Question

How can you prevent transporting nuisance species (plants and animals) with your vessel from one waterway to another?

1) Clean your vessel thoroughly before moving it to a new waterway
2) Remove any plants or animals attached to your vessel before moving it to a new waterway
3) Drain all water from your vessel before moving it to a new waterway
4) Follow all local regulations and guidelines for preventing the spread of nuisance species

Answer 1

To prevent the spread of nuisance species with your vessel, clean it thoroughly, remove any attached organisms, drain all water, and follow local regulations.

Step-by-step explanation:

To prevent transporting nuisance species with your vessel from one waterway to another, you can take several actions:

1. Clean your vessel thoroughly before moving it to a new waterway, removing all visible plants, animals, mud, and debris.
2. Remove any plants or animals attached to your vessel before moving it.
3. Drain all water from your vessel before moving it to a new waterway, including live wells, bilge areas, and coolers.
4. Follow all local regulations and guidelines for preventing the spread of nuisance species.

These actions help protect ecosystems by reducing the spread of aquatic non-native invasive species that can alter habitats and food webs, compete with or prey on native species, and potentially lead to their extinction. Transport of species like the zebra mussel has shown the dramatic ecological and economic impacts such introductions can cause.