Evaluating Illinois' organisms in trade outreach impacts on hobbyists and informing future efforts Article Swipe
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· 2023
· Open Access
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· DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8125476
· OA: W4383609943
The spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) by aquarium and water garden hobbyists is of great concern throughout freshwater ecosystems. To teach hobbyists about the dangers of AIS and how individuals can prevent their spread, numerous outreach campaigns have been developed. In the U.S. state of Illinois, the Illinois – Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) developed the <em>Be A Hero – Release Zero</em> outreach campaign in 2013, and has since promoted that campaign as well as <em>Take AIM: Aquatic Invaders in the Marketplace</em>, <em>What’s in your water garden?</em> and <em>What’s in your aquarium? </em>The present study was developed to assess the impact of IISG outreach by examining familiarity with these campaigns, as well as AIS-related beliefs and behaviors.
