COLUMBIA, Mo. — For decades, four invasive species of carp have been devouring plants, gorging on plankton and endangering an interconnected community of fish, plants and mollusks beneath the murky brown water of the Missouri River.
At the same time, conservationists and officials across the country have been fighting to control carp-wrought damage: conscripting scientists, installing barriers, contracting with commercial fishing companies, and even, later this year, starting a campaign to get more restaurants to serve the fish.
Now scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Missouri have identified a potential breakthrough: They are studying the complex way carp eggs move in rivers, in hopes they can kill them while still young.
