Experts have determined that Asian carp, the invasive species that threaten the $7 billion Great Lakes fishing industry and the safety of recreational boaters, are reproducing in more places and under a greater variety of conditions than previously believed, according to a recent report in the Huffington Post online, huffingtonpost.com.
The study, led by Reuben Goforth of Purdue University, found carp eggs in places where conditions including temperature and water flow were previously considered unsustainable. Earlier research indicates carp need specific requirements — temps of at least 70 degrees and long stretches of continuous water flow, for example — to spawn successfully, but current studies suggest these conditions can actually vary widely and still produce fruitful reproductive results.
“We need to recognize that these species have greater flexibility… than perhaps we originally thought, so we probably need to be prepared for them to become established in a wider range of ecosystems,” Goforth was quoted as saying in the news report.
Photo courtesy of USFWS
