Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID SD-2025-Coulter

Leveraging Boating and Angling Social Networks for AIS Prevention: Identification of Influential Individuals and Trusted Knowledge Sources

Institute: South Dakota
USGS Grant Number:
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-08-01 End Date: 2029-07-31
Total Federal Funds: $156,333 Total Non-Federal Funds: $156,333

Principal Investigators: Alison Coulter

Project Summary: Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) can negatively influence our local economies and natural resources. These species are very costly to manage once they invade, but it is cheaper if we can prevent their spread into new areas. In the Upper Mississippi River Basin, common ways that AIS are spread are through the activities of boaters or anglers who may unintentionally move AIS by failing to engage in best practices (sanitize boats and gear) or by not following regulations (dumping of live bait). Agencies try to communicate best practices and regulations to the public by a variety of methods, but boaters and anglers may be more likely to listen to certain individuals or groups. This project will identify which individuals or groups boaters and anglers are most likely to listen to in order for this information to be used to make AIS prevention communications more cost-effective and efficient.