Starry stonewort webinar now available

What are the impacts of starry stonewort on plant communities in Minnesota lakes? MAISRC graduate student Carli Wagner shared the results of her research in a webinar this month, which is now available for viewing here. Starry stonewort has been found in fourteen Minnesota lakes and can grow abundant and dense. This certainly has recreational impacts, but the ecological effects of starry stonewort in Minnesota lakes are unknown. Potential impacts to native aquatic plants are of particular concern since they are an integral part of lake ecosystems. Carli examined the impacts of starry stonewort on native aquatic plants and tracked its invasion over multiple years to assess how it spreads and changes habitat. Watch the webinar here.

Presentations from 2019 AIS Research and Management Showcase now available

Thanks to everyone who attended the 2019 AIS Research and Management Showcase. We had a record 300 attendees! If you missed the event, you can view many of the presentations and posters online here. Learn how to create your own AIS monitoring equipment, what effects zebra mussels and spiny waterflea are having on walleye, using coatings to prevent the spread of AIS, and much more.

And mark your calendars for the 2020 Showcase: Tuesday, Sept. 22!

Request for proposals coming in January

Attention all AIS researchers! The Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center will be opening its request for research proposals in early January, 2020. Pre-proposals will be due in early March, and monies will be available in January 2021. Additional details on research priorities will be in the RFP, but proposals must research one or more of MAISRC’s high-priority species. Stay tuned for more information!

AIS Detectors program wins University of Minnesota Extension award

In September, the AIS Detectors Program was recognized by University of Minnesota Extension with the 2019 Dean's Award for Distinguished Team. This award celebrates the effort that the AIS Detectors team has put in to develop educational programming, conduct outreach and education across Minnesota, foster partnerships with organizations including MN DNR and Sea Grant, and support a statewide network of volunteers. University of Minnesota Extension Dean Beverly Durgan presented the award to the full team behind the AIS Detectors Program. We’re so pleased to be recognized!

Want to join this award-winning program? Registration for the 2020 sessions will open in spring. Workshop dates and locations will be available on our website as they become available.

Recent publications

• Padhi, S., Tolo, I., McEachran, M., Primus, A., Mor, S., & Phelps, N. (2019). Koi herpesvirus and carp oedema virus: Infections and coinfections during mortality events of wild common carp in the United States. Journal of Fish Diseases, 42, 1609–1621.
• Dunne, M., & Newman, R. (2019). Effect of light on macrophyte sprouting and assessment of viable seedbank to predict community composition. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management, 57, 90–98.
• Ferguson, J., McCartney, M., Blinick, N., Schroeder, L., & Fieberg, J. (2019). Using distance sampling to estimate densities of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in early-stage invasion. Freshwater Science, 38(4).
• Finger, J. S., Riesfrag, A., Zielinski, D., & Sorensen, P. (2019). Monitoring upstream fish passage through a Mississippi River lock and dam reveals species differences in lock chamber usage and supported a fish passage model which described velocity-dependent passage through spillway gates. River Research and Applications, 1–11.
• Gilmanov, A., Zielinski, D., Voller, V., & Sorensen, P. (2019). The Effect of Modifying a CFD-AB Approach on Fish Passage through a Model Hydraulic Dam. Water, 11(9), 1776. doi:10.3390/w11091776
• McCartney, M. A., Auch, B., Kono, T., Mallez, S., Zhang, Y., Obille, A., … Gohl, D. M. (2019). The Genome of the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha: A Resource for Invasive Species Research. bioRxiv, 696732. doi:10.1101/696732 
• McCartney, M., Mallez, S., & Gohl, D. (2019). Genome projects in invasion biology. Conservation Genetics, 1–22.

Support MAISRC with a gift today

Our researchers are working diligently all across the state to address the AIS issues that are threatening Minnesota’s waters. Help us do this critical work with a gift today -- private contributions to MAISRC make a real difference and provide us with the flexibility to meet critical needs as they arise. Thank you!

Read the full October 2019 newsletter here, and sign up to receive these updates directly in your inbox here.