To Stop Invasive Carp, Train Them Like Dogs
Just hum really loudly at them. The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is one of the world's most destructive invasive species, found on almost every continent, screwing things up. But a new method may give us the upper hand in carp control: acoustical conditioning. The common carp is a freshwater fish native to Eurasia, but it's been introduced almost everywhere and is particularly destructive in the Great Lakes. They often eat the eggs and destroy the nests of native fish. They eat submerged vegetation that ducks depend on. And they can't even digest their food properly--their excretions aren't nearly as digested as most freshwater fish, so their waste is full of nutrients that attract excessive amounts of algae. They are a menace, and they must be stopped. But there's no agreed-upon way to halt their spread; introducing species-specific viruses hasn't worked, encouraging people to eat them hasn't worked (at least in the U.S.; in...