Academic Fusion Performance Task 3 Invasive Species

Transcription

1 Background Information Academic Fusion Performance Task 3 Invasive Species Invasive species are defined as species that are non-native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health. Invasive species can be plants, animals, or other organisms (e.g., microbes). Introductions of invasive species are primarily caused by human actions. While most invasive species were introduced to the United States, some are natives in one part of the country but serious pests in another part of the country. In addition there are problem plants that are native but invade managed habitats such as rangelands or agricultural fields. Invasive species threaten native plants, animals and ecosystems, as well as impacting agricultural ecosystems and other human activity. Control costs and environmental damages can add up to millions of dollars per year. Source A 1. Fill out the article info sheet, listing the major claims made by the scientists in each article, and the evidence they provide to support their claims. Use direct quotes and page numbers when citing your evidence in the form provided. Alien carp leap onto the scene Last summer, Alison Coulter got a big surprise as she piloted a boat along the Wabash River in Indiana. Coulter is a scientist at Purdue University in West Lafayette who studies fish called Asian carp. She was trolling the river to track the movements of these non-native fish. Here, the river teemed with the invasive carp. Startled by her boat s motor, a 60-centimeter (24-inch) carp leaped out of the river. The fish cleared the edge of the boat and whacked her right in the thigh. Coulter got off easy. She sustained only a seven-centimeter bruise. In some cases, jumping Asian carp have broken a boater s nose, jaw or arm. These fish have even knocked some people unconscious. The carp pose other dangers too. People have been introducing these fish, originally from Asia, into many new countries, including the United States. Once the carp reaches a new river or lake, the species multiplies quickly. These invaders also gobble a lot of food. Scientists worry that might threaten biodiversity, or the number of species living in a region. Many of the species left to starve might be native fish. If that happens, people who earn their living by angling for native fish might have trouble. To better understand the threat, scientists need to learn more about Asian carp. Some researchers are investigating how far these invaders have spread. Another team is studying where the carp can reproduce. And still others are probing ways to block the fish from colonizing new rivers and lakes. People will need to act fast to stop the carp from continuing to spread. Once they get into an area, it s very difficult if not impossible to remove them, says Cory Suski. And then you re stuck with them, explains this biologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Big eaters

2 Asian carp refers to several species. Two of them, the so-called bighead and silver carp, probably pose the biggest threats in American waters. Silver carp typically weigh up to 9 kilograms (20 pounds) and bighead carp weigh twice that much (although some bigheads have tipped the scales at a whopping 45 kilograms). A female can lay up to 2 million eggs each year. Bighead and silver carp are ravenous eaters. They swim with their mouths open, devouring algae, tiny aquatic animals called zooplankton and the eggs of other fish. They ll eat just about anything, says Christopher Jerde. If it s small and floating in the water, they ll eat it, explains this biologist at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. In the 1970s, people thought such voracious eating habits might come in handy. Perhaps the bighead and silver carp would remove excess algae from ponds on fish farms. So people brought the carp from Asia and released them into fish farms in the southern United States. But the fish escaped. The Asian carp spread northward into the Mississippi River Basin. This huge network of rivers and streams drains about 40 percent of the lower 48 U.S. states. The fish began eating a lot of the small organisms in the water. Meanwhile, native fish that also eat those organisms started to lose weight. In short order, the numbers of Asian carp exploded. In some areas, these non-native species became the most common fish. People started to worry that the carp might reach the Great Lakes. Containing more than one-fifth of the world s surface fresh water, these five vast lakes straddle the border between the United States and Canada. Many native fish swim in those waters. If carp entered the Great Lakes, from there they could spread through connecting rivers and canals to even more of eastern North America. DNA detectives One possible pathway Asian carp could take into the Great Lakes is via a narrow canal passing through Chicago. It connects the Mississippi River Basin to Chicago s shoreline along Lake Michigan, one of those Great Lakes. In 2002, people installed an electric barrier to keep invasive fish from swimming through this canal. The barrier creates an electric field that makes fish feel uncomfortable. When fish get too close to this field, they should turn and swim in the opposite direction. But the truth is that no one really knew whether the electric barrier was blocking Asian carp. Most people did not know where these fish were, explains Jerde. The researchers decided to search the water for carp DNA. DNA is a type of molecule found in all living things. Animals from the same species have similar DNA. If Asian carp were present, they would shed scales and mucous containing their DNA. Their poop contains DNA as well. By testing the water, scientists might be able to find evidence of Asian carp, even without observing the fish directly. In 2009 and 2010, Jerde s team collected water samples along the Chicago canal and in other waterways in and near Chicago. They looked for evidence of Asian carp DNA. And, recalls Jerde, We found their DNA in a lot of places nobody wanted to see it. It was upstream of the canal s electric barrier. It turned up in waterways very close to Lake Michigan. The DNA even showed up in one part of the lake. The findings made Jerde feel sick. It was the last thing he had wanted to find.

3 And it got worse. In 2011, Jerde s team identified Asian carp DNA in a second Great Lake: Erie. But tests of many other rivers and streams connected to Lake Michigan outside of the Chicago area came back negative. The good news, says Jerde: The DNA suggests these fish are not yet everywhere. Still, alien carp DNA in two of the Great Lakes is troubling. It s a red flag, he says. Egg hunt Asian carp will spread and readily colonize a new region if they can reproduce in many types of rivers. These fish reproduce by spawning. A male releases sperm into the water. These reproductive cells can fertilize eggs deposited by a female fish. Over time, the fertilized eggs will float down a river and hatch. Coulter wanted to find out whether Asian carp were particular about the water conditions needed to spawn. In Asia, these fish usually spawn in big rivers. Coulter wanted to probe whether that was true in the United States as well. So she and her colleagues traveled down the Wabash River in Indiana by boat in 2011 and This river is part of the Mississippi River Basin. After netting eggs, the researchers brought them into the lab for identification. To their surprise, the biologists found Asian carp eggs even in a narrow, shallow part of the river. That means the fish can reproduce in more places than scientists had previously thought possible. And the fish spawned over an extended period from May through September. Being adaptable makes them an especially successful invader, Coulter concludes. She is now studying how far and fast these carp swim. She s also investigating whether their movements depend on temperature or the flow of the river. Knowing such details could help scientists predict where the carp will turn up next. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey have studied whether Asian carp could successfully reproduce if they become more common in the Great Lakes. The fish will need to spawn in nearby rivers. A study published in June 2013 now indicates that four rivers connected to the Great Lakes have the right water conditions for Asian carp eggs to develop and hatch. Keep out! Scientists know that Asian carp are on the move. Can they be stopped? An electric barrier isn t foolproof. For example, fish might shield themselves from the electric field by swimming alongside barges, a type of boat. Suski, the scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, wanted to come up with a second line of defense. His team wondered whether carbon dioxide, a gas, might block the carp. Fish can sense carbon dioxide (CO2) in the water. If CO2levels get too high, fish might find it hard to breathe and swim away. So Suski wondered: Do fish get grumpy when you expose them to CO2? In experiments conducted in 2010 and 2011, the Illinois researchers placed bighead and silver carp into small containers. Then the experts added varying amounts of CO2to the water and observed the fish. At higher CO2levels, bighead carp breathed more slowly and gulped for air at the surface. And the silver carp all passed out, rolled on their backs and floated.

4 In a second test, the fish got a choice. Researchers put individual silver carp into one chamber that was connected to a second. Then they began adding CO2to the first chamber. Most fish fled into the second chamber. The findings suggest that pumping CO2into the water might help keep Asian carp away, says Suski. But if the gas spreads into the rest of the river, it might perturb the behavior of native fish as well. So Suski s team is working on ways to confine the added CO2to just one part of a river. By learning more about Asian carp, Suski and other scientists hope to keep the fish from wreaking havoc on native animals. If carp and other invasive species spread unchecked, says Jerde, the environment that people see today may not be the same environment they have 10 years from now. Power Words Algae - A large group of mostly photosynthetic organisms, meaning they use light and carbon dioxide to make sugar and oxygen. Algae range from long seaweeds to single-celled microorganisms. Asian carp - Several species of fish native to Asia. Several have been introduced to many new countries, including the United States. The term covers bighead, silver, grass and black carp. Bighead carp - A species of Asian carp that can weigh up to 45 kilograms (100 pounds). Bighead carp eat small organisms such as zooplankton. Carbon dioxide - A gas (CO2) made of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. DNA - A long, spiral-shaped molecule that carries genetic information. DNA can be found inside nearly every cell of an organism. Invasive species - A non-native species whose introduction may cause ecological and economic damage. Native - An individual or species that grew up or evolved in a particular region of the world. Invasive species are non-native organisms and often thrive in a new region because they have escaped the natural predators that kept their numbers in check. Silver carp - A species of Asian carp that usually weighs up to 27 kilograms (60 pounds). Silver carp can jump high out of the water when startled by the vibration of boat motors. Spawn - To release or deposit eggs. Sperm - A male reproductive cell. Zooplankton - Tiny floating animals in the water that feed on single-celled plants and plantlike organisms

5 Source B California Aquatic Invasive Species Quagga/Zebra Mussels This plan proposes management actions for addressing aquatic invasive species (AIS) threats to the State of California. It focuses on the non-native algae, crabs, clams, fish, plants and other species that continue to invade California s creeks, wetlands, rivers, bays and coastal waters. State surveys of California s coastal waters have identified at least 312 species of aquatic invaders. These invaders cause major impacts: disrupting agriculture, shipping, water delivery, recreational and commercial fishing; undermining levees, docks and environmental restoration activities; impeding navigation and enjoyment of the state s waterways; and damaging native habitats and the species that depend on them. As the ease of transporting organisms across the Americas and around the globe has increased, so has the rate of AIS introductions. Quagga mussels were discovered in Lake Mead in Nevada on Jan. 6, 2007, and later throughout Lake Mead s lower basin. It was the first discovery of either of these mussels west of the Continental Divide. Subsequent surveys found smaller numbers of Quagga mussels in Lakes Mohave and Havasu in the Colorado River, and in the Colorado River Aqueduct System which serves Southern California. Surveys in August found Quagga in Lake Dixon and San Vicente Reservoir in San Diego County. All reservoirs, lakes and watersheds receiving raw Colorado River water have been exposed to Quagga mussels. The first confirmed find of Zebra mussels in California occurred at San Justo Reservoir Jan. 10, Zebra mussels arrived in North America from Europe in the 1980s followed shortly thereafter by their close relative the Quagga mussel. They are indigenous to the Dneiper River drainage of Ukraine and Ponto-Caspian Sea. It was discovered in the Bug River a Tributary of the Vistula River, rising in western Ukraine in 1890 by Andrusov, who named the species in Mussels filter water and remove substantial amounts of phytoplankton, zooplankton and suspended particulate from the water, which reduces the food sources for zooplankton and small fish, altering the food web. With the filtering out of suspended particulates and phytoplankton, water clarity increases allowing sunlight to penetrate the water deeper triggering increased vegetation growth that can affect oxygen levels resulting in fish die offs. Quagga/Zebra mussels accumulate organic pollutants within their tissues to levels more than 300,000 times greater than typical concentrations in the environment. The mussels wastes significantly lower the oxygen levels, lowering the ph to an acidic level and generating toxic byproducts. The mussels have also been associated with outbreaks of botulism poisoning in wild birds. Avian (Bird) Botulism is a paralytic, often fatal disease of wild and domestic birds resulting from the ingestion of a toxin. Environmental studies have found seven toxins produced by botulinum bacterium; two of which, Types C & E, commonly cause death. Type C toxin occurs in the western United States. Zebra mussels heavily colonize hard substrates while Quaggas colonize both hard and soft substrates. It appears as though Quaggas colonize deeper than Zebra mussels, infesting a wider range of habitats. In locations where both mussels exist, the Quagga mussel appears to compete with the Zebra mussel, eventually replacing it. Quagga/Zebra mussels clog water intake structures, such as pipelines and screens, reducing pumping capabilities for power and water treatment facilities. This can create major problems for facilities such as Hoover Dam in Nevada which is one of the main producers of electricity for the western United States. Recreation-based industries and activities are also affected by the mussels which take up residence on docks, break walls, buoys, boats and beaches. For boaters, Quagga/Zebra mussels increase drag, clog engines causing overheating and can affect steerage.

6 Their ability to rapidly colonize on soft and hard surfaces causes serious economic problems. In addition to the hulls, engines and steering components of boats, plants and sediment, Quagga mussels attach to submerged surfaces such as piers, pilings, water intakes, and fish screens. In doing this they can clog water intake structures hampering the flow of water. They frequently settle in massive colonies that can block water intake and threaten municipal water supply, agricultural irrigation and power plant operations. In the U.S., Congressional researchers estimated that an infestation of the closely-related zebra mussel in the Great Lakes area cost the power industry $3.1 billion in the period, with an economic impact on industries, businesses, and communities of more than $5 billion. California could spend hundreds of millions of dollars protecting the state water system from a Quagga infestation. Below is a distribution Map of the Quagga Mussel in the United States (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) In January 2007, populations of quagga mussels were discovered in Lake Mead near Boulder City, Nevada, and in Lake Havasu and Lake Mohave on the California/Arizona border. This was an extremely large leap in their range and causes for much concern to limited water supplies and endangered fishes in the southwestern US. Late in 2007 and early 2008, quagga mussels were discovered in 15 southern California reservoirs. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) announced the details of the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) watercraft sticker program which will help fund efforts to prevent the spread of such invasive species as quagga mussels and milfoil. Specifically, users of any watercraft that can be removed from a body of water and still hold water will be required to purchase and affix an AIS decal to the watercraft before launching on any Nevada waterway. The requirement becomes effective January 1, Sources: Department of Fish and Game: US Geological Survey: Power Words Aquatic A water based animal who spends all or most of its life in water. Invasive species - A non-native species whose introduction may cause ecological and economic damage. Outbreak A fast and wide ranging spread of a pathogen or disease Pathogen A disease causing bacteria or virus Toxin A substance that causes severe harm to an organism Avian Botulism often fatal disease of wild and domestic birds resulting from the ingestion of a toxin

7 Source C ( Done in Small groups people) 1. Meet in small groups to discuss individual findings for the first two articles in a thoughtful, well-reasoned manner in order to justify claims. Fill out the table following group discussion, citing specific evidence. For Source C each individual in the group is responsible for reading a section of the article and presenting their findings to the group. Each individual is responsible for writing down claims and evidence in their own table. Tiny earthworms big impact Earthworms have many fans. In 1881, Charles Darwin the father of evolutionary theory wrote a whole book on earthworms. In it, he concluded that It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures. Gardeners tend to like earthworms because they mix the soil, loosening it and moving nutrients around. Earthworms even shred leftover plant parts into smaller fragments eaten by microorganisms. In these ways, earthworms can improve and enrich the soil, allowing garden and certain crop plants to grow better. But many American scientists are coming to view some earthworms as enemies. In the 1600s, European settlers brought European earthworms to North America. At that time, the continent s northern forests had no soil-mixing earthworms. If any had once existed there, they were likely very different from the European species. And they would have been wiped out during the glacial period that ended 11,000 years ago. Today, in these forests, legions of earthworms blend soil with plant scraps like fallen leaves and twigs. And that mixing has proven disastrous for the complex network of soil, water, plants and animals the ecosystem that developed over thousands of years without earthworms. Since arriving in North America, invasive earthworms have changed the landscape, assisted other non-native species with getting a foothold, and competed with native species. Great Lakes Worm Watch, which educates the public about the problems caused by earthworms, has recently gone so far as to issue what is effectively a most wanted poster for the earthworms. A fact sheet put out by the group proclaims: Contain those Crawlers. Indeed, plead managers of hardwood forests in the northern and northeastern United States: Keep earthworms out of our woods. The dirt on earthworms The lowly earthworm is nothing short of amazing. It is a very simple organism, explains Mac Callaham, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service in Athens, Ga. And yet, he adds, earthworms have diversified and evolved, or changed over long periods of time. They live in nearly every available habitat, spread across every continent except Antarctica. They live high in trees, 10 meters below the soil s surface and everywhere in between. Altogether, scientists have discovered at least 5,000 species and suspect that many more await discovery.

8 Though native earthworms most likely were wiped out in northern North America when glaciers covered the area, other parts of the continent are rich in earthworm species. We suspect that there are dozens and dozens, if not hundreds, of undiscovered species, said Callaham, in addition to the roughly 250 native earthworm species that have been catalogued. Earthworm species dwell in different habitats and impact their ecosystems in different ways. All kinds of earthworms fall into one of three main ecological groups. There are earthworms that don t live in the soil. Instead, they live just above it, squirming in or just below the plant litter all of the leaves, twigs and bark that have fallen to the ground. These earthworms feed on leaves and on the fungi and bacteria that help break down leaves. Some of these earthworms live even higher up, in trees, inside decaying wood or piles of plant material that gather between limbs. Then there are earthworms that travel through the upper layers of the soil. Common in gardens, these species feed on leaves, fungi and tiny creatures in that soil layer. Finally, there are earthworms that burrow deeply into the soil, creating permanent channels up to several meters long. Periodically, they surface for a carryout meal of leaf litter that they ll carry back down to eat deep in their burrows. Killer earthworms Cindy Hale is a research biologist with the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota in Duluth. As a graduate student in the 1990s, Hale took a field trip to Chippewa National Forest in the middle of northern Minnesota. There she saw a changed landscape. Gone were forest floor plants like ferns and wildflowers and understory plants like bushes and tree saplings that make up the middle height of the forest. She and other ecologists on the field trip were given a surprising reason for the loss of the plants and the ecosystem they sustained: invasive earthworms. To get an idea of the earthworms destruction, picture these forests before European settlers and their earthworms arrived in the Great Lakes region around 200 years ago. Leaves, twigs and other plant debris had accumulated on the forest floor over the years and created a thick layer of what is called duff. Fungi, bacteria and microscopic invertebrates such as mites slowly broke down this debris. The duff held moisture like a sponge, nurturing the growth of many understory plants like wildflowers, shrubs and tree seedlings. Small animals and birds nested and fed on the forest floor and in understory foliage. When the first European earthworms arrived, they began doing what they always do: munching, mixing and moving. Some plant litter earthworms munched through the forest floor and its fungi and bacteria. Burrowing species, like the common nightcrawler, pulled leaf litter down into their holes to finish munching and mixing. Slowly, earthworms destroyed the duff on which wildflowers, understory shrubs and tree seedlings depended. Before long, says Lee Frelich of the University of Minnesota s Center for Forest Ecology, Earthworms become the dominant living thing that influences the ecosystem. They influence the type of plants that can grow, the type of insects that can live there, the habitat for wildlife species and the structure of the soil. In one recent study, scientists looked at how invasive earthworms have affected a type of litterdwelling mite. Mites help break down a forest floor s duff and spread fungus spores, the tiny reproductive units similar to seeds that give rise to more fungi. Today, more than 100,000 mites of more than 100 species may occupy each square meter of northern forest soil. That may sound like a lot, but this study showed that in soil free of invasive earthworms, the mites seem to fare better. They

9 were between 72 and 1,210 times more abundant and the number of mite species was one to two times higher. The potential reasons for this difference reveal a complex soil ecosystem. The earthworms soil mixing might be eliminating the fungi on which mites feed, or the earthworms might be introducing additional routes earthworm tunnels through which other predators could enter the soil and eat the mites. Jumping earthworms Even if the European earthworms don t scare you, the Asian ones should, said Hale. These earthworms are more aggressive, faster-moving and more damaging. These Amynthasspecies are among the most reviled earthworms in America. Called jumpers, they can thrash, whip around and jump, clearing a few inches at a time. Introduced from Asia, these earthworms became established in parts of the United States by the late 1800s. Composters and fishermen use and sell them. While scientists and land managers all acknowledge that European earthworms have some positive features, especially in agriculture, experts don t want to have anything to do with Amynthastypes. In and around Tennessee s and North Carolina s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, We are most concerned about the Amynthasspecies, says Callaham. European earthworms also live in the area, along with native earthworms. But the European species appear to do best in disturbed sites places where humans have already been moving plants and soil around. This includes agricultural areas, where the European worms are valued. Amynthasearthworms, by contrast, seem to thrive everywhere. A 2010 study by Bruce Snyder of Kansas State University in Manhattan looked at native millipedes and Amynthas agrestisin Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Snyder s work is among the first to look at how jumping Asian earthworms interact with a native species. Both millipedes and Amynthas agrestislive and eat in plant litter, so they potentially compete for food. Researchers counted how many of each was present in tiny plots of ground. In plots with Amynthas agrestis, the number of millipede species was reduced by 63 percent and the total number of millipedes was reduced by 30 percent, compared to plots where there were no jumpers. Snyder hopes to further investigate why the arrival of Amynthasleads to fewer millipedes. Humans and earthworms Earthworms don t move fast. The leading edge of an earthworm invasion can advance, on average, 10 meters per year. But humans can accelerate the worms spread. Fishermen often use invasive earthworms for bait. Many have introduced invasive earthworms to rivers, streams and lakes previously unexposed to these animals. Gardeners who use earthworms to create rich compost for their soil may unwittingly introduce invasive ones. The worms and their tiny cocoons (from which hatchlings will emerge) even hitch rides in the mud on tires, potted plants and road materials shipped around the nation. They move around as fast as people move them, said Minnesota s Frelich. Thanks to people and their activities, invasive earthworms have now spread throughout the United States and other parts of the world.

10 But they re not everywhere yet. In the Great Lakes region, 20 percent of the landscape is earthworm-free, says Hale. Of the remaining 80 percent of land, half of the terrain has fewer than two earthworm species meaning there isn t yet too much impact on the ecosystem, she explains. For these regions, she says, now is the time to take action. Educating the public, especially fishermen and composters, is one approach to stopping the spread of invasive earthworms. Identifying which lands are currently earthworm-free is another. Ryan Hueffmeier is program coordinator for Great Lakes Worm Watch. Along with Hale, he has been working on a research-based model that will help create large maps of areas with minimal or no damage from invasive earthworms. Ultimately, landowners can use the model to identify earthworm activity on their property. Once identified, lands with minimal or no earthworm damage can be targeted for protection. But scientists suspect that once invasive earthworms arrive they can t be removed. And even if all could be, affected forests might never return to the way they were. It s very much a story of learning to live with them, concludes Frelich. If invasive earthworms impact native plants, he says, forest managers may have to learn how to counter the disruptions. Forest ecologists have called earthworms ecosystem engineers because they can modify or create habitats that otherwise would not be present. Whether this is a good thing depends on the situation. Earthworms aren t good or bad, said Hale. What they do and how we value it is what matters. In one place farm fields or gardens we really like European earthworms and what they do, so we consider them good. In native hardwood forests, we really don t like what they do so we consider them bad. You really have to understand how an organism affects an ecosystem, she explains. Things aren t black and white. POWER WORDS Evolve - To change, especially from a lower, simpler state to a higher, more complex state, over a period of time. Ecosystem - A group of interacting living organisms fungi, plants, animals and their physical environment water, soil, rocks. Microscopic - A very small living or nonliving object that cannot be seen without a microscope. Invasive - A non-native species whose arrival can cause ecological and economic damage. Understory - Plants that grow below the canopy (tallest level) of the forest. Invertebrate - Animals without a backbone. Earthworms, mites and millipedes are all invertebrates. Hardwood forest - An ecosystem with mostly deciduous trees, which lose their leaves. These are in contrast to pine and other evergreen trees. Species - A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding. Millipede - Long-bodied invertebrates with many segments. Most body segments have two pairs of legs. Compost - The end product in the breakdown, or decomposition, of leaves, plants, vegetables, manure and other once-living material. Compost is used to enrich garden soil, and earthworms sometimes aid this process. Model - A simulation of a real-world event that s developed to predict an outcome.

11 Public Service Announcement Prepare a 30 second group public service announcement, an informative poster, or PowerPoint, describing how one of the invasive species you read about can be dangerous if released in a nonnative environment. Make sure to cite evidence from the articles you read. Each project must contain a title, five facts that make this species dangerous to become, a current solution scientists are testing to try and remove the invasive species, as well as your groups own solution to remove the invasive species. Your project should also include a picture of the animal. Suggested Implementation & Resources for Completing the Assignment: Go the following links in order to see examples of successful public service announcements: PSA about brushing and flossing teeth PSA about the sugar content of soft drinks How do you write a PSA? Adapted from The Community Toolbox, Work Group for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas, 2013 Decide upon and clarify the purpose of your PSA. What are your goals here? What do you want to accomplish by putting a PSA on the air? And for that matter, why use a PSA instead of other publicity outlets? Target your audience. What type of people are you hoping to reach through your PSA? This will help you focus in both your desired media outlets, and also upon your PSA content. Survey your media outlets to best reach that audience. That means that you need to know what media outlets are available in your particular geographic area. Prioritize your media outlets. That is, you need to know which outlets your target audience is most likely to prefer. For example, is your audience more likely to tune in to the 24-hour country music station than to the one that plays mostly golden oldies? If so, then you point toward the country music outlet. Also, when does your audience tend to tune in to these outlets? For example, is your desired audience a bunch of early risers? Then you'd probably want to reach them early in the morning, as opposed to late at night, if you possibly can. However, don't count on being able to pick the time of day for your PSA to run. That's why getting to know your media personnel is so important -- it's easier to ask a favor of someone you know. Approach your preferred media outlets. Here you want to make a personal contact, as best you can, directly with the station manager in small markets, or with the person who's responsible for choosing PSA's for broadcast. A phone call is good; a personal meeting is better. Find out a bit about their requirements for PSA's -- what format they want to receive them in, preferred length, when to submit them, etc. Write your PSA. The actual writing waits until this point, because you first need to know your audience, your markets, and their policies. Key points to remember about the writing: Because you've only got a few seconds to reach your audience (often 30 seconds or less), the language should be simple and vivid. Take your time and make every word count. Make your message crystal clear. The content of the writing should have the right "hooks" -- words or phrases that grab attention -- to attract your audience (again, you need to know who your audience is). For example, starting your PSA off with something like, "If you're between the ages of 25 and 44, you're more likely to die from AIDS than from any other disease."

12 The PSA should usually (though maybe not 100% of the time) request a specific action, such as calling a specific number to get more information. You ordinarily want listeners to do something as a result of having heard the PSA. Getting ready to write your PSA: 1. Choose points to focus on. Don't overload the viewer or listener with too many different messages. List all the possible messages you'd like to get into the public mind, and then decide on the one or two most vital points. For example, if your group educates people about asthma, you might narrow it down to a simple focus point like, "If you have asthma, you shouldn't smoke." 2. Brainstorm. This is also a good time to look at the PSA's that others have done for ideas. Get together with your colleagues to toss around ideas about ways you can illustrate the main point(s) you've chosen. If possible, include members of your target group in this process. If you're aiming your PSA at African-American youth, for example, be sure to invite some African-American youth to take part in brainstorming. 3. Check your facts. It's extremely important for your PSA to be accurate. Any facts should be checked and verified before sending the PSA in. Is the information up to date? If there are any demonstrations included in the PSA, are they done clearly and correctly? 4. Identify a "hook". A hook is whatever you use to grab the listener or viewer's attention. How are you going to keep them from changing the channel or leaving the room or letting their attention drift when your PSA comes on? A hook can be something funny, it can be catchy music, it can be a shocking statistic, it can be an emotional appeal -- whatever makes the listener or viewer interested enough to watch or listen to the rest of your PSA. For example, if you're aiming for Hispanic listeners, your hook might be to have your PSA use Tejano or salsa background music. Now you're ready to write your script! Basic guidelines for PSA format: Most stations prefer 30-second spots. If you're writing a television PSA, you'll want to keep the announcer's copy 2 or 3 seconds shorter than the entire length of the PSA. Television stations run on a much tighter, more rigid schedule than radio stations, and you may find that if your PSA runs exactly 30 seconds, for example, the station may sometimes cut off the end.