Objective

Our objective is to develop recommendations for underwater survey methods and methods for estimating population abundance and distribution of zebra mussels, accounting for imperfect detection, which can be used to monitor newly infested lakes.

Advice regarding appropriate survey methods is desperately needed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ (MNDNR) staff, citizen groups, MN Counties, watershed districts, and lake managers confronted with new infestations of zebra mussels. The earliest stages of lake colonization are difficult to monitor because abundance is low, mussels are sparsely distributed, and they are hard to locate and count. It is also important to recognize that imperfect detection, and in particular variability in detection rates over time or space, can obfuscate underlying trends in abundance.

Project Collaborators

Principle Investigators:

• Dr. John Fieberg, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota
• Dr. Michael McCartney, Research Assistant Professor MN Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center

Postdoctoral Researcher:

• Dr. Jake Ferguson, University of Minnesota

Collaborators:

• Dr. Katie St. Clair, Carleton College

Project Divers:

• Naomi Blinick, lead diver summer 2017
• Leslie Schroeder, assistant diver summer 2017
• Aislyn Keyes, lead diver summer 2018
• Austen Hilding, assistant diver summer 2018

Collaborating Divers:

• Keegan Lund, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Kylie Cattoor, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Funding

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC) through the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).