Naomi Blinick

Naomi Blinick in a boat, with sunglasses and hat.
Research Scientist
Lab manager, Hansen, Larkin, and Walsh Labs
She/her
[email protected]
Professional website
Education

B.A., Environmental Studies, Prescott College
M.S., Conservation Science, University of Minnesota

Areas of Interest

AIS and their effects on fish and aquatic plants of particular ecological and cultural importance

Biography

Naomi Blinick is a MAISRC-affiliated researcher in multiple labs in the Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology department at the University of Minnesota, with over 15 years of experience as a field biologist specializing in aquatic ecosystems. She holds a graduate degree in Conservation Sciences from the University of Minnesota, where, as a MAISRC graduate scholar, she investigated the impacts of invasive zebra mussels on food webs and mercury concentrations in Minnesota walleye lakes. Naomi completed her undergraduate studies in environmental and marine studies at Prescott College in Arizona, giving her a strong interdisciplinary foundation.
 
Her current research with MAISRC continues to focus on zebra mussels and fish mercury, as well as aquatic revegetation post-treatment for aquatic invasive plants.
 
Naomi is also an experienced scientific diver and photographer, and in her free time enjoys knitting, reading, and spending time outside with her dog, Burch.

Research

AIS and mercury: understanding pathways and potential solutions
Cultivating resilience: native revegetation for AIS resistance

Select Publications

Blinick, N. S., Link, D., Ahrenstorff, T. D., Bethke, B. J., Fleishman, A. B., Janssen, S. E., Krabbenhoft, D. P., Nelson, J. K. R., Rantala, H. M., Rude, C. L., & Hansen, G. J. A. (2024). Increased mercury concentrations in walleye and yellow perch in lakes invaded by zebra mussels. Science of The Total Environment, 957, 177515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177515
 
Hornbach, D. J., Kozarek, J. L., Blinick, N., Hove, M. C., Grams, P., Kaplinski, M., MacGregor, K. R., Milliren, C., & Riesgraf, A. T. (2023). Distribution pattern of the Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in White Bear Lake, Minnesota: A spatial scale analysis. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 38(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1080/02705060.2023.2202700
 
Ferguson, J. M., McCartney, M. A., Blinick, N. S., Schroeder, L., & Fieberg, J. (2019). Using distance sampling to estimate densities of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in early-stage invasions. Freshwater Science, 38(4), 856–868. https://doi.org/10.1086/706105