Aquatic Biology – East Metro Water

A very hygge holiday?

By: angiehongmn December 9, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanchloride, featured, salt, water pollution, winterLeave a Comment

Most often, you experience hygge with a small group of friends or family, possibly in front of a fireplace with warm wooly socks and a steaming drink in hand, but definitely not behind the wheel of a car, careening through rush hour traffic in the middle of an ice storm.

New study finds that plastic pollution is pervasive in National Parks across the United States

By: angiehongmn November 4, 2022November 4, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanfeatured, fishing, microplastics, Mississippi River, oceans, plastic pollutionLeave a Comment

Plastic makes up 81% of all trash collected in National Parks and federal lands.

Mercury levels going down in Minnesota lakes

By: angiehongmn October 24, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanfeatured, impaired waters, mercury, Minnesota lakes, MPCA, water pollutionLeave a Comment

In 2020, the MPCA removed Forest Lake, Tanners Lake (Oakdale), Owasso (Roseville/Shoreview), Johanna (Arden Hills) and eight lakes in northern Minnesota from the state’s impaired waters list. This was the first time in Minnesota history that any lake or river recovered from a mercury impairment.

Local lakes at risk of too much love

By: angiehongmn August 25, 2022November 30, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanfeatured, fishing, Lake Elmo, Minnesota lakes, Scandia, shoreline habitat, StillwaterLeave a Comment

As shorelines become increasingly more developed, we start to see shoreline erosion, fewer fish and wildlife, more algae in the water, and diminished water clarity.

Mysterious creatures of the St. Croix River

By: angiehongmn August 4, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Outdoor Adventuresbryozoans, featured, fish, freshwater mussels, St Croix RiverLeave a Comment

Bryozoans are just one of the many strange and unique animals that call the St. Croix River home.

Volunteer to protect Minnesota lakes from aquatic invasive species

By: angiehongmn July 20, 2022

Aquatic BiologyAIS, Aquatic Invasive Species, featured, lakes, Minnesota lakes, starry stonewort, zebra musselsLeave a Comment

During Starry Trek, scheduled this year for Aug. 20, volunteers gather at training sites to learn how to identify starry stonewort and then head out to local water accesses to search for signs of the invasive species.

Lily Lake alum treatment scheduled for May 19

By: angiehongmn May 12, 2022May 11, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water clean, Local Achievements, Partners and Updatesalgae, alum treatment, featured, Lily Lake, middle st. croix watershed management organization, phosphorus, StillwaterLeave a Comment

The alum will draw phosphorus out of the water column and also seal sediment on the lake bottom so that the nutrient can no longer feed algae.

Is it safe to eat the fish?

By: angiehongmn February 10, 2022February 4, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Wildlifefeatured, fish, fishing, Lake Elmo, mercury, Mississippi River, PFAS, St Croix RiverLeave a Comment

The short answer is, it depends.

Salt continues to pollute Minnesota lakes and streams

By: angiehongmn January 20, 2022January 18, 2022

Aquatic Biology, Keeping water cleanchloride, chloride impairment, featured, salt, water pollution11 Comments

Once concentrations are high enough, the chloride becomes toxic to fish and invertebrates and can even prevent lakes from turning over the in spring and fall.

The secret life of the St. Croix’s freshwater mussels

By: angiehongmn December 9, 2021December 9, 2021

Aquatic Biology, Wildlifeendangered species, featured, freshwater mussels, National Park Service, St. Croix RiverLeave a Comment

“The St. Croix River is a rare example of a complete and intact river ecosystem,” explains Marian Shaffer, an Aquatic Biologist with the National Park Service. “In fact, all of the freshwater mussel species that existed in the St. Croix Riverway before European settlement are still here today.”