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University of Toledo biologists search rivers for grass carp

Grass carp, which have been found on the Maumee and Sandusky rivers, destructively feed on aquatic plants.

King says the fish would be easier to control if they were in just one river

In this June 13, 2012 file photo, Asian carp jolted by an electric current from a research boat jump from the Illinois River near Havana, Ill. (John Flesher/The Associated Press)

University biologists in Ohio are scouring streams following tests that confirmed larvae from the invasive Asian grass carp were found for the first time in the Great Lakes watershed.

A crew from the University of Toledo, working with the U.S. Geological Survey, found the larvae during sampling last June in the Maumee River, a Lake Erie tributary.

Grass carp, which have been found on the Maumee and Sandusky rivers, destructively feed on aquatic plants.

Nicole King is a University of Toledo research associate. She says the hunt for signs of spawning in other Lake Erie tributaries means more work and expense.

The Blade reports King says the fish would be easier to control if they were in just one river.

Asian carp prefer cool water temperatures like those found near the shores of the Great Lakes. (CBC)