An excursion boat at sunset on West Lake Okoboji near Arnold’s Park. (Photo by Kathie Obradovich/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Students pursuing graduate degrees in fisheries biology, aquatic ecology and related paths can apply for an endowed fellowship with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to conduct research in the Iowa Great Lakes ecosystem.
The fellowship, named after long-time DNR Fisheries employee Edward Thelen, gives students the opportunity for hands-on research alongside DNR staff and with the University of Iowa’s Iowa Lakeside Laboratory.
Students in the fellowship, which was funded by private donors, will focus their research on topics like fish population dynamics, invasive species management, water quality monitoring, and watershed health, according to a press release from DNR.
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The Iowa Great Lakes include seven water bodies in the Okoboji region, including Big Spirit Lake and both East and West Okoboji lakes. Aquatic and fisheries research will inform conservation strategies for the area and other Midwest lake systems.
Mary Skopec, the executive director of the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory which is located on West Okoboji Lake, said the partnership with DNR will give “graduate students unparalleled opportunities to conduct impactful research.”
“It’s an investment not just in science, but in the future health and sustainability of our lakes, rivers, and watersheds,” Skopec said.
Several lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes system have been listed as impaired by the department due to undesirable pH, turbidity and high levels of certain nutrients.
Mike Hawkins, DNR’s northwest regional fisheries management supervisor, said the fellowship will attract the “brightest graduate students” to the “unique and valuable ecosystem.”
“The Iowa Great Lakes are not only a natural treasure for our state but also a living laboratory for understanding aquatic systems,” Hawkins said in the press release. “This program ensures that future scientists will have the resources, mentorship, and access they need to continue protecting these waters for generations to come.”
Interested graduate students can apply by contacting Andrew Carlson, the fisheries biologist at the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery, at andrew.carlson@dnr.iowa.gov.
