[Odonata-l] Oregon DSA Meeting Precautions

[Bryan Pfeiffer]

Greetings, Odonatologists:

Those of you attending the Dragonfly Society of the Americas meeting 
next week should be sure to arrive in Oregon with dry, disinfected 
clothing and gear. Here in Vermont and elsewhere, we are trying to 
prevent the spread of /Didymosphenia geminata/, a freshwater algae also 
known as "Rock Snot." It can bloom to form mats that carpet a stream or 
river bottom (and potentially harm odonates and other things we care 
about). I'm no expert, but it is reported that only one cell of the 
stuff can infect a new location.

Native to northern latitudes of Europe, Asia, and North America, 
Didymo's range is said to be expanding. Here is a distribution map (a 
250K PDF): 
http://www.vtwaterquality.org/lakes/docs/ans/lp_didnadistmap.pdf. This 
map, from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, shows Oregon free of 
the diatom but its neighbors not.

In Vermont we're disinfecting our clothing and gear each time we switch 
rivers or move upstream. Detergent, bleach, soap, and very hot water can 
be effective disinfectants. Here's more information:

http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=775&fr=1&sts
http://www.vtwaterquality.org/lakes/htm/ans/lp_didymo.htm
http://www.epa.gov/region8/water/didymosphenia/

See you in Oregon.

Best,
Bryan Pfeiffer
-- 

Wings Environmental: www.wingsenvironmental.com
Wings Photography: www.wingsphotography.com
Vermont Bird Tours: www.vermontbirdtours.com