Science & Research

The Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (GLKN) From silent headwater streams to the wide expanses of Lakes Michigan and Superior, one can find water of every kind in the nine parks of the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network. But the national parks protect more than just outstanding waters. The parks are also a place to track wildlife and plant populations, changes in the landscape, and the effects of pollution on the environment. Great Lakes Network scientists use the parks for science and the science is used to help the parks manage their resources. Learn more about the research and collaboration between GLKN and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Forest Management Assessment The Forest Management Assessment is a continuation of the Missississippi National River and Recreation Area's Vegetation Survey completed in 2015. The assessment added 400 additional data points and developed five metrics focusing on forested habitats within the Park. These metrics take into account current and potential future conditions to score specific sites and habitat types. These scores rank which sites are more likely candidates for future restorations, or determine which habitat types may require replacement after conditions like the emerald ash borer infestation or climate change alter species composition in the locations. Climate Change Climate change is already affecting national parks across the country. Visit our climate change pages to learn more about our changing climate and what you can do to help! Water Quality Find out what's being done to clean up the river, get informed about what you can do to reduce the amount of pollutants entering the river and join up with others to make a difference. Learn more about water quality in the Mississippi River. Invasive Carp Read about how invasive carp might impact our rivers and lakes, how they spread, and what they eat. The National Park Service is encouraging boaters to trailer boats around the locks instead of going through them. This will minimize the chance that invasive carp will pass through the locks and into uninfested waters. Please do your part to help stop these fish! Learn more about minimizing lock usage. River Otters North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) are a sign of clean water and a healthy river ecosystem, and are making a comeback in urban stretches of the Mississippi River. Learn more about river otters and how the park studies them with otter "sign surveys". Waterbird Survey Migrating waterbirds arrive each fall on the pools of the upper Mississippi River to forage and to follow the river south toward wintering areas. A partnership, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), is monitoring the number of waterbirds for management purposes. Vegetation Survey As part of a multi-year vegetation study, scientists for the National Park Service are surveying our plants and forests. Scientists at the Great Lakes Inventorying and Monitoring Network surveyed the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in 2011. The study helps us make informed decisions about resource management and maintenance within the park. Bald Eagle Survey Chances are high that you've seen a bald eagle along the Mississippi recently. The National Park Service is studying bald eagles to determine the persistence of various chemicals in the upper Mississippi River, the Saint Croix and the Apostle Islands. Learn more about bald eagle studies and how they relate to the health of the larger river ecosystem. Cottonwood Tree Restoration The National Park Service is working with partner organizations the Mississippi Park Connection, Minnesota GreenCorps, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation, and the University of Minnesota, to determine best approaches to restoring young cottonwoods in flood plain forests. Learn more about cottonwood restoration efforts. Get Involved Did you know you can help us figure out the distribution of plants and animals in our park? iNaturalist.com is a citizen science project that allows us to track the location of species we are studying, such as otters, and invasive species within our park. Check out our iNaturalist projects: The Life of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Minnesota Metro Otter Survey Coyote Sightings in the Twin Cities