Western Connecticut State UniversityProfessor of Biological and Environmental Sciences<https://www.wcsu.edu/biology/> Dr. Theodora Pinou and Candlewood Lake Authority Director Larry Marsicano will present a discussion about their experience tracking triploid carp on Candlewood Lake at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, in Room 125 of the Science Building on the university's Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury.
In 2015, the state released 3,800 sterile, Eurasian Milfoil-eating grass carp into Candlewood Lake, and they seemed to disappear. Grass carp are imported from Asia for use in controlling aquatic vegetation, and are one of the few fish species that eat plants.
Last summer, Pinou, along with WCSU students, added 48 more carp to the lake. The carp were implanted with small radio transmitters, which allowed Pinou and her students to track their travels and behavior. They found that the fish often traveled long distances from their release point, but once they found a bed of water milfoil to eat, they tended to stay there
The project is overseen by the Candlewood Lake Authority and has received a grant from the state, and equipment that was paid for by the Goldring Family Foundation.