In December 2025, anglers from across Northwestern Pennsylvania and nearby regions came together at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, for Your Voice for Our Waters, an interactive engagement session focused on preventing the spread of the invasive Round Goby. Hosted by Pennsylvania Sea Grant in partnership with the Pennsylvania Governor’s Invasive Species Council (PISC) and conservation partners, the workshop centered on a simple but powerful idea: anglers play a critical role in protecting Pennsylvania’s waters, and designing messaging that inspire conservation practices is vital to deter the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Why the Round Goby Matters
The Round Goby is a small but aggressive invasive fish that reproduces quickly and disrupts aquatic ecosystems by competing with native species and altering food webs. Since first appearing in Lake Erie, the Round Goby has spread into inland waters such as Lake LeBoeuf and French Creek, one of the most biologically diverse waterways in the Northeastern United States. Much of this spread occurs unintentionally through human activities, including the movement and disposal of live bait.
Bringing Anglers to the Table
Rather than relying solely on traditional education campaigns, this session used a Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) approach. CBSM is a behavior-change framework that focuses on removing barriers, strengthening motivators, and building positive community habits. The goal was to move beyond awareness and toward practical, realistic actions anglers can adopt and support.
Seventeen participants representing a wide range of fishing styles, including fly fishing, live bait fishing, lure fishing, and trolling, took part. Participants came from Crawford, Erie, Butler, Allegheny, and surrounding counties, and many cited a strong commitment to protecting Pennsylvania waters and concern about the impacts of Round Goby on local fisheries.
What Anglers Told Us
After learning about the Round Goby biology and impacts from Casey Bradshaw-Wilson, Sea Grant-funded researcher and professor at Allegheny College, anglers worked in small groups to discuss behaviors most likely to influence the spread of aquatic invasive species. Across all conversations, a consistent message emerged: effective AIS prevention depends on making the right actions easy to take, highly visible, and supported by the angling community. Participants emphasized the importance of pairing education with practical infrastructure, clear and positive messaging, and reinforcement from trusted peers.
Priority Strategies Identified
Through a group prioritization process, anglers identified a set of high-impact, feasible strategies that emphasize education, supportive systems, and community engagement approaches that align closely with ongoing efforts to implement the 2025 Pennsylvania Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan. Strategies identified upgrading existing infrastructure, providing critical information in high impact locations, and developing youth education and curriculum to inspire the next generation of conservation-minded anglers.
Strong Engagement and Momentum
Workshop evaluations showed overwhelming support for the session’s format and approach. Nearly all participants reported increased understanding of how angler behavior influences invasive species spread and valued the opportunity for open discussion and collaborative problem-solving. Many indicated immediate intent to change behaviors such as bait disposal and equipment cleaning, and all respondents expressed interest in attending future events.
“Getting everyone in the same room for frank discussion made a difference. This wasn’t just information, it was motivation.”
Angler, workshop participant
Next Steps
The workshop reinforced that successful AIS prevention depends on working with anglers. Insights from this session will help guide future Pennsylvania Sea Grant and partner efforts, including pilot projects, refined angler-centered messaging, and expanded collaboration with agencies, retailers, and angling organizations.
“As a participant in the PA Sea Grant’s Angler Engagement Session in December 2025, I was genuinely impressed with the level of engagement and interest from all participants in attendance. With so many great ideas generated on ways the public can help prevent and slow the spread of invasive round gobies, I’m certain important steps will be taken in the future that originated from this invaluable in-person event.”
Amy Jewitt of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, a workshop partner and attendee
By combining science, community voices, and practical solutions, Your Voice for Our Waters represents a meaningful step toward slowing the spread of the Round Goby and protecting Pennsylvania’s waters for future generations.
Thank You to Our Partners
Pennsylvania Sea Grant and the Pennsylvania Governor’s Invasive Species Council thank the many partners who helped plan, facilitate, and support this engagement session including Allegheny College, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Penn State Extension, Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for their collaboration, expertise, and commitment to protecting Pennsylvania’s waters. Additionally, this work would not have been possible without the support of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources whose original work in the Community-Based Social Marketing space largely shaped the structure of this event.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Pennsylvania Sea Grant and the Pennsylvania Governor’s Invasive Species Council additionally thank the many sponsors who provided door prizes which elevated engagement for this session including Keystone Flygirl, Pennsylvania Steelhead Association, Penn State Extension Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training, Penn State Extension Dive Deeper Summit, Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards of Northwest Pennsylvania, Save Our Native Species (S.O.N.S.) of Laker Erie, and the Trout Unlimited Northwest Pennsylvania Chapter.
If you’d like to read the full summary of the workshop or if you’re interested in participating in future events like this one, let us know!
