ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7860-0142

Creation Date

5-12-2026

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Major(s)

Environmental Economics and Sustainability

Document Type

Immediate Campus-Only Restricted Access

Abstract

Invasive carp have been an issue of increasing importance across the Mississippi River Basin for decades for several reasons, including threats to native and sport fish food chains, threats to native plant species, and impacts on recreational fishing and boating. However, there is limited research on potential management strategies for these species, and in a previous interview with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks we discovered that there have been unsuccessful attempts to fund markets for invasive carp. In this study we aim to fill this gap in the literature by modeling how fishermen choose to target native versus invasive carp, based on their profit. Using this information, we can determine factors that have made previous subsidization attempts unsuccessful and create potential policy recommendations for future aquatic invasive species control programs. Additionally, these results will foster a discussion about which carp management strategy would be most effective in various scenarios: commercial market subsidization or funding bow fishing tournaments, contributing to the limited literature about effective aquatic invasive species management in the region and determining best practice management strategies for the region.

Date Defended

4-24-2026

Funding Source

CALS/MAFES Undergraduate Research Scholars Program

Thesis Director

Brenna Jungers

Second Committee Member

Seong Yun

Third Committee Member

Anastasia Elder

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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.54718/LDIV5377