Student works to slow spread of aquatic invasive species Posted on November 24th, 2014 by Anna Versluis

This is a guest post by Geography and Environmental Studies major Matt Keller ’15.

Zebra mussels, native to Russia and introduced to lakes in North America in the late 1980s, coat a current meter in Lake Michigan. (June 1999. Photo by M. McCormick. NOAA. Public domain.)

I worked for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) this last summer as Watercraft Inspector. The goal of my internship was to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species through public education and watercraft inspection. Invasive species that I was looking for were mostly zebra mussels and Eurasian milfoil. Once either of these two species get into a lake the ecological and economic damage is very high, so it is important to keep them out! This position allowed me to gain valuable experience with face-to-face interactions, customer service and natural resources. I recommend this internship to those who like interacting with people, can work independently, and love our Minnesota waters!