Bret Shaw

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-study-shows-americans-searching-for-ways-to-reduce-pfas-exposure-through-drinking-water/

Andrew Savagian

Podcast shares the unexpected lessons of starry stonewort

On: March 25, 2025

In: aquatic invasive species, Bret Shaw, Little Muskego Lake, Paul Skawinski, starry stonewort, Tim Campbell, Tom Reck

Starry stonewort, and invasive aquatic algae, was first found in Wisconsin in 2014.

In 2014, Tom Reck was chairman of the Little Muskego Lake District when an invasive species made an unexpected appearance. It was the first time starry stonewort, an invasive macroalgae, had been found in Wisconsin.

“The problem was, we didn’t really know what was going to happen,” Reck recalled. At the time, little was known about how starry stonewort would behave — or how to control it. Media reports painted a dire picture, with one calling it the “start of the death of a lake.”

Ten years later, starry stonewort’s status in Little Muskego hasn’t changed: it remains at the bottom of the lake despite robust efforts to remove it. But what experts know about managing invasive species has changed.

In the newest season of “Introduced,” Wisconsin Sea Grant’s aquatic invasive species podcast, we not only learn how those experts are tackling the stonewort problem but how language, fear and human responses play a role in managing aquatic invasives.

The power — and peril — of fear

Bret Shaw interviews for the Introduced podcast.

Bret Shaw discusses the risks of fear-based AIS messaging with Introduced. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Fear plays a major role in how people react to aquatic invasive species (AIS). Paul Skawinski, who was involved in the initial response to starry stonewort through his role at Extension Lakes, has since reflected on how AIS messaging has evolved.

“When I started working with AIS 20 years ago in 2004, people didn’t even know what an invasive species was,” said Skawinski. “[Natural resources professionals] really stressed how scary and damaging these species were.”

Fear-based AIS messaging is often based on an assumption that invasive species have devastating consequences in every lake, and aggressive action is necessary to eradicate or contain them. But research has proven that this isn’t always the case. Aquatic invasive species behave differently in different environments.

“Sometimes they’re very aggressive, but sometimes they’re just integrated into the community and they don’t cause any real big issues,” said Skawinski.

Bret Shaw, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, studies how communication influences environmental behavior. He recently collaborated with Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Tim Campbell to evaluate the effectiveness of fear-based AIS messaging, which often pushes lake management groups to consider aggressive herbicide use on their lake. Chemical treatment, however, carries its own risks and may harm native plants, disrupt ecosystems or possibly create better conditions for invasives.

“We want to avoid people creating ecological damage out of fear that’s not proportionate to the risk,” Shaw said.

The importance of waiting and watching

How should one respond when a new invasive species is found in their lake or river? Paul Skawinski now recommends the “wait and see” approach.

“Healthy, balanced lakes with a lot of healthy aquatic plants and healthy shorelines can often defend themselves pretty well against the invasion of a new species,” said Skawinski. “So waiting and watching is an important technique to try and has been pretty successful in Wisconsin.”

Tom Reck’s perspective has also shifted in the last 10 years. “Starry stonewort is a carpet on the bottom [of the lake], which is kind of nice when you’re boating or swimming instead of standing in muck,” said Reck. And although the future remains uncertain, he’s noticed that people around the lake have learned to live with it.

“I’m not sure if it’s as bad as we thought,” said Reck.

To learn more about the story of starry stonewort, the science behind how humans react to new invaders, the consequences of fear-based messaging and the power of waiting and watching, listen to Introduced — available here or on your favorite podcast app.

More resources

The post Podcast shares the unexpected lessons of starry stonewort first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

In: aquatic plant management search terms study, Bret Shaw, cabbage, Division of Extension, freshwater seaweed, Gavin Dehnert, Journal of Aquatic Plant Management, lake weed control, Luke Huffman, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Tim Cambell, UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/podcast-shares-the-unexpected-lessons-of-starry-stonewort/

Jenna Mertz

When it comes to aquatic plant management, words matter

On: February 10, 2025

A lake association volunteer works on managing an unwanted aquatic plant in a Wisconsin lake. Image credit: Paul Skawinski

People searching online for control options related to unwanted plants that grow in lakes and rivers use many different terms. Some call them “lake weeds,” other call them “freshwater seaweed,” still others “cabbage.” Rarely do they search with terms that natural resource managers and scientists use, such as the plants’ Latin names or the formal, “submerged aquatic vegetation.”

These are findings of a study on internet keyword search terms conducted by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers that was recently published in the “Journal of Aquatic Plant Management.”

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources estimates that $9.5 million is spent annually on aquatic plant management in the state. About $2 million of this is state funds, the rest is private dollars. Despite this, little funding or effort is dedicated to education specific to aquatic plant management. This study aimed at filling this information gap.

How people search for information about aquatic plants is critical for guiding professionals on best practices for educational programming and outreach. Such education could also steer people away from the ineffective and potentially harmful use of herbicides in lakes and toward more ecologically sound solutions.

The research team composed of Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Tim Campbell and Gavin Dehnert, UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication and Division of Extension’s Bret Shaw, and Luke Huffman, a Ph.D. student in UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, examined 113 search keywords related to aquatic plant management and recorded the top 10 websites that contained those words.

Tim Campbell. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

“We had 1,130 different websites that popped up,” said Campbell, aquatic invasive species outreach specialist. “What we found across all the keywords was that commercial websites tended to rank higher than institutional and government websites or the mixed websites. Essentially, if you type in a keyword related to aquatic plant management, you’re more likely to get a commercial website than you are a purely information source.

“People appear to be searching for things related to aquatic plant management in a more vernacular colloquial way. As they do that, they’re getting more commercial websites about management, a lot of times, regarding herbicides, which could be why they default to herbicide use as a first choice. And so, the information that we’re putting together, which covers many different management options really isn’t reaching our target audience,” Campbell said.

The research team urged scientists and invasive species program managers to include more generic terms like “lake plants” in their online content and other terms mentioned above so that search engines are more likely to display their content.

Campbell suggested that noncommercial managers, “Just think a little bit more about how we’re writing the content and how that might map out to people looking for it. We probably all want our reports to be seen by our target audience. In this information environment, we need to be using the language of the people we’re trying to reach.”

The study was supported by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The team has a follow-up study planned for this summer where they will produce two versions of aquatic plant management fact sheets — one more scientific and the other with more colloquial terms — and then assess search engine results to see which one captures more internet traffic.

The post When it comes to aquatic plant management, words matter first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/when-it-comes-to-aquatic-plant-management-words-matter/

Negative emotions drive preference for herbicide treatments for aquatic invasive species in Wisconsin lakes

On: February 13, 2024

In: aquatic invasive plants, Biological Invasions, Bret Shaw, Dominique Brossard, Eurasian watermilfoil, fear, herbicide treatments, negative emotions, Richard Heinrich, Theresa Vander Woude, Tim Campbell, University of Wisconsin-Madison

A volunteer looks through a plant rake for invasive species. Monitoring like this is one of the most underrated management actions when invasive species are found in lakes. Image credit: Paul Skawinski

A new study published by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers is the first to explore what drives lakeshore property owners’ preferences for herbicide treatments of aquatic invasive plants over other management options, even if those treatments may harm native plants and animals. The study found that negative emotions and believing that aquatic invasive species are present in the lake where a property owner lives were the strongest predictors for preferring herbicide treatments. Surprisingly, perceived impacts of aquatic invasive species did not affect preferences for herbicidal treatment of aquatic invasive species.

These results provide an opportunity for natural resource managers to educate lakeshore property owners about alternative methods for managing aquatic invasive plants while still leaving options open for herbicide treatment, if needed. Other management options include manual and mechanical removal as well as simply monitoring, since non-native plants can often co-exist with other native plants in a lake without taking over and becoming a nuisance.

“People can develop negative emotions about a subject either through lived experiences or through communications about the subject,” said Bret Shaw, lead author and a Division of Extension environmental communications specialist and Department of Life Science Communication professor. “Given that the perceived impact of invasive species is not driving preference for using herbicides, it is possible that fear-based aquatic invasive species prevention messages may influence higher risk perceptions that cause property owners to seek herbicidal treatment first. Considering other approaches and messaging strategies, too, may help lake organizations achieve better outcomes with their management efforts.”

Aquatic invasive plants in Wisconsin lakes can negatively impact recreation and property values. Many organizations offer education and outreach programs for boaters and anglers to prevent invasive species spread. However, some lakes already have non-native species that can become invasive, and new introductions can occur despite widespread prevention efforts. While there are many ways to manage aquatic invasive plants, lakeshore property owners and lake associations often seek permits to use chemical herbicides even though herbicides themselves can carry a potential risk of ecological harm to the treated lake, which is why herbicides may not necessarily be an appropriate as a first course of action in some waterbodies.

A diver and kayaker remove Eurasian watermilfoil from Spring Lake in Wisconsin. Image credit: Paul Skawinski

Aquatic invasive species are a concern both globally and in Wisconsin, with the Great Lakes on Wisconsin’s borders and another 15,000 inland lakes within them. While the most problematic invasive species aren’t present in most lakes, where they are located, they can reach high densities that can impede boating, negatively affect fishing and alter the ecological functions of a lake. More than $5 million is spent each year in Wisconsin on aquatic invasive species management. However, even with this annual investment and the negative impacts of aquatic invasive species, very little effort has been spent understanding how waterfront property owners feel and think about invasive species management.

“This research is among the first to understand the opinions and beliefs of waterfront property owners about aquatic invasive species management,” said Tim Campbell, the aquatic invasive species program manager for Wisconsin Sea Grant and co-author of the study. “The results of this research will help us create invasive species management education tools and programs that balance efforts to reduce the unwanted impacts of invasive species while protecting the ecological integrity of our lakes.”

Other co-authors include Dominique Brossard, Professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication (LSC) as well as recent LSC graduate students, Richard Heinrich (LSC Ph.D. ‘23) and Theresa Vander Woude (LSC and Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, M.S. ‘21). The full study can be found in the journal Biological Invasions here (https://rdcu.be/dvWb9). Alternatively, email tim.campbell@wisc.edu for a copy.

The post Negative emotions drive preference for herbicide treatments for aquatic invasive species in Wisconsin lakes first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/negative-emotions-drive-preference-for-herbicide-treatments-for-aquatic-invasive-species-in-wisconsin-lakes/

Wisconsin Sea Grant

PFAS in municipal drinking water: New grant designed to improve risk communication in Wisconsin

On: February 6, 2024

In: Bret Shaw, Cristina Carvajal, Gavin Dehnert, Great Lakes, Lyn van Swol, PFAS, Public Health Madison & Dane County, risk communication messaging, UniverCity Alliance, UW-Madison Extension, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Eco-Latinos

The PFAS research team: Lyn van Swol, Bret Shaw, Cristina Carvajal, Gavin Dehnert. Image credit: Hannan Hein of University of Wisconsin-Madison

A team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison received a grant from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant to study PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) messaging to water users in Wisconsin with a special focus on Latinos, since they are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the state.

PFAS, sometimes called “forever” chemicals, are found in various products and can contaminate drinking water. High levels of PFAS have been linked to health risks, such as increased cholesterol levels, decreased vaccine response, risk of thyroid disease, lower birth weights and reduced fertility in women. However, health risks at lower levels are uncertain. Communicating these risks effectively to increase understanding, avoid undue fear and provide recommendations for behaviors people can do to reduce risks is crucial to the 70% of Wisconsinites who depend on municipal water supplies.

“The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources now requires monitoring for PFAS in municipal water supplies and reporting when any are detected at over 70 parts per trillion,” said Lyn van Swol, principal investigator and a professor with UW-Madison’s Department of Communication Arts. “Given these new requirements and uncertainty about the health effects of PFAS, particularly at lower levels, public health educators are struggling with how to communicate with the public about the presence of PFAS in their municipal water supplies.”

Van Swol and the grant team will work to develop effective communication strategies about PFAS risks, focusing on engaging messages that encourage actions such as using water filtration systems. They will do this in three parts. First, they will gather data on people’s internet searches related to PFAS information. Second, they will test specific messages with municipal water users, and finally, test which messages engage social media audiences.

They will share their results via webinars, news releases and collaborations with Spanish-speaking media. The team will also develop resources for environmental and health communication professionals designed to enhance public understanding and proactive response to PFAS exposure in their communities.

The grant team is comprised of van Swol and Bret Shaw, professor with the Department of Life Sciences Communication and an environmental communication specialist with UW-Division of Extension; Gavin Dehnert, emerging contaminant scientist with Wisconsin Sea Grant; and Cristina Carvajal of Wisconsin Eco-Latinos.

Other partners include UW-Madison Extension, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Public Health Madison & Dane County and the UniverCity Alliance.

The study is part of a larger project coordinated by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant that addresses PFAS knowledge gaps in the Great Lakes region.

The post PFAS in municipal drinking water: New grant designed to improve risk communication in Wisconsin first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/pfas-in-municipal-drinking-water-new-grant-designed-to-improve-risk-communication-in-wisconsin/

In: Bret Shaw, Chaterine Christenson, excess nutrients, how people get water news, importance of water for wildlife, Ken Genskow, Michael Cardiff, PFAS, Rural resident perceptions of Wisconsin's Waters, trusted water news sources, University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institutue, University of Wisconsin-Madison, water supply concerns

Wisconsin’s rural residents concerned about water quality

On: December 4, 2023

December 4, 2023
By Marie Zhuikov

A new report published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that Wisconsin’s rural residents perceived significant risks to water quality from pesticides, PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) and excess nutrients. They also ranked water as very or extremely important for supporting wildlife and for hunting and fishing, in addition to home uses such as drinking and cleaning.

These findings regarding groundwater and surface water are based on a study by UW-Madison professors, including Michael Cardiff via a research project funded by the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. The report, entitled, “Rural Resident Perceptions of Wisconsin’s Waters” is available for free download.

As part of a larger project, Cardiff, associate professor of geoscience, and his interdisciplinary team surveyed 1,500 randomly selected households across 16 counties in Wisconsin. They received 481 responses.

Cardiff was struck by the importance water held for rural interests in hunting and fishing. “If we’re talking with rural users about why they might want to protect their water, speaking in that natural reference frame about impacts on fish and wildlife might resonate.”

The finding about the “forever chemicals,” PFAS, surprised Cardiff. “People might just be hearing about this through the media and so it’s something they’re worried about even though it might not be as important as other contaminants in rural settings,” he said. “We usually think of dangerous concentrations of PFAS being associated with industrial operations or airports.”

The survey also contained questions regarding water supply, but respondents had fewer concerns regarding this issue. Cardiff agrees with that assessment. “I would generally say we’re in a good place in Wisconsin on water supply. We tend to have more issues with flooding than we do with not being able to reach water,” he said.

However, Cardiff expects water pollution and water supply to become more important in the future as the Upper Midwest is touted as a climate haven and more people move here.

Rural residents were also surveyed about how they get their news about water. “Rural residents don’t get a lot of news about their water, or at least they don’t report getting a lot of news. The most cited sources of information were local news or friends and family, but even use of those sources was quite low,” Cardiff said.

Respondents ranked other sources of information more trustworthy than local news or their friends. This included UW scientists, research organizations and private well testers. But rural residents don’t report hearing from them very often.

Cardiff expects the report to be useful for state legislators and water regulatory agencies. Collaborating with him on it were UW student Catherine Christenson; Ken Genskow, professor of planning and landscape architecture; and Bret Shaw, associate professor of life sciences communication.

The post Wisconsin’s rural residents concerned about water quality first appeared on WRI.

News Release | WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/wisconsins-rural-residents-concerned-about-water-quality/

Aquatic invasive species management through people management

On: April 28, 2023

In: aquatic invasive species management, behavior change, Bret Shaw, North American Lake Management Society, social science, Tim Campbell, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Natural resource management issues often boil down to people management issues. When it comes to lake management, people can be hard to predict. They may say one thing but do another. They may think they’re good environmental stewards even though some of their behaviors suggest otherwise. But to make meaningful progress in aquatic invasive species management issues, human behavior must be taken into account.

Intersections between natural and social science is the theme of a recent article written by Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Tim Campbell and University of Wisconsin-Madison Associate Professor and Division of Extension Environmental Communication Specialist Bret Shaw. “Natural and Social Science Work Better Together for Managing AIS” appeared in the spring 2023 issue of “Lakeline,” published by the North American Lake Management Society.

The article outlines effective social science methods, including understanding target audiences, crafting better messages and addressing barriers to behavior change.

The post Aquatic invasive species management through people management first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/aquatic-invasive-species-management-through-people-management/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aquatic-invasive-species-management-through-people-management

Research survey aligns the Wisconsin Idea with water

On: August 25, 2022

In: Bret Shaw, Campbell Dunn, Catherine Christenson, Ken Genskow, Michael Cardiff, natural language processing, rural Wisconsin groundwater quality and quantity perceptions, survey, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Idea

August 25, 2022
By Marie Zhuikov

The Wisconsin Idea is one of the longest and deepest traditions surrounding the University of Wisconsin. It promotes the principle that education and the influence of the university need to reach beyond the boundaries of the classroom across the state.

A new Water Resources Institute project will survey rural communities across Wisconsin to discover their perceptions about groundwater quality and quantity. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov

Associate Professor of Geoscience Michael Cardiff and his research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are applying the Wisconsin Idea to groundwater issues. They received two years of funding from the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute to survey rural residents about their perceptions regarding groundwater quality and quantity. The findings will be interpreted by a panel of experts who will use the results to inform future water opportunities and research directions.

“The central goal is basically understanding people’s perspectives on this issue of water availability with the idea that if we better understand stakeholders — the people who care about water — we can do a better job of making decisions that are positive and are viewed positively,” Cardiff said.

The water survey will be sent by mail in early 2023 to people who live in rural communities. “As far as we’re aware, it’s going to be the first of its kind to try and get a better handle on rural Wisconsin perspectives,” Cardiff said. “We are focusing on rural counties because 97% of our state is rural and the majority of water is beneath those counties, but we’re also trying to get some diversity represented in the counties we are surveying.” Cardiff noted that rural communities depend on groundwater for their drinking water supply because many do not have public water treatment systems.

For a second part of the study, the researchers will examine news stories, research reports, county plans and public comments with a technique called natural language processing, which allows computers to read and extract meaning from text. The computers will be instructed to analyze and summarize articles that contain terms such as “water quality.” Cardiff explained this is another way to tune into conversations surrounding water issues in various communities.

This project was an unexpected benefit from the social isolation that Cardiff experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. “It was a great chance to pause and consider the impact of my work,” he said. “I came to the conclusion that I love the technical aspects of the work I do, but one of the reasons I’m in hydrology is that it’s important that the work has positive outcomes – both for people and the planet. I felt there was a niche to make more connections with people about what’s going on with water resources and understand their perspectives so we can have productive conversations throughout the state.”

Collaborating with Cardiff on the project are Bret Shaw, associate professor in life sciences communication and Ken Genskow, professor of planning and landscape architecture. Both are at UW-Madison. Shaw will ensure the survey questions elicit useful information and that they are understandable. Genskow has experience bridging the gap between water science and social science. He’ll bring his experience working with rural communities on issues such as nitrate contamination in groundwater.

They will be aided by students Catherine Christenson and Campbell Dunn.

This project is also receiving additional funding from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The post Research survey aligns the Wisconsin Idea with water first appeared on WRI.

News Release | WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/research-survey-aligns-the-wisconsin-idea-with-water/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=research-survey-aligns-the-wisconsin-idea-with-water

Sea Grant project faves, Tim Campbell

On: January 7, 2022

In: AIS metaphor project, Barry Radler, Bret Shaw, Brooke Alexander, Environmental Mangement journal, Sara Fox, Tim Campbell

The calendar has flipped to 2022. Our staff members are ready to tackle new projects in the coming 12 months, which also happens to mark Sea Grant’s 50th anniversary. Before they move more deeply into this anniversary, however, some staff members took a moment to retain the glow of their favorite 2021 project.

Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Tim Campbell. (Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant)

No matter the day or time, Tim Campbell is frequently thinking about aquatic invasive species (AIS) and outreach. Our specialist on this topic shared:

I’ve been working on this project for a while, but the AIS metaphor work I completed with University of Wisconsin-Madison Life Sciences Communication Professor Bret Shaw finally wrapped up in 2021. We started this effort in 2018 and worked with graduate student biological illustrator Brooke Alexander to create drawings that captured the essences of our chosen metaphors to describe preventing the spread of nonnative species.

We then pilot tested the drawings at a fishing expo with our AIS student assistant Sara Fox to make sure that our target audience was seeing what we hoped they would.

In the summer of 2018, we used Facebook ads to test the metaphors and collect data. Analysis (Barry Radler helped with this) and manuscript preparation and revision took up 2019 and 2020, and the paper was finally published in August 2021 in the journal Environmental Management.

Check out an archived talk about the project. We’ve also presented this work to regional, national and international audiences since the paper was published. It’s received a good amount of interest and it’s been fun to talk to these different audiences about the nuances. Hopefully, it leads to new approaches to AIS communication!

The post Sea Grant project faves, Tim Campbell first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/sea-grant-project-faves-tim-campbell/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sea-grant-project-faves-tim-campbell

Wisconsin Sea Grant

New research provides guidance for effective public messaging about invasive species prevention

On: August 20, 2021

In: AIS, aquatic invasive species, Bret Shaw, invasive species, science communication, Tim Campbell

You could say that preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) is a team sport. While it takes the professional efforts of natural resource managers, AIS specialists and others in the environmental field, it also takes the cooperation of the public.

Professionals encourage and rely on boaters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts to take preventative actions such as cleaning, draining and drying their boats and other watercraft and not moving water or live bait from one lake to another. Successful management of AIS and the help of a vigilant public go hand in hand.

Yet for community members to take necessary actions, they must first be aware of the negative impacts AIS can have and how to stop their spread. Communicating with them about AIS in an effective way is vital.

New research from Wisconsin Sea Grant Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Tim Campbell, University of Wisconsin-Madison Associate Professor Bret Shaw and consultant Barry T. Radler sheds new light on such communication. The researchers analyzed which communication strategies are most effective and which may pose unintended problems. Shaw is a faculty member in the Department of Life Sciences Communication and is also an environmental communication specialist in the university’s Division of Extension.

The team’s findings were published online Aug. 14 in the journal Environmental Management (“Testing Emphasis Message Frames and Metaphors on Social Media to Engage Boaters to Learn about Preventing the Spread of Zebra Mussels”).

This advertisement is an example of the “science” message framing–a straightforward, factual approach. (Artwork by Brooke Alexander)

The trio used Facebook as a platform to test five types of messages—each invoking a different metaphor or message frame—to educate people about zebra mussels, a significant problem in the Great Lakes and elsewhere. These communication strategies can shape how people understand and form opinions about complex issues.

Paid advertising on Facebook and the social media site’s message-testing feature enabled the researchers to present these different messages to 270,000 people in Wisconsin with an interest in lakes, boating or fishing.

Although the ads presented messages similar to those commonly used in invasive species communication, up until this point little testing had actually been done about their effectiveness. The commonly used message frames were dubbed hitchhiker, militaristic, nativist, science and protective. The messages were paired with artwork by Brooke Alexander.

Many communication goals, the team found, can be achieved by using fact-based or more positive message frames. In general, the science frame—a direct, factual approach—will always perform at least as well as nativist and militaristic frames.

Said Campbell, “This work provides real-world results that can help those working with invasive species achieve their desired communication results, while avoiding possible unintended consequences from their messaging.” For example, nativist message framing (e.g., “alien,” “exotic”) can have unwanted xenophobic connotations while also not performing better than other frames on any tested metric.

Militaristic message framing can be fraught with unintended connotations. (Artwork by Brooke Alexander)

Similarly, militaristic framing (such as stating we are “at war” with invasive species) can create potentially unhealthy relationships with nature and misguided views on how to manage invasive species.

Shaw noted that the metrics tested for the Facebook ads included cost-per-click, shares and comments. As he explained, “Many scholars and AIS professionals have debated the use of nativist or militaristic language in prevention campaigns, since many of them find that language to be fraught with unwanted implications. Based on our research, we recommend that outreach professionals skip those nativist and militaristic frames and focus instead on clearly communicated science.”

The team’s journal article may be read online. The research was supported by Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.

For further information, contact Campbell at tim.campbell@wisc.edu.

The post New research provides guidance for effective public messaging about invasive species prevention first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-research-provides-guidance-for-effective-public-messaging-about-invasive-species-prevention/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-research-provides-guidance-for-effective-public-messaging-about-invasive-species-prevention

Jennifer Smith

Findings from two Sea Grant-funded aquaculture projects now published

On: June 22, 2020

In: aquaculture, Atlantic salmon, Bret Shaw, consumer opinion, Emma Wiermaa, Greg Fischer, Kristin Runge, NADF, RAS-N, saprolegnia, saprolegniasis, social science, UWSP NADF

Two Sea Grant-funded aquaculture studies have borne fruit with new publications. One aids the growing industry surrounding Atlantic salmon raised in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). The other looks at Wisconsin residents’ views of aquaculture (often called fish farming) and related public policy.

Both tie in with the broader goals of Wisconsin Sea Grant and the National Sea Grant Office in terms of supporting a sustainable, domestic supply of fish and seafood and closing the trade gap in this sector of the economy.

In this 2018 photo, Greg Fischer and Emma Wiermaa handle a fish at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, located in Bayfield. (Photo: Narayan Mahon)

The Atlantic salmon paper appears in the June/July issue of Aquaculture Magazine (Vol. 46, No. 3). Its authors are Greg Fischer, Emma Wiermaa, Chris Good, John Davidson and Steve Summerfelt. Fischer and Wiermaa are based at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF). Located in Bayfield, NADF is a frequent partner with Wisconsin Sea Grant and Wiermaa’s position as an aquaculture outreach specialist and research associate is co-supported by Sea Grant.

The Aquaculture Magazine article looks at some of the issues affecting the growing of the land-based salmon industry in the U.S., such as saprolegniasis (commonly called “fungus”), which can affect both farm-raised and wild fish. (For more information, see our previous story here.)

The piece also looks at methods for preventing “off flavor” in the fish. Often described as a musty or earthy taste, it can be off-putting for consumers.

Fischer, Wiermaa and their collaborators are also participants in a broader initiative funded by the National Sea Grant Office called RAS-N, for Recirculating Aquaculture Salmon Network. A large-scale effort between three Sea Grant programs—Wisconsin, Maryland and Maine—and numerous private and nonprofit research entities, RAS-N aims to support the growth of sustainable, land-based salmon production in the United States. That collaboration kicked off with a December 2019 meeting in northern Wisconsin.

The second paper hot off the digital press, so to speak, springs from social science research conducted by Bret Shaw, Kristin Runge, Laura Witzling, Shiyu Yang, Chris Hartleb and Deidre Peroff. On June 16, it was published online in the journal Environmental Communication.

The paper focuses on insights gleaned from a survey of 3,000 randomly selected Wisconsin households. While consumer views on aquaculture have been widely studied in Europe, the topic has received less attention in the U.S. The team looked at emotions and opinions about Wisconsin aquaculture—which, they found, were generally favorable among those surveyed.

The team also looked at predictors of support for environmental policy in nuanced situations: individuals may want policy to help an industry grow, to regulate it, or both at the same time.

The paper, “Predictors of Environmental Policy Support: The Case of Inland Aquaculture in Wisconsin,” may be found online.

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/findings-from-aquaculture-projects-published/

Jennifer Smith

Wisconsin fish farmers look to boost their marketing savvy and stay on top of current science

On: March 25, 2020

In: aquaculture, Bret Shaw, fish farming, Kristin Runge, Wisconsin Aquaculture Association

When you picture farming in Wisconsin, you might think first of dairy cattle or vegetable crops. But aquaculture, or fish farming, is also an important part of Wisconsin’s ag economy.

As one speaker—Todd Kalish of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources—pointed out at the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association’s annual conference earlier this month, fish farming represents $21 million in economic activity for our state and 500 jobs. Among Midwestern states, Wisconsin is home to the highest number of aquaculture operations.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic brought business travel to a halt for many, the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association (WAA) held its annual meeting March 6-7 in Marshfield. Wisconsin Sea Grant co-sponsored the conference, reflecting the importance the National Sea Grant Office places on developing sustainable, domestic aquaculture.

The theme of this year’s WAA conference was “Diversifying Our Markets.” As the organization’s president, Bill West of Blue Iris Fish Farm, noted, a lot of farmers love growing things, but find that marketing is not their strong suit or passion. As a result, several sessions were designed to help farmers think creatively about how to connect with consumers.

Bret Shaw presents Sea Grant-supported research on needs and opportunities faced by Wisconsin fish farmers. (Photo: Jennifer Smith)

University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers Bret Shaw and Kristin Runge presented their Wisconsin Sea Grant-funded research over several sessions. They undertook a multi-part project that looked at how fish farmers perceive their industry, and what their needs and opportunities are; what Wisconsin consumers think about farm-raised fish; and how people respond to social-media messaging about farmed fish.

Although not present at the conference, collaborators in this work included Shiyu Yang, Laura Witzling, Chris Hartleb and Deidre Peroff. You can find full reports on the work done by this team online (see “Aquaculture in Wisconsin: Results from a Statewide Survey of Fish Farmers” and “Consumer Attitudes Toward Wisconsin Farm-Raised Fish: Public Opinion and Marketing Recommendations.”)

Other sessions covered public-private partnerships related to fish stocking, the latest research from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, fish health and biosecurity, yellow perch research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, workforce development and more.

Rainbow trout served at lunch came from Silver Moon Springs Farm in Elton, Wisconsin. (Photo: Jennifer Smith)

Of course, it’s not an aquaculture conference without getting to taste the fruits of Wisconsin farmers’ labors. In addition to the traditional “Taste of Wisconsin” evening social highlighting local products, Friday’s lunch—while attendees heard from National Aquaculture Association President Paul Zajicek—was a tasty and healthy plate of rainbow trout from Silver Moon Springs Farm in Elton, Wisconsin.