The University of Minnesota was awarded a $695,948 Project Grant by the U.S. Geological Survey under the Assistance to State Water Resources Research Institutes federal grant program (CFDA 15.805) to conduct genomic surveillance of zebra mussel populations in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The key deliverables include:
- Developing genomic assays to analyze zebra mussel veligers and low-biomass samples, enabling early-stage detection of new infestations.
- Establishing a repository for real-time genomic data to support zebra mussel spread monitoring.
- Building a web-based visualization tool to make the genomic surveillance data accessible to AIS managers, researchers, and the public.
- Publishing scientific papers and presenting findings at conferences.
The 3-year project aims to expand genotyping efforts to newly invaded waterbodies and correlate the genetic data with boater/angler records to better understand the pathways of zebra mussel spread. The expected outcomes include an updated picture of the invasion's western front and improved methods for early detection to inform management decisions.
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