
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) are plants, animals and pathogens that are “out of place.” A species is regarded as invasive if it has been introduced by human action to a location, area, or region where it did not previously occur naturally (i.e., is not native), becomes capable of establishing a breeding population in the new location without further intervention by humans, and spreads widely throughout the new location.
Humans have created conditions where plants and animals can aggressively invade and dominate water bodies in three ways:
Controlling invasive species is difficult and costly, and eradicating them is often impossible. Whenever possible, preventing invasive species from arriving in the first place is the best option. More information about AIS can be found on the MN DNR Website.