A range of tools is available for Great Lakes resource managers and lawmakers interested in identifying potentially-invasive aquatic species. Notre Dame has developed a comprehensive set of tools for commercially-sold amphibians and reptiles, crayfish, fish, mollusks and plants. Additional resources developed by organizations across the region are also available.

The quality of any risk assessment depends on the information used to answer the tool’s questions. Using the best available data—scientific journals, species accounts in books, and expert opinion—to answer each question will provide the best results.