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Studying invasive starry stonewort

1/22

Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) is an invasive macroalgae that was found in Erie County in 2020 at Burnt Ship Creek on Grand Island. Native to Eurasia, starry stonewort forms dense mats along the sediment surface.

A stringy water weed in shallow water. A six-pointed bulbil rests on the surface of the water.

2/22

A map of sampling locations with representative bulbils marking each site, along with neighboring number that corresponds with the site name. There is starry stonewort at Burnt Ship Creek, Braddock Bay, Keuka Lake, Cayuga Lake, and Cazenovia Lake in 2021.

A map of the western part of New York with sampling locations demarcated with six-pointed star shapes. The sites are numbered and match a key that says

3/22

Starry stonewort found persisting beneath over a foot of ice and snow in Braddock Bay near Rochester, NY.

A stringy weed with bulbs rests on top of snow.

4/22

Starry stonewort and associated rhizoids found within anthropogenic debris at Burnt Ship Creek on Grand Island, NY.

Stringy weeds strewn through muck on something plastic by the water.

5/22

Mouth of Burnt Ship Creek, the creek on Grand Island where starry stonewort was discovered in August 2020.

The sun glints off the water of a body of water. There are emergent wetland plants along the margins and trees in the distance. The sky is clear with a few wispy clouds.

6/22

A monoculture of starry stonewort found just beneath the surface of the water near the source of the Keuka Lake Outlet.

A dense mat of algae sits below the surface of the water, with some lily pads floating on the surface. There is a shadow of a person in the foreground.

7/22

A handful of starry stonewort removed from the Keuka Lake Outlet near a public boat launch.

Someone holds up a densely packed handful of stringy algae water weeds. In the background is a creek or other small body of water.

8/22

A glob of starry stonewort wrapped around a paddle, within Yanty Creek Marsh at Hamlin Beach State Park.

Stringy water weeds wrapped around a paddle held over a plastic surface near the water.

9/22

Mats of green algae and duckweed building up on the surface of the water, being facilitated by the heavy presence of starry stonewort just beneath the surface in Yanty Creek Marsh.

A part of a body of water that is almost completely covered by algae and duckweed. There are emergent wetland plants on the water margin.

10/22

A handful of starry stonewort pulled from Cazenovia Lake, to the southeast of Syracuse, NY.

A hand holding up a dense clump of stringy water weeds. In the background is the edge of a body of water.

11/22

Graduate student Alexander Krest having a good time while walking through the muck at Braddock Bay, during sampling efforts.

A person wading in water up to their chest smiles and gives a thumbs up in this selfie. They're wearing a Buffalo State hat and a life jacket.

12/22

A benefit of field work is being able aid in management activities by reporting other invasive species present in the area such as water chestnut (shown here in Braddock Bay).

A hand holding up a water weed with radially emerging stalks with a single fan-shaped leaf on the end of each.

13/22

A sign found at the boat launch of the Penn Yan Recreation Area, informing boaters of the presence of starry stonewort nearby.

14/22

The scenery of beautiful Cazenovia Lake.

A lake on a relatively calm day, with fluffy clouds and a bright blue sky reflected in the rippling water.

15/22

The versatile paddleboard proved to be a more than suitable means of transportation for solo sample collection, and is seen here after collecting the 50th sample.

A paddleboard floating in a lake. There is a cooler, a small plastic bin, a paddle, and a net on a pole on the paddleboard.

16/22

Starry stonewort viewed from underwater.

Stringy water weeds floating in a jumbled pattern in this underwater picture.

17/22

A sediment core taken from Braddock Bay, when investigating overwintering bulbil density.

A gloved hand holding up a plastic tube with water and sediment in it. In the background is a calm body of water on an overcast day.

18/22

The namesake stellate bulbil of starry stonewort (viewed under microscope).

microscope photo of a six-pointed star shaped bulb and some filamentous algae.

19/22

A collection of amphipods from the preliminary survey efforts (viewed under microscope).

microscope photo of about 15 shrimp-like crustaceans in a variety of sizes. They each curve into semicircles.

20/22

A group of damselfly larvae that were collected during the preliminary surveys (viewed under microscope).

microscope photo of 4 insect larvae. They are long and thin with three sets of legs near the front and three leaf-shaped gills on their tails.

21/22

Sorting vegetation in the lab.

Samples being sorted on a table in a lab. There are two trays full of water and plants, 10 circular tins with separated plants (some full and others nearly empty), a laptop, and a key book.

22/22

Anthropogenic debris removed from Burnt Ship Creek during an observational field outing.

A paddleboard floating on a body of water near the shore with three tires and a plastic barrel on it. The paddle is laid over the tires.

Great Lakes Center

Buffalo State • 1300 Elmwood Ave • Science and Mathematics Complex 319
Buffalo, NY 14222 • Phone: (716) 878-4329 • Fax: (716) 878-6644

greatlakes@buffalostate.edu

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