Two of the over twenty round gobies collected in the Erie Canal in Phoenix, NY. - Photo Credit: Denise Clay/USFWS

The Lower Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office conducted round goby early detection surveys in the New York State Canal System (NYSCS). This survey monitors the expansion of round goby through the NYSCS.

Baited minnow traps were deployed in July 2011 at five sites along the Erie Canal for one overnight. Over twenty round goby were detected as far east as Lock 23 State Canal Park in the town of Phoenix, NY on the Erie Canal. This is currently the eastern-most confirmed catch of a round goby in the NYSCS. This information was reported to both the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) iMapInvasives Project, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Gainesville, FL.