Assessing life history traits of Asian carp in established and emerging populations to identify and characterize vulnerabilities that can be exploited for control

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Novel Asian carp control methods are currently in development, however, many of these approaches cannot be implemented in a safe and effective manner without additional information on Asian carp life-cycle traits. For example, chemical control agents that target Asian carp will need to be deployed in locations and in a manner such that Asian carp take up these chemicals, but native species do not. Similarly, the effectiveness of other novel control approaches such as habitat manipulation or predator stocking cannot be estimated without better understanding Asian carp habitat use and vulnerability to predators. For example, little is known about the environmental conditions necessary for successful recruitment of juvenile Asian carps to adult age classes. Restrictive conditions might include the suitability of habitats for adult spawning or for juvenile development, survival and growth. Manipulating these critical habitats or targeting them with chemicals or predators could lead to reduced Asian carp recruitment. To control and prevent the spread of Asian carp in North American, these life history traits need to be understood not only in systems where Asian carp are well established, but also at invasion fronts where their numbers are still low.

• Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

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