You—the aquarium hobbyist, pet owner, teacher, water gardener, angler, or plant and animal supplier—can take steps to help protect our natural areas from these aquatic invaders. Once at home in a new area, aquatic invaders are expensive to control and almost always impossible to eliminate. Therefore, preventing the introduction of invaders is key. Many of the aquatic plants and animals that are bought, sold and traded in the U.S. are invasive—if introduced into new waterways, they can outnumber the native species wreaking havoc on ecosystems and economies. Invasion Scenario – Classroom Pets “My teacher let me take home our class pet, Mr. Crayfish. But my mom wouldn’t let me keep him, so we let him go in the creek at the end of our street.” Invasion Scenario – Water Gardens “My water garden often floods during heavy rainstorms, but that’s okay because the water all goes to our neighborhood retention pond.” Invasion Scenario – Aquatic Farming “Why keep buying snails when I can easily grow them in the pond by my house?” Invasion Scenario – Bait “By dumping my unused live bait in the lake, I’m helping feed the resident fish.” Invasion Scenario – Aquariums “After my pet turtle outgrew his tank, I thought he’d be happier if I set him free in my ditch.”
