It was no tricks, only treats for all of us this Halloween! October 31st brought the end to many of our fisheries monitoring seasons. Every year it is our greatest privilege to work with and mentor young professionals as they dip their feet in the water of the rivers and work we all love!

#ManuscriptMonday

Please help share! We have an opening for a fundraising coordinator available! illinois-river-bio-station.inhs.illinois.edu/about/careers/

Happy #NationalCatfishDay! Illinois is home to 13 native catfish species! Here are a few you might find out on the Illinois River!

Starting with our common commercial and recreational species: Flathead, Channel, and Blue catfishes

@prairieresearch.bsky.social

Scenario: It’s the first day of a new fisheries field season. Your crew leader shows up in an electrofishing boat, both of which are covered in #mayflies. You’re not sure, but there appears to be a faint exclamation point above his head as he invites you along on a side quest. How do you answer?

Happy World Turtle Day!

Clockwise from top left:
Spiny Softshell
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Red-eared Slider
Smooth Softshell
Common Snapping Turtle
Northern Map Turtle
Painted Turtle
Ouachita Map Turtle
False Map Turtle
Eastern Musk Turtle

We're looking to hire a fundraising coordinator for 2 separate campaigns. Come join the IRBS team! illinois-river-bio-station.inhs.illinois.edu/about/employ...

We had some modifications done to our airboat, so we test drove it on Emiquon today. The wildlife views never disappoint! #ExperienceEmiquon

Happy #EarthDay! Today we began our annual aquatic invertebrate monitoring season. Using a PONAR sampler like a claw machine, we sample the river sediments for inverts that form the base of the food wed. Their sensitivity to pollution also makes them important indicators of our river’s health. #UMRR

This past week, IRBS staff attended the annual Mississippi River Research Consortium meeting, a group of public agencies, private organizations & universities that conduct research on the Mississippi River and its watershed. IRBS staff and graduate students contributed to 7 talks and 5 posters.

We spent the last few days in Rock Island at the Illinois Chapter of the American Fisheries Society meeting. This meeting includes presentations by state management agencies and research personnel, including many students, that help manage the state's aquatic resources for future generations.

This week began our 2-week winter #waterquality monitoring season. We're thankful for our partners at the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge and use of their airboat while ours is in the shop. Ice thickness on Tuesday was still around 8 inches in most places, though quickly thawing. #UMRR

This past week 2 staff & 1 grad student presented at the annual #MidwestFW in St. Louis as part of a symposium titled "Sharing Knowledge Across Sub-basins: Invasive Carp in the Missouri River Basin and Beyond."

Work on our aquatic macroinvertebrate project was highlighted in last summer’s edition of “Our Mississippi”! Check it out, and follow the link below for more highlights of work being done on the Upper Mississippi River! #UMRR

www.mvd.usace.army.mil/Portals/52/o...

Hello! Part of INHS @prairieresearch.bsky.social, the Illinois River Biological Station, our mission is to advance scientific understanding, conservation, and sustainable management of our large river ecosystems through cutting-edge research, partnerships, and public education. Check us out!