Bigheaded carp is a term to describe Silver Carp and Bighead Carp. These planktivores have been spreading throughout the Mississippi River basin since the 1970's. Our team has been working in collaboration with Texas Parks and Wildlife and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to assess their numbers in the lower Sulphur River which flows across Texas and Arkansas where it joins the Red River.

Our team has been studying the competitive and predatory effects of Brown trout on native fishes of the middle Rio Grande basin. Using a combination of descriptive field studies and bioenergetics models, we are better understanding how these invasive predators are affecting populations of Rio Grande Sucker, Rio Grande Chub, and Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout. 

Check out our recent publication: Assessing the Predatory Effects of Invasive Brown Trout on Native Rio Grande Sucker and Rio Grande Chub in Mountain Streams of New Mexico, USA

Giant reed can outcompete native plants in riparian environments. This plant can also grow 5 to 6 meters in height, which can create a lot of shade. Presently, Giant reed has spread throughout much of the lower Rio Grande. How does this invasive plant affect stream food webs? Using a field experiment, our team is monitoring the effects of Giant reed on algae, invertebrates, and fishes in San Felipe Creek (Del Rio, Texas, USA).

Look closely and you can spot these armored catfishes swimming along the bottom of San Felipe Creek and other streams and rivers of southern Texas. These catfishes feed mostly on stream algae and insects. They can become highly abundant and cause harm to the stream food web to competing for food and space. Our team has been studying the responses of suckermouth catfish to removal of Giant reed to understand the interaction between invasive plants and invasive fish.