Citizen Lake Monitoring Network

As a person who works around water, you should be aware of problems associated with algal toxins. They have been implicated in deaths of pets, livestock and, in one case, a man in Wisconsin. Since few people drink algae laden water, the primary danger comes from skin reactions or respiratory problems associated the toxin.

Can you tell the difference between freshwater jellyfish and bryozoans? The freshwater jellyfish found in Wisconsin are one of several species of Craspedacusta native to China. Two species (C. sowerbii and C. sinensis) live in the Yangtze River?the world's third longest river and one so vast it makes the Wisconsin River seem like a trout stream! Freshwater jellyfish were first reported in North America as early as 1884. Sightings in Wisconsin date to 1969.

Pictured: Several adult freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) in the medusa stage. Photo by Sharon Milstead.
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Bryozoans are native to Wisconsin. Bryozoans are colony-forming animals. Many millions of individuals can form one colony. The colonies range from millimeters to meters in size, but the individuals that make up the colonies are tiny, usually less than a millimeter long.

Pictured: Bryozoan on a rake
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Thanks to all volunteers, participation in 2007 reached an all-time high. In 2007, 846 monitoring stations & 962 volunteers were active. In 2006, there were 798 stations & 832 volunteers active. The Citizen Lake Monitoring Network is growing!