Problem

Could the invasive round goby ruin the Chesapeake Bay’s multi-million dollar oyster industry?

Findings

In studying the diet of round gobies in northwest Pennsylvania’s French Creek, researchers confirmed that the gobies feed on native freshwater mussels.

Impact

If gobies reach the Pennsylvania tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, they pose an enormous threat to this estuary, which is one of the largest bodies of ideal oyster habitat on Earth.

• Pennsylvania’s tributaries could be a gateway for the invasive species.
• Gobies may reach the estuary if used as bait.