WIU students, faculty research ways to combat Asian carp

MACOMB, Ill. (AP) - Biology students and faculty at Western Illinois University are conducting research to help combat the invasion of Asian carp.

The university says the research is part of a grant WIU received to study Asian carp in the Upper Illinois and Mississippi rivers. It includes applying experimental GPS tags to the carp to study their movement and habitat.

A team of 12 undergraduate and graduate students is working with WIU biologists and the U.S. Geological Survey's Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center.

Jim Lamer is the manager of the Kibbe Field Station and is advising the students. He says the research will help biologists better understand the invasive species and make better decisions about how to manage it. He says it also prepares students for careers in aquatic sciences.