Pictured is a mussel culture cage produced at Genoa NFH

Jorge and Brandon are the current STEP students for Genoa NFH

Genoa National Fish Hatchery is a member of the Ohio River Aquatic Restoration Technical Committee, a group formed to assist in the recovery of aquatic species in a two mile section of the Ohio River affected by a chemical spill.  As an ORATRC member, Genoa NFH has transferred mussel culture expertise to West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (ORARTC member), constructed mussel culture cages for WVDNR to use in their inaugural mussel culture program, and performed host identification trials that were of interest for the ORARTC.  Genoa NFH has again been asked to construct 18 mussel cages for the WVDNR to be used in the spring of 2009.  The hatchery used this request for cages to provide an opportunity for work for the station’s STEP employees Jorge Buening and Brandon Keesler.   Buening and Keesler spent part of their Christmas break at the hatchery assembling cages.  This assignment allowed Buening and Keesler to learn how the hatchery partners with other Fish and Wildlife Service offices as well as state agencies and other conservation grouips.  This growing knowledge of how the Fish and Wildlife Service operates will serve Buening and Keesler in their future endeavors to become Conservation Professional.