1 / 34

Invasive Species in the Great Lakes

Invasive Species in the Great Lakes. 11/17/09 John Butts Jon Flikkema Philippe Giscard d'Estaing Jordan Latore Matt Veryser. The Great Lakes. Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, & Ontario Largest group of freshwater lakes in the world Contains 22% of the world’s fresh surface water

gianna
Download Presentation

Invasive Species in the Great Lakes

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Invasive Species in theGreat Lakes 11/17/09 John ButtsJon FlikkemaPhilippe Giscard d'EstaingJordan LatoreMatt Veryser

  2. The Great Lakes • Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, & Ontario • Largest group of freshwater lakes in the world • Contains 22% of the world’s fresh surface water • Define the border between the US and Canada • Formed 10,000 yrs ago as the Laurentide ice sheet receded

  3. History • Indigenous peoples long had fished them • Europeans sailed them in 1679 • By 1825 direct they were connected to the Atlantic ocean • By 1848 they were connected to the Mississippi • Since then population and resources exploitation grew

  4. Problem • Over 180 nonindigenous species have been exposed to the Great Lakes Region • Both intentional and unintentional • Pollution in the region • Cross Boundary- United States and Canada

  5. Beginning of Policy • 1905 International Waterways Commission • Created to advise the United States and Canada on levels and flows in the great lakes • 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty • Provided for creation of the International Joint Commission (IJC) • Has the authority to resolve disputes • 1912-1919 studied water pollution and advised for a new treaty

  6. 1950-1972 • 1955 Great Lakes Commission Established • 1955 Great Lakes Fishery Commission established • To find a way to control the Lamprey Eel • 1964 IJC begins studies on the eutrophication of the lakes • Phosphorus to blame • 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Resulted • Big Step forward in policy • 1978 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement • 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

  7. Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species • 1987 GWQA Calls for study of ships ballast water • 1990 Nonindigineous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act • Established by the GLC in 1991 • Key Objective calls for “healthy ecosystems where new introductions of nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species are prevented and adverse ecological and economic impacts of species already present are minimized.” • Beginning of large scale regulation

  8. Nuisance Species: Agenda • Lamprey Eel • Plants • Zebra Mussels • Asian Carp

  9. Sea Lamprey • Parasitic • Up to 40in long • Kills 6 out of 7 fish it preys on

  10. More on the Sea Lamprey • Has an odd life cycle. • Spends most of it’s life sedentary • Only parasitic for about a year • Only spawns once

  11. Sea Lamprey cont. • Toothy Mouth • No Jaw • One Lamprey kills up to 40lbs of fish

  12. Extent of the Sea Lamprey • Originally located in the Atlantic Ocean. • Moved to the Great Lakes from canals and waterways

  13. Policy and Action • United States and Canada collaborated • In 1955 created Great Lakes Fisheries Commission • Primary source of lamprey control

  14. Forms of Control • Primary method is using TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol) • Very effective • Also use of lamprey traps.

  15. Forms of Control cont. • Lamprey barriers and traps • Lamprey can’t jump over barrier • Eliminates breeding spots for the lamprey

  16. Common Reed (Phragmites australis) • Introduced in region around 1800s • Origins from Europe through cargo ships • Rapid growth rate in the wetlands • Causes marshes to dry which can cause wild fires and lack of vegetation

  17. Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) • Very disruptive to wetlands by rapidly spreading through the plant’s large production of seeds • Mechanical control involves special interest groups removing the grass through digging, bulldozing, or covering the grass with plastic • Applying chemicals which prevent the growth. Glyphosate is a chemical to kill the plant

  18. Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) • Brought to the region for medicinal uses and also its beauty • Today, the distribution, growth, and sales of the purple loosestrife are illegal • In 1997, the United States Department of Agriculture chose to employ three kinds of insects which promised to kill-off the plant

  19. Curly Pond Weed (Potamogeton crispis) • Grows underneath the water • Extremely thick and dense which can kill off other species that are vital for the survival of amphibians and other animals in the region • Prevents sunlight from getting to other vegetation underneath

  20. Curly Pond Weed continued… • Use of phytoplankton • Produces algae which can cover the surface of the water preventing sunlight to provide nutrients to the curly pond weed • Adding a dye to the water which also prevents sunlight to enter through the water • Grass carp feed off of the curly pond weed and can consume a good portion of the invasion

  21. First discovered in mid 1980’s • Major cause of Biofouling in the Great Lakes Zebra Mussels

  22. Ecological Impact • Abiotic Factors • Biotic Factors

  23. Economic Impact • Millions of dollars in spending across the US • Majority by Great Lakes bordering states and provinces

  24. Prevention and Research • NOAA • GLERL • 1990 Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Act

  25. Invasive Species: Asian Carp • Dominating fish specie • Species imported by catfish farmers (1970s) to remove algae/suspend matter from ponds • Heavy rainfall (1990s) flooded farming ponds, releasing carp into Mississippi basin • Northward migration  Illinois River  Great Lakes?

  26. INVADERS!

  27. Area of Interest : Asian Carp • Mississippi River • Illinois River – Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal • Lake Michigan http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/invasive/asiancarp/

  28. Asian Carp http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/invasive/asiancarp/

  29. Potential Threat: Asian Carp • Ability to disrupt native habitat and food chain in Great Lakes ecosystem • Harmful to recreational boaters • Jump nearly 10 ft off surface • Fast Reproduction • Large Appetites

  30. Electric Barrier • The Great Lakes Asian Carp Barrier Act • barrier sends pulsating DC current into water • method of distraction • no threat to human activity http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=312

  31. Electric Barrier • Barrier can operate between 1-4 volts/inch capacity • Safety concerns for recreational boaters and barge operators • Possibility of overheating • Backup barrier during times of maintenance http://www.smith-root.com/products/barriers/

  32. Looking Forward • Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species • Meets twice a year • Prohibition on Mollusk • Still disagreement on some initiatives • Zebra Mussels • Federal 2010 Budget allots $475 M for new Environmental Protection Agency-led Great Lakes Restoration initiative

More Related