21. Invasion of Asian Carp in the Great Lakes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kassandra Smrekar ◽  
Shingo Tanaka ◽  
Lavie Williams
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
North American ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Fundamental Problem ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Asian Carp ◽  
Freshwater Species

A recent threat posed to the Great Lakes and adjoining waterways is the Asian Carp.  This large bodied fish originated from Asia and was first imported to the North American between 1960 to 1970. Their migration northward through the Mississippi River eliminated native freshwater species through competition of habitat and food resources. It is imperative to focus on the potential invasion of the Asian Carp because the risk assessment is high that the carp would eliminate all native species.  Currently the carp are at the border of entering Lake Michigan, which would then provide access to the rest of the freshwater regions in the surrounding area. Ultimately, the loss of lake biodiversity is the fundamental problem and is coupled with economic issues.  Bowfin Environmental Consulting INC and various invasive species awareness programs have been utilized to provide guidance on undertaking a project that involves an aggressive invasive species.  The challenge faced will be to determine a method in which to prevent the invasion of Asian Carp.  Examining their migration patterns, importation laws of live fish, and the policies of invasive species, will provide insight on the approach that should be taken to eliminate the threat of Asian Carp.  It is also important to analyze which native species are most susceptible to becoming extinct.  Overall, the intention is not only to increase government, scientific, and public awareness of this issue, but also to provide methods that can be implemented to prevent and eradicate the spread of Asian Carp in North American waterways.

Forecasting the distribution of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in Wisconsin tributaries to Lake Michigan

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Kornis ◽  
M. Jake Vander Zanden
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Round Gobies ◽  
Watershed Slope

The Laurentian Great Lakes host more than 180 non-native species, including several that have resulted in major economic and ecological effects. This list includes the round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ), an aggressive, benthic Ponto-Caspian fish that has established large populations in coastal Great Lakes habitats. Here, we document the inland dispersal of round gobies into Wisconsin tributaries of Lake Michigan. Round gobies were detected in 26 of 73 streams (36%) and found >10 km upstream of Lake Michigan in nine watersheds. Round goby presence–absence was modeled using landscape-scale data from these invaded streams. We forecasted the future spread of round goby within Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan basin using our best model (80% accuracy), which included watershed area, stream gradient, and watershed slope as predictors. Round gobies were predicted to invade 1369 km of stream habitat up to the first stream barrier, and 8878 km of stream was identified as suitable looking beyond barriers at the broader Lake Michigan watershed (Wisconsin only). Our results depict the Great Lakes as a springboard for invasive species to disperse into inland ecosystems and, because round gobies are not usually reported in small streams in their native range, emphasize the utility of data from invaded regions when forecasting invasive species distributions.

scholarly journals Mercury source changes and food web shifts alter contamination signatures of predatory fish from Lake Michigan

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (47) ◽  
pp. 23600-23608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan F. Lepak ◽  
Joel C. Hoffman ◽  
Sarah E. Janssen ◽  
David P. Krabbenhoft ◽  
Jacob M. Ogorek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Predatory Fish ◽  
Isotopic Analyses ◽  
C And N ◽  
The Impact

To understand the impact reduced mercury (Hg) loading and invasive species have had on methylmercury bioaccumulation in predator fish of Lake Michigan, we reconstructed bioaccumulation trends from a fish archive (1978 to 2012). By measuring fish Hg stable isotope ratios, we related temporal changes in Hg concentrations to varying Hg sources. Additionally, dietary tracers were necessary to identify food web influences. Through combined Hg, C, and N stable isotopic analyses, we were able to differentiate between a shift in Hg sources to fish and periods when energetic transitions (from dreissenid mussels) led to the assimilation of contrasting Hg pools (2000 to present). In the late 1980s, lake trout δ202Hg increased (0.4‰) from regulatory reductions in regional Hg emissions. After 2000, C and N isotopes ratios revealed altered food web pathways, resulting in a benthic energetic shift and changes to Hg bioaccumulation. Continued increases in δ202Hg indicate fish are responding to several United States mercury emission mitigation strategies that were initiated circa 1990 and continued through the 2011 promulgation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule. Unlike archives of sediments, this fish archive tracks Hg sources susceptible to bioaccumulation in Great Lakes fisheries. Analysis reveals that trends in fish Hg concentrations can be substantially affected by shifts in trophic structure and dietary preferences initiated by invasive species in the Great Lakes. This does not diminish the benefits of declining emissions over this period, as fish Hg concentrations would have been higher without these actions.

Invasive Asian Carps in North America

2011 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
Alternative Technologies ◽  
Nuisance Species ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Asian Carps ◽  
Under Construction ◽  
River Drainages

<em>Abstract</em>.—The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is a 50 km-long, man-made canal that connects the Great Lakes and Mississippi River drainages. The canal, which is important for navigation and storm and wastewater drainage, forms an aquatic pathway for nonnative aquatic species to spread between these two major Midwestern ecosystems. Construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal aquatic nuisance species dispersal barrier was authorized by the National Invasive Species Act of 1996. The barrier currently consists of a micropulsed DC electric array. A demonstration barrier began operation in April 2002 and is nearing the end of its design life; a larger, longer lasting barrier is now under construction. The demonstration barrier has been effective in repelling radio-tagged common carp <em>Cyprinus carpio </em>and is expected to have similar effectiveness on other large fish. The new more powerful barrier will be more effective in repelling small fish. In the near term, addition of alternative technologies such as acoustic bubble arrays may augment effectiveness of the electric barrier. In the long term, separation of the Lake Michigan and Mississippi River drainages will provide the surest means of preventing the range expansion of aquatic invasive species via this pathway. Funding, authorization and existing waterway uses will continue to challenge development of a fully effective barrier system.

7. Examining the Impacts of Zebra Mussels as an Invasive Species in the Great Lakes Region and the Role of Stakeholders in Effective Mitigation Strategies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang Liang
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Light Transmittance ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
The Impact

Zebra mussels were first introduced into the Great Lakes region in 1988, via the ballast water of international ships traveling through the St. Lawrence River. Since then, the aggressive colonization of zebra mussels have had devastating effects on the native aquatic biodiversity in the Great Lakes region. The continued proliferation of zebra mussels have led to increased filtering, high light transmittance through water and growth of benthic (lowest level of a body of water) plants. Due to the intensive filtration of zebra mussels, rapid bioaccumulation of botulinum toxin in their systems have caused high levels of mortality for waterfowl predators. As zebra mussels continue to dominate in predator-prey interactions and interspecies competition, a shift in the ecosystem equilibrium is occurring on varying trophic levels. These changes have not gone unnoticed. Zebra mussels have cost Canadian industries, businesses and communities over $5 billion in a single decade in clogged pipes and turbine damages. The associated economic repercussions from infrastructural damages and native species declines necessitate engagement from a multitude of stakeholders. Public awareness is absolutely vital in minimizing the impact of zebra mussels and preventing their distribution across freshwater in North America. In this presentation, I will discuss the ecological, economic and societal impacts of zebra mussels since their introduction to the Great Lakes region. In addition, I will examine a multitude of management strategies and recommendations to government, private sector and public stakeholders to reduce future impacts of mussels in the Great Lakes region.

Stakeholders and Invasive Asian Carp in the Great Lakes

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Orr
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
Stakeholder Management ◽  
River System ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Asian Carp ◽  
Fishing Industry ◽  
Policy Problem ◽  
Stakeholder Interests

Asian carp were introduced in the 1970s as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemicals for cleaning aquaculture ponds. The carp escaped from their ponds and entered the Mississippi River system, leaving behind a path of destruction. Now, they are just a few miles away from the Great Lakes where they pose a threat to the billion-dollar fishing industry. One of the challenges in dealing with the problem is the diverse array of stakeholders involved who all have very different perspectives, concerns, and ideas about this policy problem. This case study demonstrates the challenges of stakeholder management in public policy and gives readers an analytical framework for thinking about stakeholder interests.

scholarly journals Admixture between native and invasive populations may increase invasiveness of Mimulus guttatus

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1815) ◽  
pp. 20151487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark van Kleunen ◽  
Michael Röckle ◽  
Marc Stift
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
North American ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Mimulus Guttatus ◽  
Native North American ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Self Fertilization ◽  
Different Populations

Self-fertilization and admixture of genotypes from different populations can have major fitness consequences in native species. However, few studies have addressed their potential roles in invasive species. Here, we used plants of Mimulus guttatus from seven native North American, three invasive Scottish and four invasive New Zealand populations to address this. We created seeds from self-fertilization, within-population outcrossing, between-population outcrossing within the same range, and outcrossing between the native and invasive ranges. A greenhouse experiment showed that native and invasive plants of M. guttatus suffered to similar degrees from inbreeding depression, in terms of asexual reproduction and biomass production. After outcrossing with plants from other populations, M. guttatus benefited from heterosis, in terms of asexual and sexual reproduction, and biomass production, particularly when plants from native and invasive populations were crossed. This suggests that, when novel genotypes of M. guttatus from the native North American range will be introduced to the invasive ranges, subsequent outcrossing with M. guttatus plants that are already there might further boost invasiveness of this species.

Detection of Asian carp DNA as part of a Great Lakes basin-wide surveillance program

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher L. Jerde ◽  
W. Lindsay Chadderton ◽  
Andrew R. Mahon ◽  
Mark A. Renshaw ◽  
Joel Corush ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Environmental Dna ◽  
Asian Carp ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Western Basin

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a sensitive technique for early detection of rare species, including bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) carp, which are incipient invaders of the Great Lakes. Since 2009, 2822 samples have been collected from the Great Lakes basin to delimit the extent of Asian carp incursions. Samples collected in the Chicago Area Waterway System and in the western basin of Lake Erie indicate the presence of Asian carp DNA in the Great Lakes. These positive eDNA detections are within 6 and 4 km from where bighead carps were recovered in Lake Calumet, near Lake Michigan (2010), and from Sandusky Bay, Lake Erie (2000), respectively. To implement a Great Lakes surveillance plan for protecting imperiled species and reducing damages from invasive species, federal, state, and provincial agencies will need to cooperatively plan and implement a surveillance program that employs the unique strengths of multiple sampling tools, including eDNA methods.

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