MAISRC in the News

'Holy Carp!' to look at invasive species

February 28, 2013

Two upcoming events, including a comedy improv show, will look at invasive species in Minnesota waters.

The improv show, "Holy Carp!," will be at 7 p.m. March 9 at the Rochester Elks Lodge in the Hillcrest Shopping Center, Rochester.

Then, on March 14, Peter Sorensen, director of the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus Research Center, will talk about the latest research into invasive species. That talk is at the Cascade Meadow Wetland and Environmental Science Center.


'BTN LiveBIG' shines spotlight on critical University of Minnesota research

February 27, 2013

University of Minnesota

February 27, 2013

The next installment of a new Big Ten Network series, “BTN LiveBIG,” will showcase University of Minnesota researchers exploring treatments for critical brain conditions and developing lasting solutions to environmental challenges. The episode will debut Friday, March 1 at 9:30 p.m. CT, after the Denver at Minnesota men’s hockey game.

 


Holy Carp! and ZRP Water Ways Speaker series discuss Aquatic Invasive Species

February 22, 2013

Two Rochester events, Holy Carp! and ZRP Water Ways Speaker series bring national invasive species expert Dr. Peter Sorensen to discuss Aquatic Invasive Species in March.

Aquatic invasive species, carp, zebra mussels, milfoil and a host of others seem to be coming to a lake or river near you. Individuals of thee different species of invasive Asian Carp have been found in the Minnesota waters of the Upper Mississippi River which has also had zebra mussels since the 1990s. Minnesota lists hundreds of lakes and rivers as “Infested Waters.” In the face of the invasion, awareness and prevention are the best hope for protecting Minnesota’s waters. A lake free of invasive species is still the norm throughout the state but without the help of every boat owner, angler and tourist we won’t be able to stop the spread.


A New Tool Targeting Asian Carp?

January 16, 2013

By most measures, Eden Prairie’s Staring Lake is a dead lake – native game fish have been crowded out by an overabundance of common carp.

Now, those fish have become the guinea pigs in a research project aimed at controlling their leaping cousins.

“The big issue with Asian carp is that we don’t know how many there are, or where they are,” explains University of Minnesota fisheries researcher Peter Sorensen.
 


Researchers use 'Judas fish' to battle invasive carp

January 15, 2013

The common carp typically congregates in the cold weather, providing an excellent opportunityfor Peter Sorensen to conduct his research.

"These fish are smart, fast, and wile," says Sorensen, director of the U of M's Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center.

Sorensen is continuing his research this winter on a handful of metro area lakes. It's research that could be critical if Asian carp make a more regular appearance in Minnesota rivers and lakes.
 


'Judas' fish could help wipe out Asian carp

January 13, 2013

Methods used to eradicate feral pigs and goats in Hawaii, Australia, the Galapagos Islands and southern United States could be employed in Minnesota to fight the Asian carp invasion.

"It should work," said Peter Sorensen, director of the new Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center at the University of Minnesota.

Sorensen said the lessons learned elsewhere using "Judas'' animals to locate and kill unwanted species could be used here to fight Asian carp. They are called "Judas" animals because, as the biblical reference implies, they betray.


DFL-controlled Legislature will tackle range of outdoor issues

January 5, 2013

This can't be underscored enough -- even when we're talking about hunting, fishing and camping. For the first time in 22 years, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party controls the Minnesota Senate and House, and a DFLer, Mark Dayton, is the governor.

As you drill your first fishing hole or plan your first fishing trip of 2013, the party affiliations of state lawmakers seem a distant echo in the chorus of our outdoor pursuits.


Expectations and issues ahead for hunters and fishers in '13

January 1, 2013

Minnesota's battle to stop the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels and Asian carp will be ramped up in 2013 -- and that fight will affect the state's estimated 2.3 million boaters. For the first time, the DNR launched random roadside checks of boaters in 2012. But just nine check stations were conducted involving 140 boaters. (The violation rate: 31 percent.) This year, DNR officials plan to boost the number of roadside checks, and will try some in busier areas they avoided last year. Meanwhile, the new Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center at the University of Minnesota will be up and running in 2013 -- but don't expect any silver bullets soon.


Forecasts for the year ahead, from apps to zebra mussels

January 1, 2013

Peter Sorensen and his new Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center might be all that stands in the way of Asian carp, zebra mussels and other nasty critters forever changing Minnesota's lakes and rivers -- and the fishing, swimming and boating they provide.

The center at the University of Minnesota is up and running, launched with $3.8 million from the lottery and Legacy Fund. Its ambitious goal: to slow the spread of invasive species and eradicate them from state waters.


Minn.'s invasive-species research center at U now open for business

December 26, 2012

The new world-class, invasive-species research center at the University of Minnesota doesn't look like much yet.

Construction hasn't started on the fisheries laboratory, and researchers haven't been hired.

Still, state legislators, officials and well-wishers crowded into the stark facility Tuesday in St. Paul to officially launch the center -- which has a lofty goal to slow the spread of aquatic invasive species, reduce their abundance and ultimately eradicate them from Minnesota waters.

"I just thought the people of the state would want to know we've started -- we're here," Director Peter Sorensen said while bighead carp