Chicago River Asian Carp

The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) recently announced that intensive monitoring actions would be implemented in the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River after three consecutive rounds of Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling yielded positive results for Asian carp DNA in the North Shore Channel.

Three separate eDNA samples sets were taken at the North Shore Channel between June 11th and September 11th, revealing 17 positives for silver carp DNA out of 171 samples.

At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources, such as bilge water.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leading an Asian Carp eDNA Calibration Study (ECALS) with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce the uncertainty surrounding eDNA results and investigate alternative sources and pathways for eDNA detections beyond a live fish.

Full eDNA sampling details can be found at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website: 
(http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorksProjects/ANSPortal/eDNA.aspx)

For more Asian carp information, visit: www.asiancarp.us

source: U.S. Geological Survey