Story Components: A Breakdown

Story: OU researchers contribute to ending mudsnail invasions in Michigan waters
Katie Valley, Content Editor
June 5, 2019

The lead: A bit of context	With summer comes fishing, but an invasive species may be lurking if fishers do not take the proper precautions to keep it from spreading.
Nut graph	New Zealand mudsnails are small, invasive aquatic snails that are self-cloning and easily adapt to changing climates, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At just 1/8-inch-long, one adult mudsnail can create a colony of 40 million in one year.
Transitions into the angle of story (inclusion of the W’s): efforts to decrease # of snails	Oakland University began researching mudsnail prevalence and prevention in 2016 after receiving funding from the Department of Natural Resources’ Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program, which led researchers to test the species’ prevalence in the Au Sable River in Frederick Township.
Introduction of source, more information on research	Dr. Scott Tiegs, professor and principal investigator of OU’s aquatic ecology lab, said the research team has found up to 100,000 mudsnails in a square meter of water, a density that is likely to have negative consequences for native biota.
Tiegs Quote #1 Emphasizes the severity of the problem	“In the Great Lakes region, we have 20% of the world’s liquid fresh water, and, unfortunately, this is also one of the world’s hotspots for biological invasions,” Tiegs said. “There are over 180 aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes that really compromise this amazing natural resource.”
More details on mudsnails, how OU researchers get data	Mudsnail presence can be detected by environmental DNA (eDNA) samples, which detect whether a material’s DNA is present in certain settings. Samples are taken at OU’s research stations or remotely by “citizen scientists” using sample kits and then sent to Dr. Douglas Wendell, biological sciences professor, for testing.
Audience appeal: The importance of citizen scientists	Citizen scientists have been able to play a part in eDNA research through a partnership between OU, Grand Valley State University, Michigan Trout Unlimited and Anglers of the Au Sable. Wendell said eDNA samples from fishers have led to mudsnail detection in new locations.
Wendell Quote #1 Elaboration on citizen scientists’ influence on research	“One thing eDNA is nice for is with citizen scientists who maybe wouldn’t be equipped to go and do the actual looking for the organism — they’re just out there fishing — they can take a water sample, and if it comes up positive, then Dr. Tiegs’ people can follow up on it,” he said. “It sort of expands our reach beyond where we can get our crews out to.”
Transition into remedies for mudsnail invasions	The research team emphasized that early detection is the best way to handle mudsnail invasions. After using eDNA to test how many mudsnails exist in a body of water, different measures can be taken to keep infestations from spreading.
Remedies: What can citizens do to help?	Formula 409 was found to be effective in eradicating mudsnails. Anglers can simply spray their waders and other gear with the substance, which can be a simple way to keep mudsnails from moving to unaffected bodies of water.
Extra details on the significance of the invasion and emerging developments to the story	Further research has discovered New Zealand mudsnails may have an adverse effect on fish. According to research team member and doctoral degree student Jeremy Geist, trout are increasingly ingesting mudsnails, but the snails are passing through their digestive systems and coming out alive, possibly keeping the trout from receiving nutrition.
Where research currently stands, next steps	Mudsnail research is in the developmental phase, as consequences such as their lack of nutritional value are undetermined. Wendell hopes to soon explore the sensitivity of eDNA testing to determine how many need to be present for DNA detection.
Transition into end: importance of civilians	With cleaning gear and collecting samples, anglers have been great conservationists and partners in the fight to end the New Zealand mudsnail invasion, according to Tiegs.
Tiegs Quote #2 Appeal to readers to change their behavior and help solve the problem	“If [anglers] want to continue to enjoy this resource — being fresh water in the Great Lakes — and they want future generations to do that, we have to modify our behavior a little bit,” he said. “And it’s really unfortunate, but that’s the reality that we have now … We need to take more care that we don’t move these around the landscape.”

The story came together after the Michigan Department of Natural Resources published a feature on mudsnails that included OU’s research. The story is organized in the way the writer saw best fit and was done so by outlining the story by angles that answer the story’s main questions:

1. What are mudsnails/what’s the issue with them?
2. What’s OU doing? Why is it so serious?
3. What can regular citizens do to prevent the spread? Why should they do so?

Thinking of stories as a process, where the readers’ questions are addressed in order of importance/what makes the most sense, can help writers produce better content.

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