological damage to important fishery and water resources in the United States. Carbon dioxide (CO2) applied into water is being developed as a new chemical method to control invasive carps and other aquatic invasive species. Ongoing studies are evaluating the effectiveness of CO2 as a behavioral deterrent to limit range expansion by blocking upstream migrations and as a lethal control to manage existing populations. Development of CO2 as a chemical control could provide resource managers with a simple, cost-effective, widely available tool to support Integrated Pest Management plans. Current efforts are focused on maintaining CO2 pesticide registration; determining the efficacy of CO2 as fish deterrent strategy; determining the efficacy of CO2 as a lethal control; developing engineering designs for large-scale CO2 infusion systems; evaluating the effects of CO2 on non-target organisms; and expanding uses to address other aquatic invasive species issues.
Registration of Carbon Dioxide–Carp
Principal Investigator – Carolyn Link, Aaron Cupp
Registration of new fishery chemicals is critical for resource managers to incorporate chemical controls as part of their Integrated Pest Management plans. In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) obtained a Section 3 registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for carbon dioxide (CO2) as a new pesticide under the name Carbon Dioxide–Carp. Certain state and federal natural resource agencies, or persons under their direct supervision, are approved applicators for Carbon Dioxide–Carp. This registration label allows approved applicators to administer Carbon Dioxide – Carp to deter invasive carps (silver, bighead, black, grass) or as an under ice lethal control for any aquatic nuisance species. The USGS and USFWS are currently working to establish a web-based system for end users to obtain access to the Carbon Dioxide–Carp label (required for legal application in the U.S.) and to report use (required by EPA). The overall goal is to simplify access to effective fishery control chemicals and reduce the regulatory hurdles that have historically limited the use of chemicals to control unwanted species in the United States.
________________________________________________________________________
Carbon Dioxide as an Invasive Carp Behavioral Deterrent
Principal Investigator - Aaron Cupp, P. Ryan Jackson
Introduction of invasive carps into public waters of the United States has resulted in a large effort to limit dispersal beyond the Mississippi River watershed. Navigation structures positioned throughout most major rivers are potential pinch-points to block further range expansion into new areas. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as non-physical fish deterrent that could reduce fish passage through navigational locks while supporting continued use of the waterway by commercial and recreational navigation.
________________________________________________________________________
Carbon Dioxide as an Invasive Carp Lethal Control
Principal Investigator - Aaron Cupp
Management agencies often rely on commercial harvest for invasive carp population control. Piscicides, or fish toxicants, are an alternative method that could supplement Integrated Pest Management plans to kill and remove large quantities of invasive carps in a relatively short period of time. This non-selective removal strategy could greatly improve removal efficiency, particularly where high abundances of invasive carps are present.
________________________________________________________________________
Engineering and Testing of Carbon Dioxide Infusion Systems
Principal Investigator - Aaron Cupp, P. Ryan Jackson
Management agencies have identified key pinch-points on major rivers to block invasive carp passage. Recent studies have shown that carbon dioxide (CO2) can be an effective behavioral deterrent for invasive carps and could be used independently or in combination with other deterrents to reduce the risk of migration into new areas. Installation of a deterrent at these management locations requires extensive architecture and engineering to understand the feasibility of CO2 as a fish deterrent under various locations and scales.
________________________________________________________________________
Effects of Carbon Dioxide on Non-Target Organisms
Principal Investigator – Aaron Cupp, Diane Waller
Chemical controls are a vital component of many effective Integrated Pest Management plans. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for invasive carps as a general toxicant or behavioral deterrent. Administration of non-selective chemicals, such as CO2, into public waters could pose a risk to non-target organisms (e.g. native mussels, native fishes) through direct or indirect exposure. Resource managers may need to understand potential risks to ecologically and economically important species to ensure that chemical applications provide a high degree of effectiveness towards target pests (e.g. invasive carps) and minimize potential impacts on native species.
________________________________________________________________________
Carbon Dioxide for General Aquatic Invasive Species Control
Principal Investigator – Aaron Cupp, Diane Waller
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for general aquatic invasive species control. Most research has focused on its effectiveness as a behavioral deterrent and lethal control or invasive carps. However, because CO2 is generally non-selective, there is potential for this new control chemical to address a wide range of aquatic invasive species challenges.
Invasive carps (silver, bighead, black, grass) cause considerable economic and ecological damage to important fishery and water resources in the United States. Carbon dioxide (CO2) applied into water is being developed as a new chemical method to control invasive carps and other aquatic invasive species. Ongoing studies are evaluating the effectiveness of CO2 as a behavioral deterrent to limit range expansion by blocking upstream migrations and as a lethal control to manage existing populations. Development of CO2 as a chemical control could provide resource managers with a simple, cost-effective, widely available tool to support Integrated Pest Management plans. Current efforts are focused on maintaining CO2 pesticide registration; determining the efficacy of CO2 as fish deterrent strategy; determining the efficacy of CO2 as a lethal control; developing engineering designs for large-scale CO2 infusion systems; evaluating the effects of CO2 on non-target organisms; and expanding uses to address other aquatic invasive species issues.
Registration of Carbon Dioxide–Carp
Principal Investigator – Carolyn Link, Aaron Cupp
Registration of new fishery chemicals is critical for resource managers to incorporate chemical controls as part of their Integrated Pest Management plans. In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) obtained a Section 3 registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for carbon dioxide (CO2) as a new pesticide under the name Carbon Dioxide–Carp. Certain state and federal natural resource agencies, or persons under their direct supervision, are approved applicators for Carbon Dioxide–Carp. This registration label allows approved applicators to administer Carbon Dioxide – Carp to deter invasive carps (silver, bighead, black, grass) or as an under ice lethal control for any aquatic nuisance species. The USGS and USFWS are currently working to establish a web-based system for end users to obtain access to the Carbon Dioxide–Carp label (required for legal application in the U.S.) and to report use (required by EPA). The overall goal is to simplify access to effective fishery control chemicals and reduce the regulatory hurdles that have historically limited the use of chemicals to control unwanted species in the United States.
________________________________________________________________________
Carbon Dioxide as an Invasive Carp Behavioral Deterrent
Principal Investigator - Aaron Cupp, P. Ryan Jackson
Introduction of invasive carps into public waters of the United States has resulted in a large effort to limit dispersal beyond the Mississippi River watershed. Navigation structures positioned throughout most major rivers are potential pinch-points to block further range expansion into new areas. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as non-physical fish deterrent that could reduce fish passage through navigational locks while supporting continued use of the waterway by commercial and recreational navigation.
________________________________________________________________________
Carbon Dioxide as an Invasive Carp Lethal Control
Principal Investigator - Aaron Cupp
Management agencies often rely on commercial harvest for invasive carp population control. Piscicides, or fish toxicants, are an alternative method that could supplement Integrated Pest Management plans to kill and remove large quantities of invasive carps in a relatively short period of time. This non-selective removal strategy could greatly improve removal efficiency, particularly where high abundances of invasive carps are present.
________________________________________________________________________
Engineering and Testing of Carbon Dioxide Infusion Systems
Principal Investigator - Aaron Cupp, P. Ryan Jackson
Management agencies have identified key pinch-points on major rivers to block invasive carp passage. Recent studies have shown that carbon dioxide (CO2) can be an effective behavioral deterrent for invasive carps and could be used independently or in combination with other deterrents to reduce the risk of migration into new areas. Installation of a deterrent at these management locations requires extensive architecture and engineering to understand the feasibility of CO2 as a fish deterrent under various locations and scales.
________________________________________________________________________
Effects of Carbon Dioxide on Non-Target Organisms
Principal Investigator – Aaron Cupp, Diane Waller
Chemical controls are a vital component of many effective Integrated Pest Management plans. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for invasive carps as a general toxicant or behavioral deterrent. Administration of non-selective chemicals, such as CO2, into public waters could pose a risk to non-target organisms (e.g. native mussels, native fishes) through direct or indirect exposure. Resource managers may need to understand potential risks to ecologically and economically important species to ensure that chemical applications provide a high degree of effectiveness towards target pests (e.g. invasive carps) and minimize potential impacts on native species.
________________________________________________________________________
Carbon Dioxide for General Aquatic Invasive Species Control
Principal Investigator – Aaron Cupp, Diane Waller
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is being evaluated as a new fishery chemical for general aquatic invasive species control. Most research has focused on its effectiveness as a behavioral deterrent and lethal control or invasive carps. However, because CO2 is generally non-selective, there is potential for this new control chemical to address a wide range of aquatic invasive species challenges.