LOCALadk Magazine

I n September, 2010, I was devastated to read this subject line to a long email: "Spiny waterfleas in Sacandaga Lake, Hamilton County." By the time the message was had reached my inbox, specialists from across New York State had already added their thoughts about courses of action and public outreach strategies for this aquatic invader. I spent family vacations on Sacandaga Lake, a third generation Stewart who loves the Adirondacks for its intrinsic beauty, warm communities, and opportunities for adventure. In 2008, I moved to the area and began my career as an Educator for the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District. This confirmation of the invasion of waterfleas broke my heart. Invasive species like the spiny waterflea are introduced beyond the borders of their historic range, reproduce rapidly, and cause economic, ecologic, or societal harm. The spiny waterfea is a native of Eurasia. This zooplankton originally hitched a ride to the United States in ship ballast water. In the Adirondacks, they have invaded the Great Sacandaga Lake, Sacandaga Lake, Stewarts Bridge Reservoir, Lake George, and Peck Lake. Mechanisms of their spread include fishing line, downrigger cables, anchor ropes, bait buckets, and bilge water. At half an inch in length, spiny waterfleas are not harmful to humans or pets, but they do gobble up other zooplankton, which small native fish rely on for food. They clog fishing rod eyelets, which prevents fish from being landed. When gobs of waterfleas build up and make reeling difficult, many people resort to cutting their fishing line. There is no known method to control this species, and scientists continue to study the impact of infestation. Last July, partners from the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) teamed up with our District staff to test spiny waterflea volunteer monitoring protocol on Sacandaga Lake. APIPP has a long- standing volunteer monitoring program for aquatic invasive plants, and is expanding to include other aquatic invaders. Although the lake was choppy that morning, our busy field season did not allow for rescheduling, so the hunt was still on. We loaded the boat with collection gear, motored to our first site, and set anchor. APIPP's Intern, Billy Martin, slowly lowered the plankton net 30 feet into the water, waited 30 seconds, then raised it swiftly to the surface. Plankton were washed in a sample bottle, for identification, and we repeated the procedure at other sites. Our first few tries did not pull up any invaders. At the fourth sampling site, fleas were discovered. Meghan Johnstone, APIPP's former Aquatic Invasive Species Project Coordinator, surmised that the crustaceans were elusive due to windy conditions. They drift with the current, which is why it is best to monitor on calm days. Meghan also suggested that the timing was not right. She had read that population booms result from warm temperatures in the summertime. Back on dry land, our geek-o-meters increased a few notches when we placed the fleas in a plastic bottle cap, because we were intrigued to see them up close (watch the video: http://youtu.be/pD16zIw2SMQ). I placed a single flea in my hand and could easily see the barbed tail spine and dark eye spots. Before we departed, all sampling gear was carefully disinfected with bleach, away from the shoreline, to prevent the risk of spreading the critters to new locations. APIPP's spiny water flea volunteer monitoring protocol was a success and will be ready for additional surveying this summer. If you are interested in monitoring your lake or would like more information about invasive species, contact the District at www.hcswcd.com, 518-548-3991, and APIPP at www.adkinvasives.com, 518-576-2082. Help stop the spread of aquatic invaders. Check, clean, drain, dry, and disinfect your watercraft, trailers, and gear. Spiny Water Fleas Story by Caitlin Stewart Photo by Jeff Gunderson 10 Summer 2014 LOCALadk

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