Tag: science

Moss Animals

Meet the Moss Animal, one of only a few one-celled animals that live in freshwater rivers and ponds. This jelly blob mass looks like something out of a swamp monster movie, but its very nature is innocent.  It acts like a water purifier and helps keep fresh water filtered. With a feather-like retractable arm extending from the body, the bryozoan will filter like you see similar feather-like coral filters in the ocean. Bryozoans mostly eat algae, bacteria and other small one-celled animals. The

9/2/2017•Nome Buckman

Fish Slime

Every time I land a fish, my mind and body go through a wave of emotions: SHOCK - “Wow, do I really have a fish on? Is it just a snag or can I begin the battle to the net?” EXCITEMENT - “I wonder what kind it is? How big it is?” FEAR - “I hope I am not hurting it. How can I catch and release this fish as quickly and safely as possible?” I have always been told that my mind over-analyzes my actions, however in this case, I think it serves as a great reminder.  A reminder to every angler that

6/30/2017•Alisha Saley

No Fish

We all know there is nothing better than wading into a stream as the crystal clear water ripples past us, carrying our flies down with it, in hopes that we may get a bite. Unfortunately, in today’s age, these crystal clear streams are becoming less common, with those in the upper Midwest struggling to hold on to their standard of health. The process of maintaining healthy, aquatic ecosystems is under-regulated, leading to devastating effects down stream from the input of excess nutrient pollutio

6/1/2016•Alisha Saley

Mercury & Dragonflies

It’s always interesting for me, being an aquatic biologist and angler, to look down into the water and see the diversity of life on the bottom of a beautiful stream.  It wasn’t until recently during my time researching invertebrates, that I now go out to a stream while fishing and wonder how much mercury, a neurotoxin, is in the body of the small critter my fly is trying to resemble. Billowing smoke stacks of coal burning industries fill the Midwest.  These rolling fumes contain mercury (Hg) th

12/15/2015•Megan Hess

Wild

Laurentian Great Lakes steelhead are a complex stock of fish. The population is a mixture of hatchery-released and wild, naturally reproduced fish originating from many different streams. Knowing the natal streams of the fish is important to best managing this species, as it allows for targeted conservation and management to the areas that are the major contributors to the total lake population. Fortunately, we may be able to determine the natal stream of a fish by looking at its otolith. Otoli

9/15/2015•Nicole Watson