Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: West Virginia
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Invasive species have become a major concern of natural resource agencies, in part, because of negative impacts to native species. Asian carps, which include several species, are invasive in the Mississippi River drainage and are expanding their ranges upstream into the Ohio River drainage. Invasive Asian carps have been shown to alter ecosystems, through trophic cascade effects on food chains. Many native species, often unable to compete with Asian carps, experience reduced population sizes. This research is a collaborative effort involving the USGS West Virginia Cooperative Research Unit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, West Virginia University, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, and Missouri State University. Monitoring the population expansion of Asian carps in the Ohio RIver and taking steps to reduce population sizes are important measures to reduce impacts of these invasive species. Data on the expansion of Asian carps in the Ohio River will inform mangement decisions of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.