Sea Grant gets help with invasive species

Efforts by Minnesota Sea Grant to spread the word to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species have received a big lift — a $400,000 grant from the federal Great lakes Restoration Initiative.

The grant, through the Environmental Protection Agency, will allow Sea Grant to continue education efforts across the Great Lakes region aimed at slowing the spread of invasive species like zebra mussels, ruffe and goby by focusing on boaters and anglers who carry species from one lake to another.

The efforts also extend to lesser-known invasive species such as aquarium fish, by encouraging owners not to throw their unwanted fish into lakes or streams.

In the past, education efforts have included billboards, media ads, floating key chains with messages and poster contests among many outreach efforts. The effort this year is expanding to marketplace issues, such as the sale of live invasive fish at markets in Wisconsin and to youth groups in Illinois.