Using data and tech to protect Indiana fishing spots
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From Potato Creek State Park in St. Joseph County to Patoka Lake in Dubois County, and countless rivers and streams in-between, Hoosier anglers have an abundance of options to snare bass, catfish and crappie. But they also have the ability to inadvertently transfer invasive species, such as zebra mussels and aquatic plants from one body of water to another. A new study conducted by researchers in Ball State University’s Environmental Sciences program reveals new insight into “invasion superhighways” across the U.S. by using technology and data.
“We define the invasion superhighway as a national network through which these aquatic invasive species are spreading,” said Ball State PhD candidate Jessica Weir in an interview with Inside INdiana Business. “And then our research derives from this network how anglers are moving from place to place from lake to lake across the US.”
Invasive species, most notably zebra mussels and Eurasian watermilfoil, can damage the ecosystem of a lake and the economics of the sport.
Mussels can clog water intakes. While the plant outcompetes native aquatic plants, making dense mats on the surface of the water that tangle boats and swimmers.
“It just takes over the shoreline. It gets wrapped up in both propellers and things like that. And if people don’t clean that off [their boats] and move to another water body that can propagate there,” said Weir.
Weir, along with Dr. Paul Venturelli, associate professor of fisheries at Ball State, is using data from the Fishbrain app, a social media platform which has more than 14 million registered users worldwide, most of them anglers.
“They’ve gathered all this information from fisherman, like what baits they’re using, what time of day they’re fishing, what weather they’re fishing in. They can then make those suggestions to their customer,” Weir explained.
Weir says the research helps to track where anglers have been as invasive species appear. She says previous research and data has been limited in scope, often limited to single states or a region. But accessing the Fishbrain data takes this research to a national scale.
Tech and data are now providing a solution to this issue.
“This research allows us to understand how invasive species are spreading in the U.S. in unprecedented ways, which represents a huge step in conservation efforts,” said Dr. Paul Venturelli, associate professor of Fisheries at Ball State and director of the PhD in Environmental Sciences program. “Technology is giving us the tools to help conserve bodies of water across the U.S., so we must use it effectively if we are to protect aquatic life.”
Invasive species can damage the ecosystem of a lake and the economics of the sport. Based on 2018 data, the American Sportfishing Association says recreational fishing in the Hoosier State has an economic impact of $1.1 billion annually and supports approximately 8,600 jobs.
“It has given us a glimpse into how these aquatic invasive species are spreading and, and the important role that anglers can play in preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species,” said Weir. “They’re pretty attuned to the environment that they fished in. They want to have that responsibility to the health of the resource.”
The research team says tech platforms can serve as educational tools that advocate for responsible fishing practices, helping lead to action and preventing acceleration of the transmission of aquatic invasive species. The continued cooperation of tech platforms to protect aquatic life will be a key tool in tackling invasive species.
“Our research shows that invasive species are moving across counties and states, so the effort to combat the spread of these species must be similarly expansive,” said Venturelli. “The new knowledge gained in this research will also enable anglers to help protect the waters they fish in by adopting sustainable angling habits.”
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