Read the National Geographic magazine March 2005 feature article entitled Attack of the Alien Invasion.

Also visit National Geographic.com for even more information on the threat of invasive alien species.

Aquatic Invaders

The Ocean Conservancy's Invasive Species
For more than 30 years, The Ocean Conservancy has informed, inspired and empowered people to act on behalf of the oceans. This page explains how aquatic invaders hitch rides in the ballast water of ships and pour into bays, estuaries and the Great Lakes when cargo is loaded and ballast is dumped.

For up-to-date information on invasive species in the coastal waters of the US, visit Nemesis — the National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System website. This site is run by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

For factual as well as legislative information on ballast water – a problem seen by some as the single largest source of foreign species invading America's ecosystem – visit SERC — the State Environmental Resource Center.

Termites

See more information on termite elimination .

Find more information from the in-house research arm of the US Department of Agriculture that is focused on battling termites.

Water Hyacinth and Biocontrol

For more information on biocontrol visit Cornell University's biocontrol site that provides photographs and descriptions of biological control agents of insect, disease and weed pests in North America.

The International Organization of Biological Control offers more information on Lake Victoria and water hyacinth around the world.

Invasion of Hawai'i

When it comes to invasive species, one of the most severely affected areas in the United States is Hawai'i. The mission of the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) is to provide technology, methods and information to the general public and to decision-makers and resource managers to help support effective science-based management of harmful non-native species in Hawai'i and the Pacific.

Visit David Duffy's homepage where you can access Stone, C. P., Smith, C. W. and Tunison, J. T. (Eds.). (1992). Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawai'i: Management and research. University of Hawai'i Press: Honolulu, Hawai'i. 887 pages.

Additional Domestic Resources

For conservationists dealing with invasive species, The Nature Conservancy Invasive Species Initiative offers a fact-packed site featuring Q and A sessions, an interactive map where you can find fact-sheets on the worst weeds in your neighborhood, links to numerous other resources domestic and global and even downloadable, humorous public service announcements.

The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) offers data and information on the nation's biological resources. In addition, it links other, top-quality biological databases and analytical tools to other agencies and users.

California Regional Invasive Species Information System (CRISIS) is working to improve the framework of information management for invasiveF species data and develop methods for sharing data across the Internet.

The New Invaders Watch List offers a system to detect and control selected invasive plants and insects in the Chicago Wilderness area. It is presently focused on new invaders, including 15 plants and two insects in terrestrial habitats. The site also boasts a host of helpful links.

The Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE) aims to create a comprehensive Internet database of invasive and potentially invasive plants in New England that can be continually updated by a network of volunteers and trained professionals. A major focus is early detection and rapid response to new invasions.

The Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere (SAMAB) Program is a public/private partnership to promote environmental stewardship of the natural, economic and cultural resources in the Southern Appalachians. It has a strong commitment to community-based solutions.

The Alaska Exotic Plant Mapping Project (AKEPMP) is a USGS Alaska Science Center (ASC) project that is compiling a regional database of exotic plant distributions for Alaska and creating distribution maps.

The helpful HabitAttitude.net site offers responsible ways in which aquatic pet and plant owners can dispose of these organisms without harming the environment.

The Union of Concerned Scientists is a content-rich informative website representing some of the world's most prominent scientists and several other environmental groups. This group has formed a Sound Science Initiative (SSI), a quick-response electronic network of approximately 3,000 scientists, including 300 invasive species experts, that provides critical information to any and all interested parties.

InvasiveSpecies.gov is an entrée into US Federal efforts around invasive species. Here, you can bone up on invasive species impact and how the federal government is responding to this issue. Invasivespecies.gov is also the website for the National Invasive Species Council (NISC). NISC coordinates federal responses to the problem. Part of this site offers success stories on invasive species control programs.

Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas is an ongoing well-referenced list of those invasive plants affecting natural areas in the US (including Hawai'i) compiled from diverse publications, observations, reports and surveys. Currently the list includes roughly 1,100 plants.

The Agricultural Research Serviceis the main research branch of the US Department of Agriculture. This group is involved in a wide range of programs from improving the quality and safety of agricultural products to researching and implementing innovative biocontrol measures.

For a sensational comprehensive clearinghouse of invasive species resources across the US-arranged by state; as well as the professional codes of conduct designed to curb the use and distribution of invasive plant species through self-governance and self-regulation, visit the Center for Plant Conservation site.

International Programs

The Global Invasive Species Program is a high-powered international program working to promote cooperative programs among governments and other international institutions to combat invasive species in a "strategic, holistic and timely manner." This site also offers a tremendous number of helpful links to other stories and invasive species projects.

A Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW) allows you to look up hundreds of plant species and check whether or not they have weedy tendencies.

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