Genoa Intern Greg Knothe - FWS photo

Viterbo University (WI) senior Gregg Knothe joined the ongoing June activities at the Genoa (WI) National Fish Hatchery for an 80 hour internship this year. 

Knothe is learning all about the tender nuances of getting lake sturgeon on exogenous feed, pond harvesting of spring fingerling walleye and bass, and mussel propagation Mississippi River style.  He is also learning about warmwater pond biology, the pH cycle in ponds, and how to manage a water body to increase zooplankton populations and total pond biomass. 

A water sampling project of nitrogen and phosphorus levels at the station will demonstrate specific nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in aquaculture ponds, and the importance of monitoring and managing these nutrients to maximize fish production. 

By the time of his departure, Knothe will also have gained firsthand experience in conservation biology and the role that hatcheries can play in recovering and restoring aquatic resources.  He hopes to make a living in natural resource conservation, and his time at Genoa should begin to provide a base which he can build on for a long and productive career.