Two Exotic Species Projects Funded
July 2003
by Sea Grant Staff
Minnesota Sea Grant was awarded $286,200 from the National Sea Grant College Program for two new aquatic invasive species (AIS) projects, each spanning two years.
Barbara Liukkonen, water resources education coordinator, and Douglas Jensen, AIS Information Center coordinator, received a $152,860 grant from the National Sea Grant College Program for Preventing New Introductions of Invasive Aquatic Plants from Water Gardening and Shoreline Restoration. The project, done in collaboration with Michigan Sea Grant and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, will involve state agency staff, nursery and landscaping industry representatives, water gardening enthusiasts, and shoreline property owners in developing an educational model to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants.
Jensen and Marie Zhuikov, communications coordinator, received $133,349 for A National Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Outreach Campaign for the Aquarium Industry and Hobbyist Consumers. The project is a collaborative effort involving the Pet Industry Joint Council, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network to prevent the accidental spread of AIS by aquarium hobbyists.
