Invasive Species Testing

"Invasive Species" are best thought of as "things" you don't want in your lake. They can be weed-like or animal/bug-like. The Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters, in co-operation with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, runs a program where Loon Lake has been a sample site for two years. Biological samples have been taken using a sampling kits provided by the OFAH. The picture shows a large, very fine net with a "cod bottle" attached on the end. The unit is dragged through the water to capture plankton that may contain evidence of undesirable invasive species such as zebra mussels or the spiny water flea. The plankton sample is then put into a sample bottle and the bottle topped-up with alcohol and is then sent to a lab for analysis. Last year Loon Lake got good test results and this year's sample has just been submitted.