Current Asian carp research at MAISRC primarily focuses on preventing their introduction using enhanced bubble curtains and modifications to locks and dams. Click here to learn more about Asian carp and their impacts.
Key findings and accomplishments
- Discovered that they could be strongly deterred from passing through Mississippi River locks and dams by adjusting spillway gates due to their relatively weak peak swimming abilities
- Determined that a sweeping sound played in locks, when combined with an air curtain, should stop 99% of Asian carps from passing through while minimizing effects on native fishes
- Identified two novel viruses that have potential for biocontrol: picornavirus and paramyxovirus
- Created a numeric fish passage model that can inform the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on ways to adjust spillway gates to stop carp while having minimal effects on native fishes
- Conducted a collaborative risk assessment for Asian carp in Minnesota waters in order to determine high-risk watersheds, potential impacts, and prioritize management recommendations
- Discovered that Asian carp use a unique set of sensory systems with novel sensitivities to food odors that can be targeted to attract them and stimulate them to consume poisoned food
- Identified a novel species-specific sex pheromone for silver carp that could be used to attract them
- Demonstrated that juvenile silver and bighead carps shoal (aggregate) in the laboratory, meaning that the Judas fish concept has potential to be used to locate and control these species
- Showed that olfaction drives feeding responses in bighead and silver carps, and that the epibranchial organ functions as a pharyngeal taste organ
- Masculinization of carps using steroid implants has been characterized and appears to be a viable technology for use with Judas fish
- Using common carp as a model, developed a valid and reliable qPCR assay marker and used it to determine optimal eDNA sampling and extraction procedures
- Showed in the lab that food attractants have the potential to be used for control of bighead and silver carps; experiments using juvenile bighead and silver carp have demonstrated that ingestion behavior (buccal pumping) in both species is largely mediated by food-related chemicals and can be stimulated with highly filtered food extracts
Completed projects
- Blocking bighead, silver, and other invasive carp by optimizing lock and dams
- Testing whether carp can be located using Judas fish: a new behavioral tool to locate aggregating invasive fish so they might be tracked and/or removed
- Developing food attractants for silver carp that can be used to induce aggregation and control them: a new biochemical tool
- Risk analysis to identify AIS control priorities and methods
- Ascertaining whether an enhanced bubble curtain could deter Asian carp movement into small tributaries in a practical manner; immediate installation of sound deterrents in the Mississippi River
- Establishing and implementing eDNA as a molecular technique to assess the presence of Asian carp in large Minnesota rivers
Published papers
- Minnesota Bigheaded Carps Risk Assessment
- Chemical Cues which Include Amino Acids Mediate Species-Specific Feeding Behavior in Invasive Filter-Feeding Bigheaded Carps
- Exploring tensions and conflicts in invasive species management: The case of Asian carp
- Environment shapes the fecal microbiome of invasive carp species
- Swimming performance of adult bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and silver carp H. molitrix
- Invasive Bighead and Silver Carps Form Different Sized Shoals that Readily Intermix
- Potential adverse effects and management of Silver and Bighead carp in Minnesota: Findings from focus groups
- Male-typical courtship, spawning behavior, and olfactory sensitivity are induced to different extents by androgens in the goldfish suggesting they are controlled by different neuroendocrine mechanisms
- Bubble curtain deflection screen diverts the movement of both Asian and Common Carps
- Effects of Temperature and Trophic State on Degradation of Environmental DNA in Lake Water
- Optimizing techniques to capture and extract environmental DNA for detection and quantification of fish
Ongoing research
- Testing promising lab studies on deterrents in the field
- Evaluating the acoustic deterrent system installed at Lock and Dam 8 using high-resolution imaging sonar and acoustic receivers to track movement of fishes around and through the lock chamber
- Conducting virus discovery using Next Gen Sequencing and culturing potential pathogens for biocontrol
- Evaluating new sound deterrents on Asian carps and native fish
- Using models to make recommendations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the optimization of Lock and Dams 4 and 5 to block carp with minimal effects on native fish by adjusting spillway gates
Current projects
Additional information from MAISRC
- Carp-killing virus discovered in Minnesota for first time
- Bigheaded carps risk assessment findings announced
- Promising new acoustic deterrent system being tested in the lab on invasive carp and native fishes
- March 15 workshop to discuss Minnesota Bigheaded carps risk assessment findings, management next steps
- Save the date: Risk-based management for bigheaded carps workshop
- In the fight against Asian carp, a new weapon: pathogens
- Minnesota DNR funds Sorensen Lab $880,000 to advance carp deterrent research at Lock & Dams
- New eDNA degradation results suggest high potential for false negative detections of Asian carp, other species
- Using diseases in fish to our advantage
- Promising new developments with Judas fish technology
- Initial modeling shows promise for deterrence of Asian carp at lock and dams
- New answers in optimizing techniques to capture and extract environmental DNA for detection and quantification of carp
- MAISRC statement on Bighead carp captured in St. Croix River near Stillwater
- Exploring ways to use sound to safely deter the advance of invasive carp
- Judas Fish technique closer to use with Asian carp
- Researchers start assembling an experimental Bigheaded ('Asian') carp deterrent system
- Asian carp lecture set for October 8
Related news stories
- Changes to Mississippi River dam may block Asian carp spread
- Army Corps adjusts Genoa dam to slow spread of invasive carp
- Corps of Engineers takes proactive approach to stop Asian Carp in Mississippi River
- Corps changes operations at Lock and Dam 8 to deter Asian carp invasion
- Changes to lock and dam aimed at stopping invasive carp
- In effort to stop Asian carp, Army Corps adjusts water flow at Mississippi lock near Iowa border
- Invasive carp has quieted down, but 'Minnesotans should be concerned
- Sound waves may keep invasive carp from moving north
- Confronting the Carp Conundrum
- Sound may deter invasive carp
- Invasive carp caught farther upstream on St. Croix River
- Five bighead carp caught in St. Croix River near Stillwater
- Invasive carp moving up St. Croix River
- Invasive carp get an earful from Mississippi River noise experiment
- Invasive carp reach Twin Cities metro area
- Eggs found in Mississppi weren't those of Asian carp
- Area invasive carp project receives funding
- Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock Closed To Stop Invasive Carp
- It's Carp Wars as Minnesota takes on Asian carp
- Invasive carp project funded as UMN changes directors
- Asian carp expert says the invaders can be beaten
- Asian carp in Minnesota? If you net one, yes. But DNA won't tell
- Carp DNA in Minnesota rivers turns out to be false alarm
- Study: Asian Carp Numbers Low in Minnesota
- New test result show no DNA evidence of Asian carp
- New test suggest Asian carp aren't as prevalent as thought
- Few if any Asian carp in St. Croix, Mississippi rivers
- Study: No Evidence of Asian Carp DNA in Two Major Minnesota Rivers
- New test results show no DNA evidence of Asian carp, but scientists urge continued action
- Asian carp DNA not found in Mississippi, St. Croix rivers in Minnesota
- Study: No DNA evidence of Asian carp, could still breed in Minn.
- A New Tool Targeting Asian Carp?
- Researchers use 'Judas fish' to battle invasive carp
- 'Judas' fish could help wipe out Asian carp
- Lab gets upgrade help to fight Asian carp
