Development of YY male technology to control non-native fishes in the Greater Everglades

Dozens of non-native fish species have established throughout south Florida (including Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park and various state and private lands). Thus far, research on these species has focused on documenting their distributions, natural history, and physiological tolerances. Research is beginning to emerge on interactions of native species with non-natives, although it is only in the early stages. Research on control of non-native fishes in South Florida is also lacking, although it is potentially the most important and useful to natural resource managers. At present, the only management techniques available to control non-native fishes are physical removal, dewatering or ichthyocides. Unfortunately, all of these methods negatively impact native fauna as well as the targeted non-native fishes and require a great deal of effort (and therefore, funding). Herein, we propose a research program focused on applying a genetic technique common in aquaculture to control of non-native fishes. This proposal focuses on developing a technique (YY supermales) to control a non-native fish in South Florida (African jewelfish Hemichromis letourneuxi). However, the concept can be applied to a wide variety of species, including other fishes (e.g., brown hoplo Hoplosternum littorale), invasive applesnails (Pomacea spp.), the Australian red claw crayfish (Cherax spp.) and the green mussel (Perna veridis).