1. Invasive Species Control Project - Part One

Transfer of Invasive Species by way of Fishing Bait Packing Materials

Sponsor: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)

Hornaday Advisor: Timothy Mullady

Origin of Project Idea and Conservation Issue Addressed

My Hornaday Advisor works at the Marine Invasions Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), and about a month after our first meeting where I laid out several of my ideas in Fish and Wildlife Management and Recycling, I learned about several Invasive Species projects that he was working on, one of which involved invasive species in Ballast Water, and the other, in conjunction with Mid-Atlantic SeaGrant which involved Invasive Species in Retail Fishing Bait.

In looking at the second of these two projects, and in talking with my advisor and the project team, I learned that while they had a clear program in place designed to test the bait and determine which, if any species were "hitchhiking" on the bait, they were unclear what best to do with the Bloodworms after they were done separating them from the grasses and other Seaweeds that were used as packaging materials.

Rather than simply throwing them away, we discussed my designing an Invasive Species Related educational program focusing on the proper disposal of packing materials that would reduce or eliminate the risk of spreading invasive species in conjunction with purchased bait, and using the bloodworms as an inducement to get recreational fishermen to listen to the message that I would give.

This got me thinking about the Scouting Principles of "Leave no Trace", and how I could apply them to an Outreach and Educational campaign centered around reducing invasive species in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and that led to this project.

Project Timeline and Process

August 2, 2011

I visited the Marine Invasions Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) to learn about the specifics of the Baitworm Project that they were working on.

I got to meet the Project Team

Myself and (From Left to Right) Amy Fowler, the Project Leader, Tim Mullady, my Hornaday Advisor, and Greg Ruiz, Director of the Marine Invasions Research Lab.

We talked about the Project and I shared my ideas

I worked with the Other Volunteers to examine the packing Grasses and Seaweed to identify any and all hitchhiking Organisims

I helped separate the Bloodworms from the Packing Materials so that they could be examined.

With the help of Anne Phillips, I rebagged the Bloodworms and the "Cleaned Seaweed" to be used in my Educational Campaign.

. . . and I labeled the Bags with the Bloodworms

August 10, 2011

I visited the Marine Invasions Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) for a second time, and discussed the upcoming events I had planned including a Youth Fishing Event in conjunction with the Dorchester Chapter of the MSSA (Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association)

I also picked up two boxes (approximately 500 Bloodworms) in packages of a dozen that had been cleaned of Hitchhiking Organisms and were ready for me to give out.

My plan was to use half of them for the Youth Fishing Event, and give the other half to Camp Henson in Galestown (also in Dorchester County) to use for fishing classes for their Webelos Summer Camping Session that weekend.

August 13, 2011

As I had planned, I went to the Youth Fishing Event put on by the Dorchester Chapter of the MSSA (Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association)  I got there at around 6:30 am to help set up and met with Mr. Clint Waters, who is the President of the Chapter.  (For more photos, see the Dorchester MSSA event website.)

I also got to talk to some of the youth that were there to fish as well as their parents and tell them about Invasive species.

From there, I went to Camp Henson (also in Dorchester County) and delivered the other box of worms to the Camp director to be used in their weekend Fishing Program, and while I was there, I spoke with some of the older scouts about Invasive Species and "Leave no trace".  I then went back to the Dorchester MSSA fishing event and spoke to some more people.

August 19, 2011

I visited the Marine Invasions Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) for a third time, and discussed the upcoming events I had planned including a Fishing Event in conjunction with the DC Chapter of the MSSA (Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association)

I also picked up another two boxes (approximately 500 Bloodworms) in packages of a dozen that had been cleaned of Hitchhiking Organisms and were ready for me to give out.

My plan was to use half of them for the DC Fishing Event which I did, shortly after leaving the SERC, and to use the other half at a Scout Fishing Event the following weekend on one of the Islands in Chincoteague Bay.  Unfortunatley, the follwing weekend, the Eastern Shore experienced Hurricane Irene, and the Scout Fishing Event was cancelled.  Instead, I gave the worms to local fishermen in the days before the Hurricane, and talked to them about Invasive species.

September 02, 2011

I visited the Marine Invasions Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) for the fourth time, and discussed the upcoming events I had planned including a Youth Fishing Event in conjunction with the Northern Bay Chapter of the MSSA (Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association), and a fishing event in conjunction with the Labor Day Weekend Skipjack Race on Deal Island in Somerset County Maryland.

In this case, however, the first fishing event was not until the 10th of September, but was a very large event planned in conjunction with the Charlestown River Fest

We also talked about the Mitten Crab Watch Program and whether they were not getting responses from the Eastern Shore because there were no Mitten Crabs in the Bay, or because people on the Eastern Shore were not aware of the program.

I picked up another two boxes (approximately 500 Bloodworms) in packages of a dozen that had been cleaned of Hitchhiking Organisms and were ready for me to give out.

We then drove up to North East Maryland and delivered half of the worms to Mr. Ken Simmers, the President of the Northern Bay Chapter.  I told him about my project, and he agreed, not only to let me attend the event and talk to the youth and their parents about Invasive species in the Chesapeake, but also to speak at their monthly Dinner meeting on the 28th of September in North East Maryland.

These are my friends at the SERC

September 05, 2011

Again I had to get up early - Around 5:00 am so that I could get to the Skipjack festival before the event started, so that I would have a chance to talk to the fishermen before the visitors arrived.

This was one of the first people that I spoke with, and they were happy to take the worms, and were very interested in what I had to say about invasive species in the Bay.

The people that I spoke with were genuinely interested in the Bay and what I had to say, and while they had heard about both Green Crabs and Mitten Crabs, as invasive species, they were not aware of the Mitten Crab Watch Program.

I got the chance to speak with the man from the Coast Guard who was helping to oversee the Skipjack race.  He was born before my Grandfather, and told me that he was actually the Scout Master at the age of 16 because all of the men had gone off to the war and someone had to lead the troop, so he gave up on his own scout career to help the other boys.  (Now that is truly living the Scout Law and Oath.)

Here I am advertising my services. (Quite the Entrepreneur)

The next few photos are like "Where's Waldo" as I worked my way from boat to boat talking to fishermen (and many people who were not fishing that day.)

Near the end, while I was talking to one of the people, I told him about the Mitten Crab Watch Program, offered him a card and asked him if he knew about them or had ever seen any mitten crabs and he told me that over the past year, he had seen four or five of them, but in deeper water.  I couldn't wait to tell the folks back at the SERC.