Tom Bansek, aquatic ecologist at the Flathead Lake Biological Station will present a program on changes that have occurred in Flathead Lake over the last 100+ years including water quality and monitoring efforts. Although Flathead Lake’s water quality is still some of the finest in the world, its ecological community has been greatly altered through both intentional and unintentional species introductions. The latest species threatening to change Flathead Lake forever are invasive mussels that were recently detected elsewhere in Montana.
Tom Bansak moved to the Flathead in the mid-1990s because of Glacier National Park and the Flathead Lake Biological Station. He completed his Master’s Degree at the Bio Station, examining surface-groundwater interactions on the Middle Fork Flathead River. Since then, he has gained extensive research experience on freshwater systems around Western North America, particularly the Flathead watershed and large salmon rivers around the Pacific Rim. Tom also has experience teaching ecology, and has led field ecology courses all over the West.
The Flathead Lake Biological Station is a University of Montana Center of Excellence that conducts ecological research with an emphasis on fresh water, particularly Flathead Lake and its watershed.
Join us Monday, February 13 at the Gateway West Community room in Kalispell at 7 PM. The event is free and open to the public.