In simple terms, Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) are aquatic and terrestrial organisms, introduced into new habitats throughout the United States and other areas of the world, that produce harmful impacts on aquatic natural resources in these ecosystems and on the human use of these resources.

The Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to preventing and controlling aquatic nuisance species, and implementing the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (NANPCA) of 1990. The various NANPCA mandates were expanded later with the passage of the National Invasive Species Act (NISA) in 1996. The Task Force consists of 10 Federal agency representatives and 12 Ex-officio members, and is co-chaired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Task force coordinates governmental efforts dealing with ANS in the U.S. with those of the private sector and other North American interests via regional panels and issue specific committees and work groups.

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Home Page

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies - http://www.fishwildlife.org/

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Press Room - http://www.fishwildlife.org/press_news.html

ADMB - Automatic Differentiation Model Builder - http://admb-foundation.org/

ADMB Foundation Newsletter, January 2009 - AD Model Builder, or ADMB, the most widely used software package for the development of stateof-the-art fisheries stock assessment methods, can now be downloaded without charge from admb-project.org

Congressional Sportsman's Foundation - http://www.sportsmenslink.org/

Missouri Sportsman's Caucus - http://www.sportsmenslink.org/sportsmens-caucuses/State-Sportsmens-Caucuses/Missouri-Caucus.html

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Fisheries and Aquaculture Department - News - http://www.fao.org/fishery/news/en

Instream Flow Council - http://www.instreamflowcouncil.org/

IFC Strategic Plan - http://www.instreamflowcouncil.org/images/ifc_strategic_plan_2005-2010-short_version.pdf

Izaak Walton League, Clean Boat Challenge - http://www.iwla.org/index.php?id=461

Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies - http://mafwa.iafwa.org/

Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association (MICRA) - http://wwwaux.cerc.cr.usgs.gov/micra/

An organization of 28 state natural resource departments organized in 1991 as a partnership to improve interjurisdictional river resource management in the Mississippi River Basin.

Upcoming MICRA Meetings, Sub Basin Group Meetings

Sturgeon Working Group: June 17, 2009, St. Louis, Missouri

Drury Inn St. Louis Airport, 10490 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63134

Mississippi River Basin Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species

MRBP Meeting No. 9, September 29-30, 2009, Sheraton Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA

National Aquaculture Association - http://www.nationalaquaculture.org/

National Council for Science and the Environment - http://ncseonline.org/

Environment Research and Education Needs: An Agenda for a New Administration

National Ecological Observation Network (NEON) - http://www.neoninc.org/

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation - http://www.morefish.org

The More Fish Campaign is a five-year initiative launched by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to raise awareness and funding to protect, conserve and enhance the nation's fish populations and their habitat. From cutthroat trout and red snapper to small mouth bass and Eastern brook trout to Pacific salmon, the More Fish Campaign aims to improve aquatic habitat in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, coastal and marine zones.

Bass Pro-NFWF Conservation Grants Program
Table Rock Lake Projects

The More Fish Campaign program leverages Bass Pro funds raised through Evenings of Conservation and other donations with the Foundation’s federal funds and grantee matching funds. The partnership expanded in 2006 when Bass Pro Shops made a five-year commitment to contribute $300,000 a year towards Table Rock projects, and an additional $200,000 a year for to support management of the Foundation’s fish habitat conservation programs, with the Foundation and grantees matching an additional $1 million per year to leverage Bass Pro funds 2:1.

In fall 2006 and spring 2007, the Foundation Board approved the first three grants for Table Rock Lake and its watershed. The first two grants were awarded to the Missouri Department of Conservation for “Fish Habitat Improvement in Table Rock Lake (MO) I and II”, which granted $550,000 of the Bass Pro and NFWF funds, with $217,000 in matching funds. The Foundation also approved a $50,000 NFWF- Bass Pro grant to the Arkansas Fish and Game Commission with an $83,000 match for Table Rock Lake and Tributary Habitat Improvement (AR) I . Each year, Bass Pro, the Foundation and grantees expect to contribute $900,000 for Table Rock projects for fish habitat improvement.

National Fish and Wildlife Association, Freshwater Fish Conservation Initiative - http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Fish_Conservation2

National Fish Habitat Action Plan - http://www.fishhabitat.org/

News Release, January 2009

News Release, February 2009

News Release, April 2009

National Fish Habitat Initiative, One Year Out Workshop

National Governor's Association - http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga

Natural Resource Committee Policy Statements

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - http://www.noaa.gov/

New Guide Aims to Improve Public Climate Literacy

Protect Your Waters, Stop Aquatic Hitchhickers - http://www.protectyourwaters.net/

Latest News - http://www.protectyourwaters.net/news/

Protect Your Waters, Stop Aquatic Hitchhickers - Missouri page

Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation - http://www.rbff.org

Take Me Fishing Program http://www.rbff.org/page.cfm?pageID=23

1) GIVE BACK WHAT YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN – the gift of fishing
2) TAKE SOMEONE YOU KNOW OUT ON THE WATER – friend, colleague, neighbor, your kid’s friends, anyone
3) GET CONNECTED TO THE CAUSE AT – Angler's Legacy

REPROFISH - http://www.reprofish.eu/reprofish_eng/

Understanding & Communicating Fish Reproduction Research

Reprofish is a fish reproduction information dissemination project, funded by the European Community 6th Framework Programme. The aim of the project is to gather scientists and the aquaculture industry to identify and extract the most important results of past and current research programmes, and to prepare future actions.

Southwick and Associaties – Fish and Wildlife Economics and Statisitics

Newsletters - http://www.southwickassociates.com/newsletters/

Teaming with Wildlife - http://www.teaming.com/

USGS Biology – Fisheries: Aquatic and Endangered Program - http://biology.usgs.gov/faer/

USGS Office of Communications Science Picks, February 2009 – http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/news_leads_archive.asp

USGS Newsroom - http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article_archive.asp

USGS Water Resources - http://water.usgs.gov/

News from the USGS water program - http://water.usgs.gov/news.html

Wildlife Conservation Society - http://www.wcs.org/sw-home

Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund - http://www.wcs.org/globalconservation/northamerica/wildlifeopportunity#Grants%20Info%20and%20Maps

World Aquaculture Society - https://www.was.org/Main/Default.asp

See the upcoming conferences and latest news.