Big data from a popular app reveals that fishing creates superhighways for aquatic invaders.

ABSTRACT: Human activities are the leading cause of biological invasions that cause ecologic and economic damage around the world. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are often spread by recreational anglers who visit two or more bodies of water within a short time frame. Movement data from anglers are, therefore, critical to predicting, preventing, and monitoring the spread of AIS. However, the lack of broad-scale movement data has restricted efforts to large and popular lakes or small geographic extents. Here, we show that recreational fishing apps are an abundant, convenient, and relatively comprehensive source of "big" movement data across the contiguous United States. Our analyses revealed a dense network of angler movements that was dramatically more interconnected and extensive than the network th

SUBMITTER: Weir JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9896924 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature