B.19.4.1. Leadership and Coordination 
Ohio has established a framework for successful ANS management that considers many 
of the necessary contributing factors to ANS spread. It also calls for coordinating prevention and 
control strategies. However, the data needed to help guide management actions within the 
context of climate change are lacking. A monitoring program that incorporates climate change 
considerations and uses this information to help identify areas of Lake Erie and inland lakes that 
are especially vulnerable to climate change will help the state properly allocate resources and 
implement management strategies effectively. 
B.19.4.2. Prevention 
State staff is aware of Ohio’s sensitive position within the Great Lakes region, and the 
state is proactive in listing transport mechanisms that require regional attention in the Plan’s 
management actions section. For example, Ohio highlights transport mechanisms such as the 
flushing of natural gas pipelines from northerly regions with water as a potential ANS pathway 
that has not been fully documented. As climate change alters nutrient cycles and ecosystems, 
aquatic habitats may become more vulnerable to ANS arriving through these pathways. 
B.l9.4.3. Early Detection/Rapid Response, Control, and Management 
As the Management Plan notes. Lake Erie is the most vulnerable water body to ANS and 
a potential vector for ANS. Any established species in this area must be kept from spreading to 
the rest of the state and to the Ohio River to control its widespread dispersal. Monitoring how 
habitats are affected by climate change can help target control strategies and ensure they are 
successful. 
B.19.4.4. Research 
Strategic Action IA calls for researching the movement and transport of ANS on a global 
scale. Incorporating climate change considerations into these analyses can help state staff better 
predict potential introductions and effectively target prevention strategies. 
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