FINAL PROJECT: Abstract and Reader's Reponse > Environmental Impact and Ecological Threat Posed by the Northern Snakehead

ABSTRACT: The northern snakehead (Channa Argus) have been introduced into the Potomac watershed area in recent years, and have been cropping up more and more since 2004. Not much is definitively known about them, or about the impact they have had upon the Potomac watershed area. Despite this, the media has demonized the snakehead as a harbringer of doom for all waters that they are found in, calling them "Frankenfish," "Fish from Hell," and "Godzilla Fish." In this paper, I aim to dispel the rumors surrounding the snakehead and aim to assess the actual threat that the fish poses to the watershed area. According to the research done by a small group of professional researchers, the snakehead is not known to have any major impacts on the Potomac watershed area in their known quantities. Because of this, while I recommend that the snakehead sub-population sizes and spread be monitored and regularly evaluated, I do not believe the snakehead poses any major threat to the ecology of the Potomac watershed area. WC- 175

Keywords: snakehead, northern snakehead, channa argus, potomac river, chesapeake bay, invasive species, frankenfish

READER'S PROFILE: I imagine a difficult reader skeptical of the idea that the snakehead could get so much negative coverage if they actually pose no threat.

READER'S RESPONSE: Wow, the people who did all this research have pretty great credentials, and they seem adamant that the snakehead is not known to have negative impacts. Maybe I should go to the next snakehead tournament and try eating some, that sounds interesting! It seems that the best thing is really just to keep an eye on them and include them in regular creel surveys, which is super easy and only adds a handful of questions to the surveys that DNR or MFRO actually do all the time. Despite what I've seen on tv, the snakehead seems like a manageable exotic species.
May 6, 2015 | Unregistered CommenterZG
Z -- let's change the name of the document type. Instead of paper you can call this a guidance document/science summary for an interested lay audience, say, Potomac Riverkeepers or the Anacostia Watershed Society.

Do you know about charismatic megafauna syndrome? Basically, we love big and charming animals like pandas, whales, tigers, etc. Snakeheads are ugly. Is this something you can address briefly in the science summary?
May 7, 2015 | Registered CommenterMarybeth Shea