Ithaca, NY, April 17, 2012 - As the warmer season kicks into gear, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) says local boaters are at the front line of fighting Hydrilla, an invasive plant species that can grow over a lake like a grassy mat, harming the ecosystem.
 
As seen in this clip from WBNG Binghamton Channel 12 Action News, concerns are growing about this plant's presence in Cayuga Lake in Tompkins County.
 
CCE's Invasive Species Program and New York Sea Grant have fact sheets on how to stop the spread of the plant, including ways to clean your boat and equipment, and how to spot Hydrilla. For more on this, see NYSG's related news item (click here).
 
New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources, has been “Bringing Science to the Shore” for more than 40 years. NYSG, one of 32 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a cooperative program of the State University of New York and Cornell University. The National Sea Grant College Program engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.