# @usgs on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DVHkhOzDIXz
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/69013826-usgs-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/4d07e678f3.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-02-23T23:08:08.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (@USGS) — https://gondola.cc/USGS

## Caption

They hitchhike on hulls and in bait buckets, move through ballast and bilge, and can remake waters, budgets, and biodiversity long before they’re noticed. 

More than 6,500 non-native species are now established in the U.S. Invasive species represent a major threat to wildlife and landscapes, while also having negative economic and human health impacts. Each year, invasive species cost governments, industries, and private citizens billions of dollars. 

This week is National Invasive Species Awareness Week, but USGS invasive species science happens year-round. The USGS works with federal, state, tribal, and territorial agencies to provide information and tools that help solve problems posed by invasive species across the country. 

While invasive species prevention is the first line of defense, even the best prevention efforts will not stop all invasive species. USGS scientists develop and use tools to find invasive species early—when populations are small and much easier to eliminate. By combining these detection methods with fast-acting response strategies, USGS gives land managers the science needed to stop invasive species from taking hold and spreading before it's too late. 

Follow USGS_Wild for more invasive species content! 

 📷1: Zebra mussels cover a shoreline rock at Lewis and Clark Lake, South Dakota. Native to Russia, they arrived in 1988 via ballast water, first colonizing Lake St. Clair on the Michigan-Canada border. In less than ten years, zebra mussels had spread to all five Great Lakes. 

📷2: Silver carp often jump in response to disturbance. Four species of invasive carp, which are native to China, were originally stocked in aquaculture facilities to control algae, snails, and vegetation. They escaped during flood events and are now established across much of the U.S. 

📷3: After a fire in Rabbit Valley, Colorado, highly flammable cheatgrass invaded this landscape. Native to Europe, southwestern Asia, and northern Africa, cheatgrass was introduced to the U.S. in the 1800s through contaminated seed and straw. It grows rapidly and in high numbers, making it highly competitive with native species. 

#NationalInvasiveSpeciesAwarenessWeek

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