Café Scientifique - Good Weeds and Bad Weeds: Saving Our Underwater Prairies in the Land of 10,000 Lakes

The plant communities that lie below the surface of our lakes are incredibly valuable both ecologically and economically. Human introductions of new species to Minnesota lakes mean that these plants are under threat from new competitors for nutrients, light and space. Where these new competitors dominate and cause problems, we label them invasive species. The lake plants under threat from invasive species don't have to go it alone; across our state, lake managers have stepped into the fight against invasive plants. We will check in on the fight against invasive aquatic plants by exploring the ecology of invasions and their management through the lens of Minnesota's lakes.