University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tag: rainbow smelt

Can Manipulating “Mini Worlds” Give Native Fish a Boost?

by Cassie Gauthier – Each individual lake is like its own “mini world.” They all are unique in their shape, size, water depth, water temperature, and plant and animal composition. Often, the current conditions of a lake can tell the story of the lake’s past, and how it could look in the future. Each individual …

Late Spring, but Early Start for Crystal Mixing Experiment

by Colin Smith Year two of the Crystal Lake Mixing Project’s rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) eradication efforts have officially begun.  The project is testing a new method of removing cold water invasive fish from a lake inhabited by warm water tolerant native species. Essentially, the experiment involves big trampoline-like air bladders that rise and fall …

Carving Ice and Catching Smelt: Winter Sampling on Crystal Lake

Last summer, scientists at the CFL launched an ambitious attempt to eradicate invasive rainbow smelt from Crystal Lake in northern Wisconsin. Last weekend, Zach Lawson and Page Mieritz went up north to sample for smelt as researchers look to see what effect the experiment has had on the population. According to CFL director, Steve Carpenter, …

Crystal Lake: Are Invasive Smelt on Their Way Out?

Back in 2009, a team of engineers and scientists affiliated with the Center for Limnology had a crazy idea – they wanted to see if they could manipulate an entire lake to kill off an invasive fish without harming the lake’s native fish. (The usual method for eradicating an invasive species is poisoning the entire …