United States

The Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study that presents a range of options and technologies to prevent aquatic nuisance species movement between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins through aquatic connections.

The Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! campaign is a call to action that empowers recreational users of aquatic resources in the United States and other countries to help stop the spread of harmful aquatic invasive species through outreach and partnerships.

Habits, Attitude, and Habitat—together they comprise Habitattitude^TM. This educational campaign with the uncommon name addresses common concerns of private enterprise, state and federal natural resource agencies, and responsible pet owners: protecting our environment from the impacts of invasive species. Habitattitude^TM seeks to inspire and empower people to explore the connection between responsible pet ownership and environmental stewardship.

Building Consensus in the West is an initiative of the Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species. The goal of the WRP initiative is to develop a multi-state vision for watercraft inspection and decontamination (WID) programs. The National Sea Grant Law Center is an active participant in this initiative, providing legal research support and leading efforts to develop model legislation and regulations for WID Programs.

These guidelines support the bi-national Habitattitude education campaign, which promotes ethical and humane treatment of organisms and alternatives for preventing the release of organisms into the environment through reuse and resale of live organisms, and proper disposal. 

The guidelines are intended to provide water gardeners with consistent invasive-species-prevention recommendations. Accordingly, water gardeners, water gardening societies, retailers, and outreach professionals who work with water gardeners are encouraged to use this information to guide their own activities and when developing outreach tools. 

The purpose of these guidelines is to: provide a consistent, practical, and effective document to inform outreach efforts geared toward public recreationalists to prevent the spread of AIS; take into account the specific pathways, vectors, and life histories of all AIS, including fish, aquatic plants, invertebrates, and pathogens; and promote voluntary actions to support the national Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!™ campaign, as well as statewide efforts such as

This website provides consumers with the information and tools they need to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species commonly found in trade. Water gardeners, aquarium hobbyists, retailers, anglers, teachers, wholesalers, and more can use these resources to learn about invasive species and identify alternative organisms that are safe to buy and sell. Information on how invasions happen and easy-to-follow tips for managing and disposing of species also help visitors protect local waterways.

iMapInvasives is an online, GIS-based data management system used to assist citizen scientists and natural resource professionals working to protect our natural resources from the threat of invasive species.

EDDMapS is a web-based mapping system for documenting invasive species distribution. It is fast, easy to use and doesn't require Geographic Information Systems experience. Launched in 2005 by the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia, it was originally designed as a tool for state Exotic Pest Plant Councils to develop more complete distribution data of invasive species.

The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database is an information resource for the United States Geological Survey. Located at Gainesville, Florida, this site has been established as a central repository for spatially referenced biogeographic accounts of introduced aquatic species. The program provides scientific reports, online/realtime queries, spatial data sets, distribution maps, and general information. The data are made available for use by biologists, interagency groups, and the general public. The geographical coverage is the United States.

The Invasive Mussel Collaborative was established to advance scientifically sound technology for invasive dreissenid mussel control to produce measurable ecological and economic benefits. The Collaborative provides a framework for communication and coordination, and works to identify the needs and goals of resource managers, prioritize the supporting science, and align science and management goals into a common agenda.

The Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force was established by Congress with the passage of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (NANPCA) in 1990 and reauthorized with the passage of the National Invasive Species Act (NISA) in 1996. Co-chaired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ANS Task Force works in conjunction with Regional ANS Panels and issue-specific committees to coordinate efforts among Federal and State agencies as well as efforts of the private sector and other North American interests.