Activity 3: Location - U.S. Rivers | Educating with Evidence | SIU

Activity 3: U.S. Rivers

Read the following post from New York Invasive Species Information and note the rivers where Asian carp have spread.

"In North America, the term “Asian carp” typically refers to two species of invasive fish introduced from Asia: the bighead, or “bigheaded” carp (Hypopthalmichthys nobilis) and the silver carp (Hypopthalmichthys molitrix). These carp are native to China. They were originally imported into the southern United States in the 1970s to provide an inexpensive, fast-growing addition to fresh fish markets. They also served to help keep aquaculture facilities clean. By 1980 the carp were found in natural waters in the Mississippi River Basin. As they have moved

north through the Basin they have overwhelmed the Mississippi and Illinois River systems where Asian carp now make up more than 95% of the biomass in some areas. Silver carp can now be found in 12 states. Bighead and silver carp are currently in the Illinois River, which is connected to the Great Lakes via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

Two other species of carp imported to the United States from Asia can also become invasive in the wild, the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and the black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus). The herbivorous grass carp, indigenous to eastern Asia where it is cultivated for food, was introduced to the United States to control aquatic weeds in lakes and waterways. The molluscivorous black carp (i.e., feeding on snails, clams, mussels, and other mollusks) is a native of China where it is cultivated for medicinal purposes and as a food source. It was introduced to the United States to provide snail control in aquaculture settings. By the 1990s the grass carp had escaped from cultivation into the wild and can now be found in waters within or adjacent to 45 states where they are considered a threat to natural vegetation. Black carp have also escaped and are now in several locations along the Missouri and Lower Mississippi River Basins."

Locate the spread of Copi across the continental United States by clicking on the names of the rivers identified in the above source. Some river names appear on the map more than once, as they span many states.

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