What is being done about invasive species in the Great Lakes?

What is being done about invasive species in the Great Lakes?

We work on two fronts to keep new invasive species out of the lakes: Cleaning up ship ballast tanks. Separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.

What is the Great Lakes Protection Act?

1. To protect human health and well-being through the protection and restoration of water quality, hydrologic functions and the ecological health of the Great Lakes-St. To protect and restore watersheds, wetlands, beaches, shorelines and coastal areas of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin.

What is being done to help control invasive species from entering the Great Lakes?

In 2004, EPA and other state and local agencies began construction of a permanent electric barrier to prevent the fish from entering Lake Michigan. EPA is also studying how existing invasive species have become established in the Great Lakes. These studies will help develop new techniques to predict future invasions.

How serious is the invasive species problem in the Great Lakes?

The Great Lakes ecosystem has been severely damaged by more than 180 invasive and non-native species. Species such as the zebra mussel, quagga mussel, round goby, sea lamprey, and alewife reproduce and spread, ultimately degrading habitat, out-competing native species, and short-circuiting food webs.

Which Great Lakes species are non native but were deliberately introduced?

Non-Native and Invasive Species In the case of zebra and quagga mussels, the introduction to the U.S. was accidental. They were probably brought to the Great Lakes as stowaways in the ballast water of a cargo ship that came from Europe or Asia.

What is the greatest threat to wetland habitats in the Great Lakes region?

Threats to the Great Lakes’ ecosystems, include invasive species, climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction. Climate change affects water temperatures, weather patterns, and lake levels. Pollutants from residential, agricultural, and industrial areas reduce water quality.

What are three actions that you can take to help protect the Great Lakes the species that live there and the planet?

5 Things You Can Do To Protect The Great Lakes

• Watch What You Wash. One load of laundry can release more than 700,000 microscopic plastic fibers into the water system, polluting our waterways and disrupting the food chain.
• Go Fertilizer-Free.
• Ditch the Aquatic Hitchhikers.
• Dispose of Meds Properly.
• Get Political.

Why should the Great Lakes be protected?

The history of sulfide mining is rife with contamination, Harmful acid mine drainage is an inescapable byproduct of sulfide mining and results in miles of decimated streams and rivers. The Great Lakes region must carefully protect its most precious resource, fresh water.

How do you prevent the spread of invasive species?

10 Ways You Can Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species

1. Clean your hiking and fishing gear.
2. Don’t move firewood.
3. Fish using native bait when possible.
4. Volunteer at removal efforts.
5. Talk to your local nursery when selecting plants for your garden.
6. Clean your boat before transferring to a new body of water.

Who takes care of the Great Lakes?

In addition to state agencies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must step-up its oversight and protect the Great Lakes from the exceptional risks of sulfide mining.

How many invasive species are in the Great Lakes?

180 species
Scientists estimate the Great Lakes have been invaded by more than 180 species.

Who protects Great Lakes?

EPA coordinates U.S. activities under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), which frames the binational priorities and implementation between the United States and Canada to restore and protect the waters of the Great Lakes.

How are invasive species getting into the Great Lakes?

Ships need ballast water tanks to stabilize them on long ocean journeys and when loading and unloading cargo. Sixty-five percent of invasive species were released in the Great Lakes when these ships dumped their ballast water. Cleaning up ballast water is the most effective way to prevent new invasive species in the Great Lakes.

How is the Great Lakes water being protected?

The Great Lakes region must carefully protect its most precious resource, fresh water. We hope you will join and support our efforts. The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact is a historic agreement among the eight Great Lakes states to protect Great Lakes water.

When did the Great Lakes Compact come into force?

The Compact, which came into force on December 8, 2008, protects wildlife and habitat from water diversions from the Great Lakes basin and promotes sound water management within the basin. The Compact offers extensive protections to Great Lakes water because it treats groundwater, surface water and Great Lakes tributaries as a single ecosystem.

What are the threats to the Great Lakes?

In spite of their majesty, the Great Lakes are fragile and face serious threats from invasive species, toxins, water diversion, wetland destruction, sewage overflows, and climate change.