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CISMA Call Agenda1:30pm Introductions

Rose Godfrey

1:35pm Technical Presentation

Florida’s Non-native Fishes: An Overview – Katie Lawson

1:55pm CISMA Update

Six Rivers CISMA – Rick O’Connor

2:10pm Shoutouts

3rd Fall HalloWeed Count, 10th FLEPPC CISMA Session, NISAW 2017

Polls

2:30pm Adjourn

This Month’s Call

2nd Call on the new Adobe Connect platform

• Same conference Number as before

• Same conference code

• New link

Technical Presentation

Florida’s Non-Native Fish: An Overview

Presented by Katie Lawson

Non-native fishes in Florida

Katelyn M Lawson and Jeffrey E Hill

How did they get here?

• Accidental:• Ballast water/fouling

• Escape off farms

• Bait bucket

• Intentional:• Aquarium/food fish release

• Sportfish stocking/movement by anglers

• Cultural importance

• Human use is behind most of these vectors.

Are they all bad?

• Negative effects• Ecological: predation, competition, habitat alteration

• Economic: agricultural pests, fisheries impacts, industry

• Social: nuisance, human health effects

• Positive effects• Economic: ornamental trade, food fish, sport fishing,

weed control

• Social: sport fishing, aquarium pets

Why so many non-native fish in Florida?

• Large human population

• Lots of travel and commerce

• Pet trade/ornamental industry

• Favorable climate

• Diverse habitat, much of it disturbed

• Relatively depauperate fauna for the southeast

Are they all “invasive”?

Introduction

Successful reproduction & recruitment

Establishment of stable population

Spread Impacts

Where are most of these fish?

4 Exotic species establishedEx) Common carp, Blue Tilapia

10 Transplant species establishedEx) Flathead catfish

20 Exotic species establishedEx) Pike killifish, Plecos

5 Transplant species establishedEx) Gizzard shad

30 Exotic species establishedEx) Bullseye snakehead

2 Transplant species establishedEx) Rio Grande Cichlid

North Florida

• Many rivers from Alabama and Georgia draining into panhandle• Native fish fauna more diverse than in the rest of Florida

Flathead CatfishPylodictis olivaris

• Transplanted into rivers in panhandle• Can grow to 120 lbs• Its predation on native bullheads and sunfishes are

leading to declines in those species

Central Florida: Tampa Bay area

• Ornamental fish industry in this part of the stateJack Dempsey Rocio octofasciata

Green swordtail Xiphophorus hellerii

Southern Platy Xiphophorus maculatus

All three have disjunct populations that do not spread; some appear to be stable.

Mayan Cichlid Pike Killifish

Central Florida

Swamp EelMonopterus albus

• Extreme adaptations:• Air breathers• Burrow to survive drought• Can survive months w/o food• Protogynous hermaphrodites

• Can infest fish farms:• Eat fish, not “voracious” though

Walking CatfishClarias batrachus

• First observed in 1960s• “walks” during rainy weather• Predatory• Makes the news sometimes

• Can infest fish farms:• Eat fish, not “voracious” though• Spines are “traumatogenic”

South Florida

Bullseye SnakeheadChanna marulius

• Only in canals of Broward Co.• Spread is a concern, especially

into Okeechobee• Predatory

OscarAstronotus ocellatus

• Popular aquarium fish• Grows large and likely to be

released• Predatory

• Many color variants in trade

• Notoriously difficult to electroshock

Looks similar to native bowfin:

South Florida

Butterfly Peacock BassCichla ocellaris

• Intentionally stocked in S. Florida canals by FWC in 1964• Spread is cold-limited• Important recreational fishery• Does not compete with bass• Parental care

• Does eat spotted tilapia

Spotted TilapiaTilapia mariae

• Farm escapement/aquarium release potential vectors• Benthic herbivore• Bi-parental care

• Common in S. Florida canals• More aggressive than native

sunfish

Extreme spreaders: state-wide species

Sailfin CatfishesPterygoplichthys sp.

• Four species, hard to distinguish• Air breathers• Herbivorous• Popular aquarium fish (plecos)

• Have demonstrated impacts• Munching on manatees• Burrowing causes erosion• Fouling of commercial fishing nets

Brown HoploHoplosternum littorale

• First observed in 1995• Has very rapidly spread

throughout much of the state• Bubble nester• Air breather, benthic scavenger

• Popular food fish in South America

Extreme spreaders: state-wide species

Blue TilapiaOreochromis aureus

• Many pathways of introduction• Important food fish for

aquaculture, commercial fishery• Here since the 1960s

• Mouthbrooder• Alter habitat by nest building• May compete for spawning

sites

African JewelfishHemichromis letourneuxi

• First observed in 1965 in S. Florida• Spread into central Florida• Smallest non-native cichlid here

• Very high salinity tolerance• Requires lots of vegetation• Some impacts on natives

Take home

• Non-natives have both costs and benefits

• “Invasion” is a complex process• Small proportion of those

introduced become invasive

• Most impacts are on a local scale

• Most non-natives are located in South Florida

• Considerable variety of fishes established

Questions?

Thanks to:Rose Godfrey

Pam Fuller (USGS Nonindigenous Species Database)

University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

CISMA Update• Six Rivers CISMA

• Presented by:

Rick O’Connor

Rick O’Connor

Florida Sea Grant University of Florida / IFAS ExtensionEscambia County Florida

WHO AM I?

Rick O’Connor Invasive Species - LionfishFlorida Sea Grant Beach Vitex

Tiger Shrimp

Phragmites

What are the Six Rivers?

• Tensaw

• Perdido

• Escambia

• Blackwater

• Yellow

• Choctawhatchee

Who Belongs to the Six Rivers?

Who Belongs to the Six Rivers?

Projects and Issues

• Chinese tallow

• Cogon grass

• Cuban bulrush

• Torpedo grass

• Privet

• Phragmites

• Beach vitex

Projects and Issues

• Feral hogs

• Lionfish

• Tiger shrimp

• Formosan termite

• Cuban tree frog

Projects and Issues

• Habitat RX

• NISAW

• Native plants

• Drones

2016 Workdays

March 26

Americorp and the Blackwater Heritage Trail

Beach Vitex

University of West Florida’s

Student Environmental Advocate Society

29 known sites in Escambia County

23,073.61 m2

14 sites completely removed (44%)

12 sites in progress (38%)

6 sites no progress (19%)

- 3 of those we have had no contact with

- 2 we have not begun yet

- 1 property owner does not want removed

2016 – 3 work days, will continue in fall

Chinese Tallow

Jones Swamp

Escambia County

Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day

Pensacola LRAD

6000 attended

Vendors

Celebrity chef’s

Kids area

Education booths

Tournament – 8,089 LF

Formosan Termite

FDACS

Alate trapping

May – June (Swarm season)

Correlation with weather?

4 counties – 22 stations

White stick paper

16 of 22 tested positive

Source: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Chinese Tallow

Longleaf Alliance

Adams Tree Service

5 volunteers

Removed 10 acres of Tallow from the Kelly Plantation in Destin FL

July 25-27

Next work day

Aug 29-30.

Chinese Tallow

Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance

Longleaf Alliance

Habitat RX

Tallow removal from the Ferry Park in Ft. Walton Beach, FL.

Planned for September

Education Efforts 2016

• NISAW

• UF/PSC Conclave Mar 5

• Aquatic class for licenses – Mar 11, 17

• LRAD – May 14-15

Future Issues

• Phragmites

• Cuban Tree Frog

• LLA submitted a RESTORE project for Escambia County

Thank you! roc1@ufl.edu

July/August Shout Outs

• NC – CISMA House Call 7/1/2016

• CF – Steering Committee Meeting 7/14/2016

• FCIWG– Beach VitexWorkday #1 7/25/2016

• NC – Meeting 7/27/2016

• FCIWG – Beach VitexWorkday #2 7/28/2016

• NC – Girl Scout Workday 8/1/2016

• BS - Big Scrub Meeting 8/4/2016

• FISP – NE CED Meeting 8/9/2016

• BS – Friday Night Naturalist

• FISP – SFRC Meeting 8/18/2016

HalloWeed Count

• Third Annual Fall HalloWeed Count– October 22, 2016 through November 6, 2016– Three Weekends. Two Weeks.– The goal is to collect more credible invasive plant

observation data into EDDMapS (i.e. invasive plant occurrence recorded and verified as correct).

Time to start planning for the 10th Annual FLEPPC CISMA Session!

It’ll be hard but let’s make it the best CISMA Session to date!

Accepting Suggestions Now

FLEPPC 2017

New Reporting Method

–Google Form!• To be emailed & embedded on FISP Success Stories

page.

• Automatically fills a spreadsheet!

• So easy it can be done while talking on the phone ;-)

• Friday is the last day to get your information included in the quarterly eNewsletter!

• National Invasive Species Awareness Week

Save the Date: February 25, 2017 – March 5, 2017

So many event options to choose from!

Workshops

Webinars

Walkabouts, Oh My!

NISAW 2017

Next Month’s Call

– September 28, 2016

• Weather and Climate Trends in the SE and how it effects Forests and Foresters – Pam Knox

• CISMA Update: Suncoast

– Cynthia Wheeler Grizzle

2016-2017 CISMA Call Agenda

Suggestions Needed!

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Florida Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)

Monthly Call– Hosted by the Florida Invasive Species Partnership (FISP)

participation is voluntary, we promise it will only last 1 hour, and we can guarantee that you will enjoy the conversations

4th Wednesday of Every Month at 1:30pmExcept November and

December

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