On October 17, 2024, ICPRB held the 3rd annual Potomac River Conference focused on invasive species in the Potomac River basin and beyond. Held at the picturesque The River View at Occoquan Regional Park, attendees were welcomed by Delegate Katy K.L. Tran and Supervisor Dan Storck. Peter Tango of the Chesapeake Bay Program set the stage with a current socio-economic-political perspective on how we collectively view “alien species.” Doug Wood went back further, starting with the original human invaders 23,000 years ago. To keep with the theme, folks enjoyed wild caught Chesapeake blue catfish and Chesapeake Channa (aka snakehead) for lunch.

The first session, “Invasive Poster Child: The Case of the Blue Catfish,” focused on the issue of invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Led by Bruce Vogt of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Invasive Catfish Workgroup, the presentation highlighted efforts to control this species. Heather Walsh of USGS discussed the reproductive status of blue catfish, comparing populations in different tributaries. To round out the session, Ellen Robertson presented on population monitoring and modeling strategies to help Maryland assess and manage the blue catfish problem effectively. Overall, this session emphasized the scientific and management challenges posed by blue catfish in the region.

In the second and third sessions, the focus broadened to include the economic impact of invasive species and other aquatic invaders. Benjamin Simon explored the economics of managing invasive species, while Mike Hutt and Matthew Scales presented marketing strategies (and recipes!) to get the fish on your plate. Stephanie Pazzaglia discussed supply chain logistics from harvest to market. The final session, “The Rest of the Story,” delved into other aquatic invaders in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, including the spread of northern snakehead fish, mussels, Two-horned Trapa, and other invasive plants. Researchers like Dann Sklarew and Scott Baron provided insights into how these species are affecting local ecosystems and efforts to mitigate their impact. A poster session offered additional information on current research being done across the region.

Presentation abstracts and speaker bios are available in the Conference Booklet. PDFs of the presentations can be found below.

Opening

Moderator: Michael Nardolilli, ICPRB

• Welcome –
  • Michael Nardolilli, Executive Director, ICPRB
  • Delegate Kathy K. L. Tran, ICPRB Commissioner for Virginia
  • Supervisor Dan Storck, Mount Vernon District
• Plenary: The Potomac of the future will be different from the Potomac of the past: socio-economic-political influence then, now, and beyond 2025 – Peter Tango, Ph.D., Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Coordinator, USGS MD-DE-DC Water Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Program Office

Session 1 – Invasive Poster Child: The Case of the Blue Catfish

Moderator: Renee Thompson, ICPRB

• The Chesapeake Bay Program’s Invasive Catfish Workgroup: Tackling the blue catfish problem – Bruce Vogt, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office
• Invasive blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) in Chesapeake Bay tributaries: Comparative status based on reproductive parameters – Heather Walsh, USGS
• Design of population monitoring and modeling to evaluate potential management actions for invasive blue catfish in Maryland – Ellen Robertson, USGS

Session 2 – It’s the Economy… 

Moderator: Stephanie Pazzaglia, J.J. McDonnell & Co, Inc.

• The economics of invasive species – Benjamin Simon, GWU
• Invasive catfish: Promotion and marketing wild blue catfish, population stock assessment, impact on blue crabs, shad, herring, striped bass, other fish, clams and oysters – Mike Hutt, VA Marine Products Board
• Marketing an invasive species: Tales of the blue catfish – Matthew Scales, MD Department of Ag
• From boat to plate: A supply chain perspective – Stephanie Pazzaglia, J.J. McDonnell & Co, Inc.

18th Century American Indian Historical Perspectives on Introduced Species – Doug Wood, Storyteller

Session 3 – The Rest of the Story

Moderator: Nancy Rybicki, USGS

• Biotic invasion and assimilation in the tidal freshwater Potomac River – Dann Sklarew, R. C. Jones, and R. Christova, George Mason University
• Aquatic invasive species in the Anacostia River, a recovering urban river – Jorge Bogantes Montero, Anacostia Watershed Society
• Two-horned Trapa (Trapa bispinosa) – a new threat – Scott Baron, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and Erin Abrahams, Fairfax County Maintenance and Stormwater Management Division
• Natal origin and broad-scale movement of northern snakehead in the Potomac River – Hae Kim, MO State University

Poster Session

• Short-term risk assessment for a newly introduced water chestnut, Trapa bispinosa Roxb., entering the Potomac River, U.S. – Ian Pfingsten and Nancy Rybicki of USGS
• Field demonstrations for water chestnut (Trapa spp.) management – Year 1 – Ryan McIntyre of US Army Corps of Engineers and Nancy Rybicki of USGS
• An age and growth study of blue catfish populations in MD tributaries – Evangeline Sawyers of MD DNR
• Invasive flathead catfish population dynamics, movement patterns and dietary preferences – Daniel Ryan of DOEE