MONITORING & MANAGEMENT
European Frog-bit Monitoring
Detecting an invasive species early provides the most realistic chance for management activities to successfully eradicate the population. However, aquatic invasive plants are often cryptic and difficult to locate before widespread population growth. Detecting a species requires thorough surveillance of all preferred habitat for a given species. Documentation of surveillance efforts provides critical information on where the target species is found and where it is not.
The European Frog-bit Collaborative is developing a series of ArcGIS tools to assist managers in the Great Lakes region with monitoring and delimiting European frog-bit.
Delimiting European frog-bit in the Great Lakes region
The delimitation app is designed to collect European frog-bit (EFB) surveillance data across a broad range of environments including large waterbodies such as coastal wetlands, inland lakes, or rivers. All data will be collected on the “EFB Collab AIS Survey map” in the ArcGIS Field Maps app. The application ensures standardized data collection across all locations surveyed for EFB. Positive observations are sent yearly to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) for inclusion in their database.
The app requires an ArcGIS Collector account. Request access to join the group here: https://bit.ly/EFBapp. See section above for requesting a free community account.
Delimitation App Resources
- For all resources, visit the Hub Site!
- View delimitation mapper (note: only ArcGIS online group members can see Collaborative data!)
- Standard Operating Procedure
- Video training resourcesÂ
Frog-BATT
The Frog-BATT (European Frog-bit Before-and-After Treatment Tracker) app allows you to monitor before and after managing EFB, and also submit treatment information. This data will be used to determine which techniques are working to reduce EFB infestations across the Great Lakes basin. It is designed so that data gathered from both treatment and untreated control areas can be used to determine potential treatment impacts to EFB and non-target aquatic plants species, identify control techniques and strategies that need further investigation, provide preliminary data on EFB distribution, reproductive biology and phenology, and habitat requirements, and summarize where, by whom, and how EFB is being managed on the local, state, and basin-wide scales.
Frog-BATT is ready for use can be accessed at the EFB’s ArcGIS Hub site: hub.efbcollaborative.net.
View the Standard Operating Procedures here.
Prioritizing monitoring locations
The Survey Prioritization and Data Editor web app serves dual purposes: to assist managers in planning European frog-bit survey locations by visualizing the existing data along with relevant ancillary datasets, and to give data contributors a way to edit survey data that they have collected and shared. Ancillary datasets in the map include information on protected areas, boat ramp locations, dams, wetlands, and watershed boundaries as well as relative wind exposure for Great Lakes sites. EFB observations in the MISIN database are also included. Data contributors can edit features they have already created and create new features. Contributors are only able to edit features created using their own account. Detailed instructions are included in the How to Use This Map pane, which can be reopened by clicking the info icon 
in the upper right corner.
NOTE: As of 2025 this app is now deprecated and will be replaced with a new prioritization app. For more information and a demo of the new app, visit the EFB Hub site.
Resources & Publications
Twitter Image: Protect Habitat
European Frog-bit Collaborative
Twitter Image: Preserve Habitat
European Frog-bit Collaborative
Standard Treatment Impact Monitoring Protocol
European Frog-bit Collaborative