Invasive Species

Written by Industry Expert Amanda Mahaney, Aquatic Biologist Agawam Mill Pond, located in Wareham, Massachusetts, is a 150-acre waterbody owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is managed by the MA Division of Fish and Wildlife (MA DFG). It is used heavily for recreational activities, such as boating, fishing and swimming, and supports moderate residential […]

Plants become classified as invasive species when they invade areas outside of their native range, upset the natural community they have invaded and cause considerable damage to either the ecology or economy of an area. Phragmites australis, or common reed, is a plant that most definitely meets all of these criteria. Native to Europe and […]

Written by Industry Expert Amanda Mahaney, Aquatic Biologist “What is that green scum on the surface of my pond?” Is this a question you have asked yourself before? If so, further investigations are in order. It may not be “green scum” or pond algae after all, but rather a tiny plant called watermeal, with no […]

AS SEEN IN Land and Water Magazine: Written by Industry Expert Keith Gazaille, Senior Biologist and Regional Director Effective Control and Removal of Non-Native and Invasive Plants to Restore Open Water and Wetland Habitats Project BackgroundThe Mickill Pond system is a freshwater pond group located on a 15-acre private property at the southern tip of […]

Written by Industry Expert Shannon Junior, Aquatic Ecologist and Senior Business Development Consultant Starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) is a species of macroscopic green algae in the Characeae family. It was first discovered in the United States in 1978 in the St. Lawrence River, but has since spread to Michigan, New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota […]

Written by Industry Expert, Emily Mayer, Aquatic Biologist Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) is a highly invasive aquatic plant that is plaguing freshwater ecosystems in the US, particularly in the South, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and (most recently) the Northeast. Hydrilla has several distinguishing characteristics. Its small leaves are arranged in whorls of three to eight, and these leaves […]

Written by Industry Expert Jason Luce, Certified Lake Manager Most of us know that invasive species are dangerous to the environment, but it can often be difficult to distinguish between native beneficial plants and these unwelcome invaders. This problem is compounded by the fact that many invasive species are beautiful and add incredible color and […]

Written by Industry Expert Kara Sliwoski, Aquatic Biologist Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are an increasingly problematic invasive species found throughout North American waterbodies and waterways. They are a small shellfish, regularly the size of a dime, that can grow to almost two inches in length, at their largest. Their namesake comes from the striped pattern […]

Wetlands are considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems. In addition to providing a home to an immense variety of plants, microbes, insects, fish and other wildlife, wetlands serve a number of essential functions. They act like natural sponges by storing and slowly releasing water, thus helping to reduce erosion and minimizing flooding in […]

Written by Industry Expert, Bob Schindler, Aquatic Biologist and Territory Leader Invasive species management continues to be a focus of habitat restoration to improve or reestablish natural balanced communities of native ecologically valuable plant species. Achieving the management goal of eradicating invasive species in a wetland or upland habitat environment involves many of the same […]