Tana Nulph

Communication for Science Professionals

Communication Campaign Plan

University of Idaho


Preventing the Spread of Whirling Disease in
Montana











March 27, 2014
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Rationale

Introduction:
Whirling disease (WD) is a chronic parasitic infection that affects the salmonid family (e.g. trout,
whitefish, and salmon), a popular group of sport fishes (MWC 2011). It is caused by the
protozoan parasite, Myxobolus cerebralis, which has been classified as an aquatic invasive
species (AIS) by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. AIS are aquatic organisms that
have been transported (intentionally or unintentionally) to bodies of water to which they are not
native (USFWS 2013). M. cerebralis spores can be transported by animals, birds, and humans
(MWC 2011).

AIS are harmful to Montanas delicate ecosystems; they can kill native fish and plants,
overwhelm lakes and rivers, damage boats and gear, clog water pipes and hydropower facilities,
and block community water sources and irrigation systems. WD primarily affects fishes with
material value for sport-fishing; however, taking action to prevent the spread of WD can also
effectively prevent the spread of other AIS, thus protecting a variety of recreational, ecological,
and economic interests in Montana (USFWS 2013).

Symptoms of WD include whirling (i.e. tail-chasing) when alarmed or during feeding due to a
loss of cartilage around the organs that control equilibrium. Additionally, the tails of infected
fish can turn black, skeletons and heads can become deformed, cranial depressions can develop,
and snouts and opercula can be shortened. WD is often fatal to juvenile salmonids, with the
severity of the disease decreasing with age. Adult fish can be asymptomatic while still carrying
and communicating the disease. Rainbow and cutthroat trout are the most heavily impacted by
the disease, while other salmonids exhibit varying levels of susceptibility. WD is diagnosed by
fish parasitologists, who identify spores in the cartilage of salmonid species (Lasee 1995). M.
cerebralis spores can persist for 20-30 years in water while awaiting a host and they can survive
both freezing and desiccation, making them very difficult to eradicate (ANS Task Force 2013).

WD was accidentally introduced to the United States from Europe and was first detected in the
U.S. in Pennsylvania in 1956. Since then it has spread to inhabit 22 states (MWC 2011). In
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1994, WD was discovered in the Madison River in southwest Montana (Lasee 1995). By 1999,
infected fish were found in the majority of the popular trout drainages in the state. Although
most of these waterways are now infected with WD, researchers have found that trout have a
higher likelihood of survival in areas less severely infested with M. cerebralis, making the
prevention of the spread of WD a priority to Montanas natural resource agencies as they strive
to ensure the continued health of Montanas fisheries and native ecosystems (Nickum 1999).

Goals:
The goal of this communication campaign plan is to educate young people (ages 18-9 years) in
Montana about the dangers of WD and the best practices for WD and AIS prevention. WD
spores are nearly impossible to eradicate once introduced, so the best way to control the disease
is to prevent it from being introduced in the first place. To do so, outdoor recreationists must
inspect, clean, and dry all aquatic equipment (e.g. boats, trailers, vehicles, gear, etc.) before and
after it comes into contact with any body of water (Nickum 1999). Taking these necessary
precautions will help to prevent the spread of other AIS as well, including zebra mussels,
Chinese mitten crabs, hydrilla, Eurasian watermilfoil, quagga mussels, and New Zealand
mudsnails. Similar to WD, these AIS can be extremely harmful to Montanas ecosystems, as
well as to the commercial, agricultural, and recreational industries that are dependent upon these
ecosystems (USFWS 2013).

Audience:
The target audience for this project includes Montanans and Montana tourists between the ages
of 18 and 29. Public education regarding WD and AIS is especially important in Montana
because Montana residents above the age of sixteen tend to be more active in the outdoors than
their national counterparts. Montanans exhibit higher participation rates in angling, hunting,
walking, family gatherings, viewing scenery, visiting nature centers, participating in outdoor
sports, visiting historic sights, and viewing wildflowers and wildlife. Thirty three percent of
Montanas population participates in hunting and fishing, compared to only 8% of people
nationally and 12% of people in the Rocky Mountain West. While studies have shown
Montanans of all ages to be highly active in the outdoors, they have also shown that older
Montanans tend to enjoy less rigorous activities such as bird-watching, wildlife viewing,
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sightseeing, and walking. Montanans between the ages of 18 and 29 are more likely to
participate in hunting, angling, backpacking, and other activities that carry the potential of
spreading WD and other AIS (FWP 2004).

Additionally, the state of Montana is home to 52% of all National Forest System lands and these
lands attract approximately 10 million tourists per year. In order to reach this portion of outdoor
recreationists, social media messages must target tourists as well as residents. This can be
accomplished by arranging for tourism businesses to link their websites and Facebook pages to
the WD media resources outlined in this communication campaign plan. It is especially
important to educate tourists regarding WD and AIS, because many tourists are repeat visitors to
the state; a 2004 study by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks showed that 84% of non-resident
anglers were repeat visitors and 88% of these tourists expected to return to the state within two
years. Additionally, only 17% of tourists in 2004 hired outfitters, meaning 83% did not utilize
guides. These tourists, especially, must be educated about importance of and best practices to
prevent the spread of WD and other AIS, because they visit Montanas wilderness areas
unaccompanied by informed guides that can ensure they act appropriately to reduce the risk of
spreading AIS (FWP 2004).

Montana residents and tourists above the age of thirty are more likely to visit historic sites and
nature centers than to participate in high-intensity outdoor activities, thus they are also more
likely to be reached by brochures and fliers regarding WD and other AIS that can obtained at
federal and state facilities and other visitor centers and tourist destinations. Younger residents
and tourists may be missed by these resources, because rather than visiting tourist facilities, they
are more likely to participate in outdoor sports, hunting, angling, and other high-intensity
activities. Therefore, Montanans and tourists in the 18-29 year-old age group may be more
effectively reached through social media than by traditional media sources (FWP 2004).

Messages:
The messages presented in this communication campaign plan are intended to promote the
campaigns goals. Therefore, the key messages of this campaign are as follow:
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WD prevention is of the utmost importance to ensure the continued health of Montanas
rivers and streams and the continued quality of Montanas fisheries.
While the spread of WD is easily preventable, treatment of infested waters is nearly
impossible.
The spread of WD and other AIS can be accomplished in three easy steps:
1. Inspect boats, engines, trailers, waders, anchors, and other fishing and boating
gear for water, mud, and vegetation that may carry AIS.
2. Clean water, mud, and vegetation from boats, engines, and equipment using a
pressurized power spray, which can be used at any car wash (AIS will be removed
from equipment by the pressure and killed by the hot water).
3. Dry your boat and equipment to kill AIS and ensure that none can survive to be
transported to another location. Drying with a towel can be effective, but
allowing equipment to dry in the sun is the best method to eliminate AIS (FWP
2014).
Although many tributaries in Montana are already infested with WD, infestations are of
varying severity; waters with greater amounts of WD spores experience fish kills of
greater severity. Thus the prevention of the spread of WD is important, even if the waters
being entered are already infested with WD.
Vehicles approaching inspection stations must stop if they are pulling aquatic vessels.
Inspectors examine vessel exteriors, livewells, bait buckets, bilge areas, and trailers; if
AIS are found, vessels are decontaminated and then re-inspected. Failure to stop at AIS
inspection stations may result in a fine (McCulloch 2011).
Educating the public about the importance of and best methods for the prevention of WD
may lead to an increased awareness regarding all AIS.
Increased awareness regarding WD and AIS may result in fewer instances of AIS
entering Montanas waters.

Proposed Media

This communication campaign will focus on increasing awareness of and best prevention
practices for WD and other AIS using social media and other internet resources, as these are the
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most effective media for reaching Montana residents and tourists between the ages of 18 and 29,
as detailed below.

Social media is extremely popular in the United States, with Facebook leading the race at 114
billion user minutes per month, compared to 5.3 billion for Twitter and 8 billion for Instagram.
Facebook attracts roughly seven times the amount of user engagement that Twitter does, on both
personal computers and mobile devices (Adler 2014). Additionally, 71% of online adults use
Facebook, compared to the 18% that use Twitter. Social media use is especially widespread
amongst the 18-29 year-old age group, of which 84% use Facebook, compared to 79% of people
30-49 years old, 60% of people 50-64 years old, and only 45% of those over the age of 65
(Duggan and Smith 2013). These statistics show that social media is an effective tool for
reaching the target audience.

Messages will be disseminated primarily using Facebook, as Facebook is the most utilized social
media platform. A Facebook page will be designed to present messages regarding the
importance of WD prevention and methods for preventing the spread of WD and other AIS.
Messages will include news reports about WD in Montana as well as educational posts
explaining the best practices to prevent the spread of WD and other AIS, the symptoms and
effects of WD contamination, and the history and future of the disease. The page will also
provide a forum through which users can discuss WD and ask any questions they might have on
the matter. Other social media platforms will not be utilized at this time, but may be added
pending positive results from the Facebook page.

A separate WD website will be created to reach the 16% of the target audience that does not
utilize social media (Duggan and Smith2013). The website and the Facebook page will have
similar messages and will be linked so that users that do utilize social media can easily access the
website as well. The website will feature blog posts, news releases, photos, frequently asked
questions, and links to other resources regarding WD and AIS.

Estimated Budget/Production Costs

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The costs for this project are expected to be low, as Facebook pages are free to create and
operate. Although Facebook pages can be created free of charge, they can also be advertised so
that they reach more people; this process, however, costs money. Additionally, the creation of a
website dedicated to public education regarding WD will necessitate the purchase of a domain
name. Personnel will be required to operate both the website and the Facebook page as well as
to contact tourism businesses and request that they promote the WD social media platforms. The
most cost-efficient way to acquire personnel for this project is to partner with a government
agency to contract an AmeriCorps member through the Corporation for National and Community
Service. This is in line with the Corporation for National and Community Services mission and
guiding principles, which include putting the needs of local communities first, building stronger,
more efficient community networks capable of addressing local needs, and building
collaboration with other federal programs (CNCS 2014). The Student Conservation Association
is an affiliate of the Corporation for National and Community Service that contracts young
people out to government agencies in order to provide them with valuable work experience while
simultaneously accomplishing valuable conservation work. The mission of the Student
Conservation Association is to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire
lifelong stewardship of the environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on
service to the land (SCA 2014). By utilizing a Student Conservation Association Intern who
has already been placed at a government agency (or by influencing an agency to sponsor an
intern), administration of the Facebook page and WD website can be arranged free-of-charge.
The costs of this project are listed in the table shown below:

Estimated Cost of Public Education Campaign for the Prevention of WD and Other AIS
Resource Cost Frequency of
Expenditure
WD prevention website domain name $300* Per year
Advertisement for Facebook page $5-20** Per day
Student Conservation Association Intern No charge N/A
* Price of domain name obtained from weebly.com (Weebly 2014).
** Price to promote Facebook page obtained from Facebook.com (Facebook 2014).

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The United States Fish and Wildlife Services Branch of Aquatic Invasive Species, which was
authorized by the National Invasive Species Act of 1996, provides funding for aquatic invasive
species coordinators for each region within the Service. These coordinators create public
awareness campaigns and organize programs to educate the public about the perils of AIS. They
would be receptive to the idea of a public awareness campaign targeted toward younger members
of society. Additionally, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service routinely employees
Student Conservation Association members, so convincing the service to employee an intern to
focus on WD and AIS prevention is quite feasible (USFWS 2013).

Timeline

Montanas high rate of tourism combined with its ever-growing resident population (with a
moderate growth rate of 0.79%, ranking 26
th
amongst all states), calls for on-going public
education regarding the prevention of WD (WPR 2014). Although WD and AIS education
should be on-going, the timeline for evaluating the success of this communication campaign will
be set at one year.

Proposed Method for Evaluating Success

Success of the WD communication campaign will be evaluated based on the number of people
reached by the media sources over the course of one year. The website will require each person
that accesses the page to click a button before they enter indicating if it is their first visit or not.
The entrance survey will be short and simple to prevent dissuading visitors from accessing the
site. The website will then count the total number or people reached as well as total visits to the
site. The Facebook page will quantify the number of people reached via the number of likes
the page receives. To be deemed a success, the communication campaign must reach at least
5,000 people in the first year.

Additionally, at the conclusion of the first year, a survey will be posted to both the website and
the Facebook page to evaluate the success of the communication campaign. The survey will be
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open for a period of one month to allow ample time for responses. The questions on the survey
will be multiple choice and will be stated as follows:
1. What is WD?
2. What are the symptoms of WD?
3. How is WD spread?
4. What is the best way to prevent WD?
5. Do you feel youve learned about WD from this page/site?

Conclusion

In conclusion, the prevention of WD and other AIS is essential to ensure the continued quality of
Montanas waters and fisheries, as well as to protect the commercial, agriculture, and
recreational interests of Montana residents and tourists. Montana residents and tourists between
the ages of 18 and 29 are the most likely to spread WD and other AIS, as they are highly active
in outdoor activities, including hunting, angling, swimming, and boating, that carry the potential
of spreading invasive organisms. Because this segment of society is less likely to be reached via
informational brochures and fliers accessible in tourist facilities, they may be more effectively
reached via social media and other internet-based media. This age group shows a high
participation rate in social media, most notably Facebook. While members of this age group
may also be reached by signage at fishing accesses and other outdoor recreation sites, a great
deal of this kind of information already exists, whereas social media regarding AIS is an
underutilized resource in Montana. Increased awareness of the importance of and best practices
to prevent the spread of WD and other AIS amongst this age group may lead to fewer instances
of AIS in Montanas waters. Montana residents and tourists are strongly engaged in the
outdoors, and with proper education regarding WD and AIS, they will likely be more than
willing to take appropriate actions to protect the valuable natural resources and delicate
ecosystems that make Montana such a beautiful place to live and visit.




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References

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People Spend on Social Media Networks. Business Insider. Retrieved from:
<www.businessinsider.com/social-media-engagement-statistics-2013-12>.

Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. (2013). Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers: Protect Your
Waters. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved from:
<http://www.protectyourwaters.net/hitchhikers/others_whirling_disease.php>.

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). (2014). Who We Are. About CNCS.
Retrieved from:
<http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/who-we-are>.

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Duggan, M. and Smith, A. (2013). Social Media Update 2013: Demographics of Key Social
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Lasee, B.A. (1995). Introduction to Fish Health Management. Onalaska, WI: United States Fish
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McCulloch, Linda. (2011). Rule Title: Aquatic Invasive Species Inspection Stations. Montana
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The Student Conservation Association (SCA). (2014). About. Corporation for National and
Community Service. Retrieved from:
<https://www.thesca.org/about>.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). (2013). What are Aquatic Invasive Species?
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<http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/ANS/ANS.html>.

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<http://www.weebly.com>.

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