“Especially with hydrilla, you see ecosystems change overnight. You see a normal pond, but by the end of the growing season it’s completely filled with hydrilla,” says founder Nicole White. I did. Little Bear Environmental Consultingoften working with city and state departments to combat invasive species. “Nothing else can survive there. You’re suffocating.”
Mr. White worked with other organizations, including the Department of Environmental Protection. Eliminate hydrilla in the Croton River from 2018 to 2022. Of the 449 sites initially sampled, hydrilla was present in 40%.
Ultimately, they were able to eradicate hydrilla from the river three miles downstream using very low concentrations of herbicide over five seasons. However, the impact of hydrilla on the river’s ecosystem was so severe that at the end of the project, White had to replant many native species. Aquatic plants of the Croton River.
Taylor said hydrilla is still present in New Croton Reservoir. The Department of Environmental Protection is also using herbicides to try to change this situation.
The presence of hydrilla in reservoirs can affect not only the marine ecosystem, but also water quality and the survival of local birds. Hydrilla is also known to harbor cyanobacteria that can turn into toxins.Aetochonos hydrilicolla. This type of harmful algae can kill waterfowl and bald eagles and can be harmful to human health.
“This is a neurotoxin, so Aitoxonos Many wild animals found in hydrilla have died from brain damage,” White said. “So the fish died, the reptiles like turtles died, the waterfowl that eat hydrilla died, and the predators of those waterfowl died.”
Climate change is causing warmer weather in the fall and extreme precipitation events that displace sediment within the water column. This creates better conditions for hydrilla, cyanobacteria blooms, and by proxy the spread of these toxins. Their presence has not been confirmed in New York state, but the Department of Environmental Protection does conduct sampling.
Daphnia, a looming threat
Fishhook Daphnia was discovered in the reservoir last year. The novelty of its arrival means Department of Environmental Protection officials have not yet seen any negative effects on marine ecosystems, and the broader effects on the food chain are unknown. Daphnia can affect water quality by eating large amounts of zooplankton, creating conditions suitable for the growth of harmful algae. Daphnia eggs can survive for long periods of time even when dried, so Taylor believes the infection was likely transmitted through fishing gear.
Like zebra mussels, it is virtually impossible to completely eliminate hook daphnia from a body of water once they have established themselves. For many scientists, the most important thing is often to stop the spread into new waterways. About 40 percent of New York’s fresh water is connected to canals, which makes the movement of species much easier.
