Hamline biology majors Anna Ries and Michael Gilray spent last summer testing water quality at Washington County lake with professor of biology Leif Hembre to study the effects rainbow trout have on water quality.

“Since the 1980s, the DNR has been stocking rainbow trout in the lake,” Hembre said. “Our hypothesis is that the trout eat small crustaceans which feed on algae and so by introducing rainbow trout the algae levels build up.”

Gilray and Ries presented their research at Private College Scholars at the Capitol — an event celebrating undergraduate research in Minnesota — and were also selected to present their research at the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research.

Read more about their project.