University of Minnesota’s Post

Restore the Earth Foundation Inc., Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Chevron, ClimeCo and EcoRestore are collaborating to restore 28,800 acres of bald cypress swamp in southeastern Louisiana. Over 1 million trees will be planted to revive habitats deforested for 60+ years, benefiting fish, birds, and rare wildlife. The Water Institute is helping out by using innovative eDNA monitoring to figure out which animals are living in the swamps. By collecting tiny traces of DNA from water and other samples (using tools like sterilized paint rollers!), we can identify the wide variety of animals calling these wetlands home. Pictured is Emelia Marshall, coastal ecologist at The Water Institute, extracting DNA samples in our lab in Baton Rouge. #eDNA #Reforestation #CoastalEcology #CoastalScience

California’s MPAs: Are They Delivering Real Benefits? In a recent op-ed, Ray Hilborn critiqued the expansion of California’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), arguing that a decade of MPAs shows no increase in fish populations statewide—just more fish inside closed areas, counterbalanced by fewer outside. -The Key Issue: Fishing effort from closed areas shifts elsewhere, impacting "reference sites" and undermining claims of overall fish population growth. -The Debate: Do MPAs truly benefit ecosystems, or are they simply redistributing fishing pressure? -Looking Forward: With only 4 pages of a 120-page review focused on species abundance, is expansion the right move?

Insects that live in water are a fascinating part of the natural world. Many insect species, such as dragonflies, water striders, and mayflies, have adapted to survive in aquatic environments. These aquatic insects play an important role in the food web and contribute to the health of local ecosystems. In this blog post, we'll explore the unique adaptations and behaviors of 12 insects that live in water. 1. Backswimmer by Judy Gallagher is licensed under CC BY 2.0 One of the many insec...

"Aquatic plants are a crucial component to ecosystem functioning and provide many benefits to aquatic environments. They provide food and shelter for waterfowl and fish, improve water quality and clarity by preventing the re-suspension of bottom sediments, protect shorelines and lake bottoms from erosion, and more." ✍ Ava Schimnowski, Aquatic Plant Management Specialist Individual Placement /AmeriCorps member at Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife https://lnkd.in/gvvTuSAE #EnvironmentalCareers #ConservationCareers #ServiceYear #CareerExperience #YearOutdoors #ServeOutdoors [Image Description] An aquatic plant. Text on the side reads "New Blog Post"

Bull kelp, the predominant species found along the southern third of Oregon shores, is one of the world’s fastest growers, and has helped protect the coastline from storms and supported local fisheries, tribal fishing and cultural practices. But over the past decade, according to new data, Oregon lost more than two-thirds of that kelp canopy. The culprit? Sea urchins. Research by marine ecologists Aaron Galloway and Sarah Gravem, with the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, show there is a possibility to restore and maintain healthy kelp forests. Get the full story from The Oregonian: https://bit.ly/3Wsc9Qs #UOCAS

Anglers understand and appreciate what fish habitat is and how important it is. Sometimes, I think they have a better understanding of this than most of us Fisheries Biologists. Since cavepeople invented fishing , they knew that fish often relate to either physical (e.g., aquatic vegetation 🌿, wood 🌲, or artificial structures) or depth structure. As biologists, we grasp the physical structure part of fish habitat, but amazingly, seem to often overlook something as simple as how the depth and contours of the bottom control what fish you find 🐟, how big, how much and where. The contours ARE THE HABITAT! #MappingIsManaging #YouCantProtectWhatYouDontMeasure #BioBaseMaps

Insects that live in water are a fascinating part of the natural world. Many insect species, such as dragonflies, water striders, and mayflies, have adapted to survive in aquatic environments. These aquatic insects play an important role in the food web and contribute to the health of local ecosystems. In this blog post, we'll explore the unique adaptations and behaviors of 12 insects that live in water. 1. Backswimmer by Judy Gallagher is licensed under CC BY 2.0 One of the many insec...

The MWRD scientists have observed a resurgent population of aquatic life. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the MWRD’s fish monitoring program in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), and as water quality has improved over that time, the MWRD has noted a significant rise in fish populations. When the MWRD first began studying fish in 1974, they documented only 10 fish species. Today, the total number of fish species has risen to 77 in the CAWS. This includes more than 30 game fish species and 62 species that are native to Illinois. Additionally, the numbers of fish collected, also known as the catch rates, have steadily increased. For example, in the 1980s the MWRD collected an average of 104 fish per hour of electrofishing at the Touhy Avenue location on the North Shore Channel. That increased to 458 fish per hour in the 2010s. More: https://lnkd.in/dxMQzfeu #MWRD #CookCounty #CAWS #ChicagoAreaWaterwaySystem #WastewaterTreatment #StormwaterManagement

I am currently assessing the bycatch of non-target species listed with MPI and am blown away by the sheer volume of creatures, critters and even coral, that have been either hauled in from the deep by trawl net, caught in set nets, or have fallen victim to surface long lines. Out of 2,739 events highlighted, 5,012 animals have died, 5,570 have been caught and released (the outcome of their survival beyond release is unknown). There has been 5.22 tonnes of benthic material - including coral, caught. Of the species caught, I was saddened to see at least 7 Basking sharks, 11 Leatherback turtles, Yellow eyed penguins (setnets), 3 orca, whales, dolphins including Hector's, baleen whales, long-fin pilot whales, and so many albatross (including royal) with 15 caught in one long-line event. The threatened Westland Petrel, which lives and nests on the wetlands of Barrytown - were also victim, with 6 caught so far. In one single trawl event, 9 NZ Fur Seals were caught. My aim is to list and analyse all of these, and map their fisheries area so we can all understand the gravity of what this means for our coastal areas in Aotearoa NZ. Because from where I sit, this is not the future I want for my child. #conservation #fishing #nzcps #policy11 #ecsi

Alabama’s coastal shorelines and marshes have been disappearing. Erosion, storms and rising sea levels, along with residential and industrial development and increased wave action, have eaten away at shorelines and spits in the Mobile Bay Estuary. A 2021 study by researchers with the University of Alabama found nearly one-third of the bay’s saltwater marsh habitats were lost between 1984 and 2019. These losses are more than cosmetic. Lost shorelines and marshes translate to lost critical habitats for fisheries, crabs and oysters, and they can also threaten infrastructure such as roads and bridges. However, there is some aggressive work being done on Alabama’s coast to push back this tide, and officials believe the solution simultaneously puts millions of cubic yards of dredged mud from Mobile Bay to good use. But to make this possible, it’s requiring leaders to navigate some uncharted waters in environmental management and permitting. Article: https://lnkd.in/erfvMi5V Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Port of Mobile National Fish and Wildlife Foundation CONSERVATION & NATURAL RESOURCES, ALABAMA DEPT OF Mobile County, Alabama