(WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com) — It’s good news for Presque Isle Bay — recent testing found no environmental DNA (eDNA) of silver carp or bighead carp.

Samples were taken in October by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The samples were requested by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) after samples this spring tested positive for silver carp environmental DNA. Between tests, PFBC used electrofishing to get additional samples near the area of detection. No silver carp were collected or observed in those PFBC efforts.

Environmental DNA doesn’t necessarily mean the invasive fish are present in that body of water, a PFBC announcement said. DNA could be carried through bird feces, water from recreational boats that had previously been in carp infested waters, or even from storm sewers.

“However, repeated detections of eDNA over time increase concerns that the genetic material may have come from fish living in the area where the sample was collected, which is why regular eDNA sampling is recommended,” the PFBC announcement said.

Those carp are a threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem. They compete with native and recreational fish species and quickly reproduce. PFBC noted that anglers should learn how to identify the invasive carp throughout its lifecycle to limit the spread of the invasive species through live bait buckets.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tests Presque Isle Bay each spring and is planning another test in May 2023.