Aquatic nuisance species (ANS) are nonindigenous (non-native) plants, animals and microbes that threaten the diversity or abundance of native species, the ecological stability of water bodies and/or commercial, agricultural, aquacultural or recreational activities dependent upon those waters.  Although many nonindigenous species are beneficial, a small number of them are capable of causing severe problems. Often the damage from ANS is not noticed or addressed until it is too late.  
 
The Southeast is exceptionally vulnerable to this threat.

The Southeast is one of the most species-rich areas with diverse environments and some evolutionary isolation. A temperate climate, abundant surface water, more than a thousand miles of coastline, and four of the top 10 international shipping ports in the country are reasons why more aquatic nonindigenous species have succeeded in this region than any other.

Roughly half of all non-native fish species introduced into the southeast became established and many of them threaten native fish populations and permanently change ecological systems.
 
Responsibility for controlling this threat is spread among government, industry, academia and the public because all are in some way involved with biodiversity, resource conservation and coastal restoration, and especially people’s economic and social needs.
 
SARP assists each state in developing and implementing these plans, and facilitates collaboration among them for regional management purposes. Although every Southeastern state has begun to develop a plan, many are not completed. States with completed plans are Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.  ANS management plans for Alabama, Georgia, and Texas are in final stages of approval. Click to the left under Activities by State on a specific state to learn current status of plan development.