Summer as a Bio Technician: Hydrilla!!!

August 8th was a big day for the crew! Erick and I were surveying some lakes in southeastern Ohio, in Wayne National Forest, and we had some extra time. We decided to drive along the Ohio river on our way up to a urban hub to find a hotel. There were several boat ramps along the route, so we decided to do some rake tosses along the way. So far, we had not found one plant at all the ramps of the Ohio river in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, so it was very surprising when we found an Ohio river ramp in New Matamoras that contained aquatic plants.

Now these were not just the normal run-of-the-mill plants we have been finding in most lakes in the area, but we stumbled across a patch of the infamous hydrilla. The main purpose of this summer study was to identify an early detection method for invasive aquatic plants, but we were really surveying the areas where the alien Hydrilla has yet to be discovered, to see the extent of its spread.

A little about Hydrilla:

-Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) is an introduced alien species from India and Korea.

-Can grow exponentially from small fregaments, buds or tubors; tubors can last up to four years making management programs very expensive and extensive.

-Can grow in any typre of freshwater, in as little as 4 inches of water, and can grow as long as 25 ft.

-Has branching stems with segments of whorling leaves of 4-8, creating thick mats that can strangle out any native species, get caught in boating and fishing gear.

-Hydrilla can grow up to an inch a day, and in Florida, where it has filled entire lakes, it prevents all recreational use of the water and prevents fish from growing to maximum size. Florida alone has spent millions every year in herbicides and mechanical harvesters to remove hydrilla from waterways.

How did Hydrilla get here?

Hydrilla came over in the aquarium trade in the 1950's. Having been dumped down drains, gutters, storm drains, and into waterways directly, Hydrilla spread from the southern portions of the nation into the country via canals and overground transport such as recreational boating.

You can see from the USDA map to the right, the states where Hydrilla has been found. Since the discovery by our crew, Ohio will soon be added to the map as a positive location of Hydrilla.

(picture source http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HYDRI)

Me holding up ONE rake full of hydrilla that we threw into the Ohio river in New Matamoras. You can see how massive this plant can get, imagine if this bundle was stuck on your boat prop or fishing line.