We've pulled our docks and put our boats away for the winter. Most of us won't give our lakes a second thought; at least until ice fishing begins.
But at the University of Minnesota they will spend the winter working to protect our lakes from invasive species. Five Eyewitness News was the first invited to see a new research lab.
Four years after it was established by the legislature, and 6 million dollars later, the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center is open. 40 scientists are headquartered on the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul Campus, but they work all over the state.
Becca Nash is Associate Director of the research center. "We're really one of the only academic institutions in the country that has a dedicated team of researchers working on invasive species."