The new Quagga and Zebra Mussel Eradication and Control Tactics Technical Report is now available from http://ucanr.edu/sites/coast/Quagga_Mussel_Invasion/ and from California Sea Grant (see below).

This practical and well-researched 36-page report explains how to use an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach and specific tactics for eradicating and/or controlling invasive dreissenid (quagga and zebra) mussels in lakes and reservoirs. It covers how to develop and get started on a management strategy, manual & mechanical removal, oxygen deprivation, chemical application, emerging technologies, and an overview of permitting and regulatory processes. The report includes photos and diagrams, successful examples of eradication and control efforts that have used each of the tactics, and extensive weblinks to resources for more information. It is based in part on presentations by experts at a joint workshop presented by California Sea Grant Extension and University of California Cooperative Extension in San Diego on February 1-2, 2012. The authors are Carolynn Culver, Heather Lahr, Leigh Johnson and Jodi Cassell.

Invasive quagga mussels encrusting boat bottom at Lake Murray, San Diego County, California. Photo by Leigh Johnson

Speakers’ abstracts, other information from the workshop presentations and field trips, and individual information sheets on the topics noted above are available from:  

http://ca-sgep.ucsd.edu/quaggazebra_mussel_control

Times have changed for fouling control and boaters are wondering where to turn! IPM for Boats can help boaters solve problems of water quality and invasive species. It’s a framework for tailoring fouling control to the individual boat. IPM (Integrated Pest Management) takes into account how often the boat is used, whether it operates locally or long distance, environmental conditions (and regulations that apply) in the harbor and the slip where the boat is kept, whether particularly troublesome fouling species are present, changing conditions, and so forth.

IPM has been used successfully for years to control pests in agriculture and buildings. The goal is to reduce toxic chemicals to the minimum that is necessary in combination with other tactics. The overall strategy combines a variety of tactics (timing the tactics themselves, controlling pest sources, mechanical, chemical, etc.) with record-keeping. Good records help the boat owner follow which tactics worked, when they worked, etc. and decide what to keep and what to change. With this “adaptive” approach, the fouling control strategy should improve over time and also keep up with changing conditions.

Our new report, “IPM for Boats: Integrated Pest Management for Hull Fouling Control in Southern California Coastal Marinas,” explains the IPM approach and the supporting research that we conducted in San Diego Bay and Santa Barbara Harbor of southern California. A photo-guide to 7 particularly pesky “Hull Fouling Species of Concern” is included, too. Although the report focuses on boats kept in saltwater in this region, the IPM approach can be adapted to other regions and even to freshwater.

It’s available from our Coastal Resources Program website at http://ucanr.org/sites/coast Click on the Publications Page in the top navigation.

Invasive mussel (quagga and zebra) eradication and control tactics are available on a new website for managers of lakes with invasive mussel infestations or who are preparing to respond if an infestation occurs. The website includes information from expert speakers who explained eradication and control tactics, integrated pest management and permitting considerations at a workshop held in San Diego in February 2012. It also has pictures from field trips to lightly and heavily infested lakes where various tactics were demonstrated. A series of information sheets on these topics will be posted by September 30, 2012.

The website is located at http://ca-sgep.ucsd.edu/quaggazebra_mussel_control

The workshop was organized and presented by Carolynn Culver and Heather Lahr of California Sea Grant Extension and by Leigh Johnson and Jodi Cassell of University of California Cooperative Extension.

In a recent survey of California and Baja California marinas, we asked where their overnight visitors were coming from and why they traveled. “Have hull, will go!” sums up the boating action along our coast.

Northern California boaters visited the Delta and Central Coast most often; Southern California was in third place. Delta and Central Coast boaters travelled most heavily to the San Francisco Bay area and Southern California was ranked second. Southern California boaters visited Baja California and Baja California Sur most often; the San Francisco Bay area came in third. A few boats from mainland Mexico travelled to Los Cabos and La Paz in Baja California Sur.

Vacations, holiday events, fishing tournaments and seasons, and boating races and other events encourage boaters to head out and about. The 4^th of July, Fleet Week and the Baha Haha race (San Diego to Los Cabos and La Paz) brought large numbers of visitors from outside the local region. Other big draws were Memorial Day, Labor Day, local yacht club races, the Newport to Ensenada race, etc. Boaters stayed overnight for some events. Waypoint marinas for long-distance races reported that competitors stayed up to 4 nights and destination marinas reported stays up to 30 nights.

This is great news for California’s coastal economy. On the other hand, it increases risks of carrying invasive species to new areas. What can we do to reduce this downside risk of boater travel?

Events are a great opportunity to raise boater awareness of invasive species risks and ways to reduce them. For example, event organizers could include educational messages with registration confirmation, mass media, banners and other materials. They could encourage boaters to clean their boats’ hulls, bilges and bait tanks before leaving home and before returning to home regions to avoid carrying invasive species. Boat repair yards, hull cleaners and managers of harbors, marinas and yacht clubs could also educate boaters on these same points.

Our new logo, “CLEAN then CRUISE!” © 2012 Regents of the University of California below was created to remind boaters about this important step.

For more information on our survey of costs and availability of supplies and services for hull fouling control on the coasts of California and Baja California, see our new technical report, “Crossing Boundaries: Managing Invasive Species and Water Quality Risks for Coastal Boat Hulls in California and Baja California.” It’s available at:  http://ucanr.org/sites/coast/