First invasive golden clam confirmed in Lake Champlain

Ryan Mitchell, Contributor

When a volunteer pulled a suspicious clam from the lakebed in Whitehall, N.Y., as part of a routine monitoring program last month, they immediately reported the find to lake scientists.

Further analysis confirmed the first known occurrence of invasive golden clam (Corbicula fluminea) in Lake Champlain. The clam, which is native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia, can crowd out native species and increase occurrences of cyanobacteria blooms.

Photo courtesy of Lake Champlain Committee. A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation scientist conducting lake-bed sampling.
Photo courtesy of Lake Champlain Committee. A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation scientist conducting lake-bed sampling.

The volunteer, working with the Champlain Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring Program (CHAMP), made the discovery while conducting a survey at the South Bay boat launch, which is owned and operated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The volunteer reported the find to the Lake Champlain Committee, which operates the monitoring program. Staff from the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation later confirmed the specimen as golden clam, which has been in the region since 2008 but was previously unknown in Lake Champlain.

The Lake Champlain Rapid Response Task Force met last week to review potential next steps in responding to the discovery. The Lake Champlain Basin Program and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are assessing the significance of this introduction and conducting further surveys to define the extent of this population.

An established presence of golden clam would bring the number of known nonnative and aquatic invasive species in Lake Champlain to 52. This finding underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to protect the lake’s ecosystem and native species through early detection of invasive species.

The golden clam is hermaphroditic, meaning a single individual can reproduce and start a new population in previously uninfested waters. The species is known to reproduce quickly in other water bodies in northeastern North America.

Measuring a golden clam.
Measuring a golden clam.

Golden clam was confirmed in the region in 2008 in Hudson Falls, N.Y., near lock C9 of the Champlain Canal. It has since become established in Lake George, N.Y., in 2010 and Lake Bomoseen in 2016. All three waterways drain into the southern portion of Lake Champlain.

The Champlain Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring Program initiative was developed by New York, Vermont, and additional partners to increase the number of trained people looking for aquatic invasive species along Lake Champlain shorelines. 

The Lake Champlain Rapid Response Task Force was established to respond to reports of new aquatic invasive species or the spread of an existing aquatic invasive species to a new body of water in the watershed. 

Meg Modley, aquatic invasive species management coordinator for the Lake Champlain Basin Program, said, “Lake Champlain is a large lake, and volunteer monitoring can play a critical role in finding new or suspicious species. The discovery of golden clam reinforces the need for all visitors to Lake Champlain to clean, drain and dry their boats, trailers and equipment to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.”

Kim Jensen, aquatic biologist at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, said, “Reports from volunteers provide an essential tool in spread-prevention efforts.”

To learn more about the golden clam and aquatic invasive species management, visit the Lake Champlain Basin Program Aquatic Invasive Species web page.