Aquatic Plant Management Society

Aquatic Plant Management Society
Name	Aquatic Plant Management Society
Founded	1958
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	United States
Region served	International
Membership	Scientists, managers, policymakers

Aquatic Plant Management Society is a professional association focused on the science, management, and policy of aquatic vegetation and invasive aquatic plants. The society brings together practitioners, researchers, and administrators from agencies, universities, and industry to address issues related to freshwater and marine macrophytes, hydrophytes, and algal blooms. Its activities span ecology, restoration, chemical and mechanical control, and regulatory frameworks, engaging with a broad network of stakeholders across North America and internationally.

History

Founded in the late 1950s, the society emerged as part of a growing postwar interest in conservation movement, wetlands conservation, and natural resource management exemplified by organizations such as the National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, and The Nature Conservancy. Early meetings attracted staff from agencies like the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Geological Survey, and state departments of natural resources, as well as academics from institutions such as University of Florida, Texas A&M University, Michigan State University, and Cornell University. The society’s development paralleled major environmental milestones including the passage of the Clean Water Act, debates around the Endangered Species Act, and responses to invasive species crises like the spread of Eurasian watermilfoil, Hydrilla verticillata outbreaks, and zebra mussel colonization. Over decades the society expanded involvement with international programs, collaborating with entities including Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, and regional bodies addressing invasive species in the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and Gulf of Mexico.

Mission and Objectives

The society’s mission emphasizes the application of science to manage aquatic plants for ecological integrity, navigation, recreation, and agriculture, aligning with goals advanced by U.S. National Park Service, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and Environmental Protection Agency. Objectives include promoting peer-reviewed research of relevance to managers at institutions like Smithsonian Institution, advancing integrated pest management approaches endorsed by United States Department of Agriculture and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, supporting restoration projects akin to those in the Everglades and San Francisco Bay, and fostering policy dialogues comparable to forums run by World Wildlife Fund and Nature Conservancy Global. The society also seeks to inform legislation and regulation through engagement with bodies such as the U.S. Congress, Environmental Protection Agency, and state legislatures.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises federal and state agency biologists, university researchers from universities including University of Wisconsin–Madison, Oregon State University, University of California, Davis, extension specialists from Iowa State University and Penn State University, consultants, and industry representatives from companies working with aquatic herbicides and restoration equipment. Governance typically features an elected board of directors, committees for science, outreach, and policy modeled on structures used by Ecological Society of America, American Fisheries Society, and Society for Conservation Biology. Officers often include individuals with ties to academic departments at University of Florida, federal laboratories at USGS National Wetlands Research Center, and state agencies like Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The society provides student chapters and early-career awards similar to recognitions offered by National Science Foundation-funded programs and professional societies such as American Society of Agronomy.

Conferences and Publications

Annual conferences convene researchers, managers, and vendors in venues across the United States and occasionally internationally, patterned after meetings of American Geophysical Union, Ecological Society of America, and Society of Wetland Scientists. Sessions address topics ranging from mapping with technologies promoted by USGS National Geospatial Program and NASA, to chemical control strategies such as those registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, to biological control projects related to agents approved by United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The society publishes proceedings, technical bulletins, and a peer-reviewed journal or newsletter analogous to publications from Journal of Applied Ecology, Restoration Ecology, Hydrobiologia, and Aquatic Botany, disseminating studies by authors affiliated with Duke University, University of Minnesota, Rutgers University, and governmental laboratories. Workshops and symposia often partner with organizations like Society for Ecological Restoration and International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Research and Education Programs

Research initiatives supported or facilitated by the society include experimental evaluations of herbicide efficacy similar to trials at USDA Agricultural Research Service stations, ecological assessments informed by methods from Long Term Ecological Research Network, and invasive species risk analyses paralleling work by the Invasive Species Specialist Group. Education programs include training for applicators comparable to certifications from state pesticide regulatory agencies, outreach curricula used by Extension (land-grant university) programs, and student internships modeled on positions at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration laboratories. Collaborative research extends to laboratories at Purdue University, University of North Carolina, Washington State University, and international partners in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Partnerships and Outreach

The society partners with federal and state agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and international networks including Great Lakes Commission, Chesapeake Bay Program, International Maritime Organization (for ballast-water issues), and the Convention on Biological Diversity’s related initiatives. Outreach efforts align with public education campaigns run by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and habitat restoration projects undertaken by groups like Ducks Unlimited and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Collaborative monitoring and citizen science programs draw on models from iNaturalist, eBird, and regional invasive species councils such as the California Invasive Plant Council and the Florida Invasive Species Council. The society engages in policy forums with organizations such as Association of State Wetland Managers and participates in standards development alongside American Society for Testing and Materials committees when relevant.

Category:Professional associations