Northern Snakehead Website Launched
Fisheries and wildlife sciences graduate student Nick Lapointe launched a website about the northern snakehead, a non-native fish species living in the Potomac River and elsewhere in the region. The potentially troublesome species was introduced to North America from eastern Asia in the last decade.
The northern snakehead’s broad habitat tolerances and its ability to breathe air result in large potential for population spread and possible adverse impacts. It is difficult to predict potential impacts, especially in the northern Virginia and Potomac River area, because many of the species located there are also non-native. Northern snakehead populations are currently found mainly in the lower Potomac River. If they spread over Great Falls to the upper Potomac, where there are fewer numbers of non-native species, the potential impacts could be significant and upset the ecological balance.
Although he is still completing his dissertation, Lapointe developed the website to make his research available to and easily understood by the public. “I feel that scientists should make their research accessible to the general public, and the pictures and videos tell a different story than just research articles,” said Lapointe. He also wants the website to dispel misinformation about northern snakeheads, including myths that they walk on land and attack pets and humans. The site will be updated as the research is analyzed and completed.