She’s baaack!

Melissa Cheung, who spent 12 weeks in Neosho in 2004, has returned to take on a biology position at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery.

She is filling the position left open with the transfer of biologist Ralph Simmons.

When Cheung came to Neosho in 2004, she had just completed her degree at the University of California at San Diego.

Now, after more schooling and a job with the National Park Service in Boulder City, Colo., she has returned to Neosho as a full-time employee.

“I really enjoyed my time in Neosho before, so when this position came up, I applied,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to working here. I think a lot of the guys here and look forward to working with them.”

While in Boulder City working at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Cheung worked with an invasive species, the quagga mussel which is a major problem among native fish. This species is much the same as the zebra mussel which is invading the Midwest.

“If anyone wants to know anything about quagga mussels, they can ask me because I’ve really had a lot of experience, and there’s a lot of that in my head right now,” Cheung laughed.

Fighting these invaders is a huge job for government and private biologists.

“With these invasive species it seems that if you get one male and one female, you have a million in a year,” she said, “They are really bad.”

But now Cheung will turn her attention to rainbow trout and the endangered pallid sturgeon which are in residence at the Neosho hatchery.

 “I’m looking forward to working with both these species and there may be other species that will be here in the future.”

Cheung’s first day on the job was Monday, and she was already looking forward to the work ahead of her and renewing some old acquaintances.