MARCH 2023
NEW TOOL: PI SURVEY WEB APP In February, MAISRC launched a beta version of its web app dedicated to point-intercept (PI) aquatic plant surveys. These surveys are in-depth efforts to catalog the aquatic plant community of a lake or pond at a point in time, and hundreds of these surveys are conducted around the state every year. As such, they are an incredibly powerful resource for understanding the health and status of our lakes! However, there isn't yet a statewide repository in which the data from these surveys are held and from which they can be viewed. Building off of foundational work by MAISRC graduate Dr. Michael Verhoeven, our Quantitative Ecologist Alex Bajcz built this web app to allow everyone in the state and beyond to explore the PI survey data MAISRC has already obtained from its community partners and, in the event that they have records to contribute, to submit new data! z.umn.edu/PICharter
NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS MAISRC recently announced the launch of six new research projects. These projects were selected as part of a competitive proposal process following a comprehensive research needs assessment conducted by MAISRC. The results of these projects will lead to better prevention of aquatic invasive species and improved management of Minnesota’s resources, including the species impacted by AIS. The projects include research into the protection of wild rice from AIS, the effects of carp on greenhouses gas emissions amid climate change, and educational messaging for the public to stop the spread of AIS. You can read more about our new projects here: z.umn.edu/PR_newprojects One harvester pushes a canoe through the rice and the other knocks the grains into the canoe with sticks. Bowstring River, near Inger, Leech Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota. Credit: Phil Schermeister Getty Images
