Make It A Fish All

Bad news for fish: viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) was recently found in Lake Superior, meaning that the virus has now been found in all five Great Lakes. (Thanks to TC for the tip)

Best Homework Ever!

Those lucky enough to be enrolled in Duke University must be fighting to get into Dr. Sandra Cooke's excellently titled class, "The Billion Dollar Problem of Aquatic Invasive Species." As part of the coursework, students are required to participate in a blog about aquatic invasives, where they've been posting about everything from Asian swamp eels to the war metaphor for invasive species. Check it out!

Around The World

A recently published study from the Global Invasive Species Program (GISP) showed that on average, every country has 50 invasive species making a negative impact on biodiversity. Want more details? Check out the full publication.

Carping

With the recent controversy regarding Asian carp in the Great Lakes at the forefront, plus well-publicized problems with zebra mussels and snakehead fish, the Washington Post recently pondered the cost of fighting invasive species.

Frog The Bounty Hunter

Coming up this March in Cairns, Australia, is Toad Day Out, an opportunity to win a prize for catching the biggest cane toad (Bufo marinus). The person to deliver the biggest toad, measuring at least 15cm from nose to rear, will win $50 AUS. Toads must be delivered live to the weigh in. Last year's bounty hunt resulted in the collection of more than 6000 of the amphibious invasives!

Camel Pose

Forget goats or sheep...or beetles! A Colorado rancher wants to enlist *camels* in the battle against the invasive shrub known as tamarisk (saltcedar, Tamarix spp.).