140. Should We Ban Water Lettuce? With Dr. Alisha Davidson

The Water Colors team, with special guest Dr. Alisha Davidson, discuss the potential for harm as a result of the sale and distribution of several floating plants in the aquarium trade. Some very common plants in our hobby pose a huge risk to our native waterways if mishandled. Water lettuce, water hyacinth, salvinia, and more – all are species of concern in regards to the risk associated with their sale. With input from our invasive species expert, we discuss the criteria used to designate potentially harmful plants, how to dispose of them properly, as well as suggest some safer alternatives to use in your home aquariums.

Referenced in this episode is Alisha Davidson’s published paper on aquatic plant risk assessment:

“Assessing progress in regulation of aquatic nonindigenous species across the multijurisdictional waters of the Laurentian Great Lakes, with emphasis on the live trade pathways” – Alisha Dahlstrom Davidson, Andrew J. Tucker, W. Lindsay Chadderton, Erika Jensen, Cecilia Weibert, and Russel Death

You can access this publication here: https://www.reabic.net/journals/mbi/2021/3/MBI_2021_Davidson_etal.pdf

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Species mentioned in this episode:

• Water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes
• Water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes
• Alligator weed, Alternanthera philoxeroides
• Salvinia molesta
• Salvinia minima
• Red root floaters, Phyllanthus fluitans