The introduction of zebra mussels into the Great Lakes in the late 1980s has made the nation more aware of non-native plants and animals. Zebra mussels blocked water pipes to municipal water supply systems and power utilities, and quickly spread down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, north to Minneapolis/St Paul, east into Alabama and west into Little Rock. Other aquatic species have invaded both inland and ocean ports. Aquarium plants and animals, like hydrilla, parrot-feather, fresh water stingrays, even piranhas have been disposed of in US waters. In the southwest, Giant Salvinia is clogging waterways, in the southeast, Asian clam are plugging water intake pipes, while on the west coast, the European Green Crab has been a major problem. Asian swamp eel, European ruffe, round- and tube-nosed gobies, are other non-native aquatic invaders. The list goes on and on.

The financial and environmental cost to control these plants and animals is significant. Because of this, the national Sea Grant Program has made nonindigenous species a high priority for research and outreach efforts. This site is intended to assist you if finding the wealth of information and assistance provided by Sea Grant programs across the country. This page is a directory of web pages, a web of webs, maintained by the national network of Sea Grant programs pertaining to aquatic nonindigenous species (NIS). From this page you can find Sea Grant web pages that contain both downloadable and hard-copy research publications, educational materials, newsletters and graphics.

National Sea Grant Program National Sea Grant Program-Aquatic Invasive Species Research and Outreach