By Abby Bezrutczyk
Anyone who works in ecology knows that collaborations are key to getting things done, and aquatic invasive species management is no exception. With the Long Island-Metro Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force, or LIMAIS (pronounced “lime-ace”), researchers, federal, state, and local agencies, municipalities, and nonprofits, create a supportive professional community that tackles issues big and small, from educating on marine invasive species to creating technical tools. Finding success, similar collaborations are taking form in other areas of the state.
Starting in 2019, LIMAIS brought together partners to identify needs, focal species, and educational opportunities. Since then, the partners have grown to encompass nearly 50 group members. The work of the task force is directed by the group, who come to the seasonal meetings with their recent sightings, concerns, needs, initiatives, and ideas, and then bring those ideas into reality.
It takes unique skills to be an effective waterbody steward, prompting the need for professional development among task force members. To build these skills, LIMAIS has hosted webinars on data collection tools like iMapInvasives, and aquatic invasive species identification workshops. In order to prioritize surveying and management needs, members worked together to create a waterbody prioritization framework, now available as a webmap. When members saw a need for marine invasive species resources, LIMAIS developed marine invasive species identification cards, which have been printed and will be distributed soon.
These collaborations also extend to the field, with organizations supporting each other in water chestnut pulls, ludwigia peploides rapid response, and other projects in invasive species management.
“The projects being furthered by LIMAIS could not be completed without the dedicated members that are working collaboratively to achieve their goals,” says Steven Pearson, currently a Research Scientist I with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, former LIISMA program manager, and a founding member of LIMAIS.
With LIMAIS going strong, similar collaborative groups are taking shape in the Hudson Valley (Hudson River AIS Task Force). Like LIMAIS, their group hosts webinars, gathers best management practices, and creates a network that bridges organizations around a common goal.
Protecting the health of waterbodies, from aquatic invasive species issues and other environmental threats, can seem like a daunting task. But it’s in these groups that new solutions can come to light, each bringing us one step closer to better waters.
If your organization is interested in joining LIMAIS, please contact invasive@liisma.org.
Mark your calendars! Upcoming LIMAIS Events:
- Water chestnut pulls: May 31, June 15. Massapequa
- LIISMA is hosting a webinar on aquatic invasive species on June 7th at 4:30 pm
