About
What We Do
About the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems
The Morris Institute, named for conservation leader Johnny Morris, will train the next generation of conservationists, environmental scientists, and researchers and serve as a national center of research, knowledge and best management practices impacting fisheries, wildlife and aquatic systems.
The Morris Institute’s breadth of collaboration among disciplines is unique and found nowhere else among the small group of peer institutes and centers for excellence that work on water and fisheries issues.
Get to Know Us
The Johnny Morris Institute Will:
1.
Bring together diverse partners to collectively define priority challenges.
2.
Conduct key, cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research needed to anticipate, inform or resolve priority issues and maintain healthy fisheries, wetlands and aquatic systems in Missouri, regionally, nationally and internationally.
3.
Ensure conservation workforce development through internships, cooperative education efforts and graduate assistance programs that guarantee the next generation of researchers, conservationists, managers and industry leaders are trained in a setting that provides real-world learning opportunities and cross-disciplinary training.
4.
Develop and support public policy focusing on integrated conservation and economics of water, fish and wildlife resources, wetlands, agriculture and associated outdoor recreation.
5.
Communicate knowledge gained through an array of platforms, including conferences and scientific and popular publications to convey information affecting the lives and decisions of every citizen.
6.
Build a pipeline of talent to help fill recurring vacancies at MDC as well as conservation agencies/organizations across the country.
The Show Me State
Missouri Boasts
- An amazing variety of world-class fishing opportunities available to the average citizen, from reservoirs and streams to rivers, lakes and ponds.
- A diverse array of aquatic systems from prairie streams to large rivers and farm ponds to major reservoirs.
- A wide variety of landscapes in which to conduct research with far-reaching implications.
- Diverse wetland communities that support hundreds of plant and animal species and enhance water quality.
The Johnny Morris Institute will be developed in several phases:
The initial investment, Phase I, is $12 million that has been raised through the support of agency partners and private donors. These funds allow for the hiring of an Institute Director, two faculty and a communication specialist. The Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation and its partners are committed to building the endowment to $30 million over the next 10 years. As funding grows hiring additional faculty will be the priority.
A legacy opportunity between
With the Johnny Morris Institute, student development in conservation will grow at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral level through faculty and staff, research, and career pathway and workforce development.
The Morris Institute will not only support the Missouri Department of Conservation and other conservation/outdoors organizations, but also support programs at the regional and national level. By developing partnerships, as well as good public policy and service programs, the Morris Institute will address conservation issues facing our country and the world.
Missouri is a national conservation leader.
The cornerstone of that leadership has always been collaboration among resource agencies fostered by the support of our state’s citizens. Our broad conservation success is the envy of the nation, and what better place to promote fisheries, wetlands, and clean water conservation than where two of the nation’s mightiest rivers meet? We recognize the wetland conservation and world-class fishing we enjoy today didn’t happen by accident. Generations of outdoor enthusiasts had the foresight to conserve these natural treasures, and it’s up to us to ensure they remain healthy and abundant for future generations to protect and enjoy.
The University of Missouri is positioned to lead this effort.
Dozens of conservation organizations state, federal, and private are located on or within miles of the Columbia campus. Missouri boasts of national leadership in the outdoor industry. Together with the faculty and staff of the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems these institutions – public, private, and academic organizations – will educate and inspire the next generation of fisheries biologists and scientific leaders, as well as inform the landowners, managers, and the public.
A History of Excellence
For more than 80 years, science has been the foundation of Missouri’s conservation efforts. Nowhere is it more evident than in the state’s fisheries and wetland programs.
Missouri has been at the forefront in gathering knowledge about fish and waterfowl, understanding their habitat requirements, and managing the state’s waters to meet those needs.
The Missouri Department of Conservation, in collaboration with the University of Missouri, led the way in gaining understanding of the impacts of harvest and establishing regulations to ensure sustainability of the resources while optimizing recreational enjoyment. Similar efforts are required for the future.
Healthy wetlands and aquatic systems and sustainable fish and wildlife populations do not happen by accident.
They depend on having well-trained and talented scientists with a strong understanding of Missouri’s aquatic systems. They also require strong research programs to support understanding and guide management of these systems and associated flora and fauna. The best way to ensure well-trained and talented biologists who understand Missouri, its ecosystems and the needs of the citizenry is to establish the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems at the University of Missouri. The Morris Institute will serve as the center of fisheries, wetlands, and aquatic systems management in Missouri and beyond by generating information to guide decisions regarding existing and future complex, long-term natural resource management and policy issues.
The Need
Clean water and healthy freshwater ecosystems have never been more important to our health, safety, and future.
We need inspired and educated conservation stewards to bring innovative expertise and research that will be used to work toward a sustainable planet. Basic needs for all living things include food, water, and a place to live. Proper conservation of the earth’s natural resources, including watersheds and water resources is foundational to survival, mental and physical well-being, and prosperity of people. The needs and challenges are reflected in the reality that fisheries, fish habitat, wetlands, and other freshwater ecosystems are in crisis worldwide.
They face pressure from multiple fronts:
- Runoff and erosion from urban and agricultural land.
- Pollutants resulting from our daily lives.
- Invasive species and a shifting climate.
- A resurgence of water-related diseases.
- Highly altered flows into streams, rivers, and reservoirs.
Healthy freshwater ecosystems with functioning wetlands are too valuable to lose because they provide many important services to the environment and public by:
- Acting as natural water purifiers by filtering sediments and pollutants.
- Recharging and stabilizing underground aquifers. • Moderating flood waters.
- Providing critical habitat for fish, wildlife, and other aquatic flora and fauna.
- Governing the flow of streams, rivers, and other water resources that produce and support valuable commercial products.
- Providing recreational and tourism opportunities
- Providing opportunities for education