Bringing together and increasing the capacity of experts, resource managers and citizen scientists to manage starry stonewort across the Great Lakes basin
Learn about starry stonewort, an invasive aquatic species threatening the Great Lakes basin.
Reports, presentations, training materials, and links to information about starry stonewort in the basin.
We need help identifying the extent of the infestation of starry stonewort in the Great Lakes basin.
Keep informed about what’s going on across the region in the fight against Starry Stonewort and other aquatic invasive species! Events coming soon are listed here, click to get more details. View our full calendar of events here.
There are no upcoming events at this time.
You don't need to be an invasion ecologist to help prevent invasive species! With just a little bit of training, like the Guthries received for StarryTrek, anyone can assist in early detection efforts.
Read more here:
12-year-old discovers invasive clams in Minnesota lake
William Guthrie was volunteering with his family to comb lakes for aquatic invaders when he discovered a golden clam — an invasive species not previously found in Minnesota lakes.We are proud to announce our new Zotero Reference Library and Annotated Bibliography!
Our new Zotero Reference Library provides a collection of references for 21 documents which examine multiple facets of starry stonewort, including control, ecology, spread, and more. While we can't share these documents directly, most are publicly available via the included citations if you wish to read them.
Along with each document are a summary, keywords, and suggestions for further research. These can be found compiled in our Annotated Bibliography, along with additional notes on which areas of research do or do not have strong consensuses. Our hope is that this resource will make some of the valuable research that has been done more accessible to community level stakeholders and citizen scientists through this summarized format.
These supplement the growing library of publications currently available directly from our website in the Library section.
You can access these here:
Publications – Starry Stonewort Collaborative
A Collaborative’s success requires strong communication and open sharing of ideas and information. This Library for Starry Stonewort information of all kinds was developed to support this idea.Only one week until the Starry Stonewort Collaborative will be presenting at the Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference 2020! Presentations will focus on predictive modeling, treatment effectiveness, monitoring, and large scale management. We hope to see you there!
As shown by the people of the BWCA, an effective invasive species defense starts with concerned citizens. By taking action and working together, you can keep invasive species like starry stonewort at bay.
Read more here:
How a citizen-led group hopes to keep invasive species out of the Boundary Waters | MinnPost
The group has managed to boost watercraft inspections on some lakes in the Ely area and to begin inspections on other lakes that have never been monitored for invasive species. But the region is vast.It's important to remember that invasive species prevention doesn't just mean doing rake tosses or helping with treatment efforts. Instead, the little things we do while enjoying our lives, like cleaning off boats and equipment after use, contribute greatly to stopping the spread of these invaders. By each doing a little, we can all do a lot.
5 Ways Waterfowl Hunters Can Protect Wisconsin's Waters from Invasive Species - River Alliance of WI
5 Ways Waterfowl Hunters Can Protect Wisconsin’s Waters from Invasive SpeciesOct 9, 2020 | Aquatic Invasive Species | 1 comment The 2020 waterfowl hunting season has begun in the Mississippi Zone, a...Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH) uses scuba divers to manually remove invasive species like starry stonewort. This allows management of infestations in deeper water without having to rely on chemical treatments.
Learn more about DASH here:
Retired cop has a new beat diving in Michigan lakes
Mike Smith spent most of his career as a diver with the Detroit Police Department recovering cars, guns, and sometimes bodies from the city’s murky rivers.On October 2nd, we helped the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Yates County survey for starry stonewort, sadly finding that it has spread into Keuka Lake. But, surveys like these help us better map the locations of invaders so we can monitor and control them!
You can volunteer to survey here: starrystonewort.org/volunteer/
Despite increasing phosphorus levels, Lake Simcoe isn't seeing the same negative effects observed elsewhere. Collaborator Brian Ginn explains that starry stonewort may be absorbing the phosphorus before it can be used by other organisms. Although this indicates that this invasive species may have some benefits, it is only one possible explanation. Additionally, such a benefit does not outweigh the ecological and economical harm starry stonewort is doing.
Learn more here:
Lake Simcoe 'defying' ecology laws amid high phosphorus levels
Read the full story and comment on BarrieToday.If you'd like to learn more about aquatic invasive species, our partners at the Finger Lakes PRISM will be co-hosting a webinar on November 12th that discusses invasive species impact, management, and identification! Some of the species they will focus on include starry stonewort, water chestnut, and hydrilla.
You can learn more here:
All underwater photography on starrystonewort.org captured by Scott Brown
