Water quality as a deterrent to the movement of invasive fishes in the Illinois Waterway: Implications for the Upper Mississippi
One of the hallmarks of invasive species is their propensity to spread. Considerable effort is invested in preventing range expansion of aquatic invasives. Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) were discovered in the Mississippi River in 1981, and despite their propensity to expand, the ‘leading edge’ in the Illinois River has stalled south of Chicago for a decade. Studies have indicated that contaminants in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) may be contributing to the lack of upstream movement, but this hypothesis has not been tested. The goal of this research is to quantify whether the lack of movement upstream by the leading edge of bighead and silver carp in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) is in response to the presence of aquatic contaminants. Together, results indicate a role for contaminants in CAWS water affect silver carp behavior, metabolism, gene expression, and physical health.
