Invasive Species

The Asian carp is the 'poster child' of invasive species, but do you know that there are over 150 non-native species already established in the Great Lakes? From bivalves from Russia, to plants from Europe, to fresh water-tolerant species from the Atlantic, our Great Lakes are already populated with invasives that continually weaken and erode the ecosystem.

The Asian carp is a big and current threat. It has been making its way to the Great Lakes for many years and is now very near Lake Michigan.

A permanent solution IS possible.

Tom Kelly, Executive Director of the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay, Michigan, presented his recommendations at the recent US Army Corps of Engineers and Mississippi River Interbasin Study meeting in Traverse City.

See his recommendations here:

http://schoolship.blogspot.com/2011/01/tom-kellys-comments-to-glmris-scoping.html

The Sea Lamprey STARS on Dirty Jobs

The sea lamprey is the focus of the most recent episode of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs"

Mike Rowe, the show's host and willing participant in these 'dirty jobs,' will shadow scientists as they attempt to corral and control the lamprey population in the Great Lakes.

The sea lamprey was one of the earliest species to travel the shipping canals dug to allow transport of goods from the lakes out into the St. Lawrence Seaway. These waterways allowed the lamprey to enter and colonize the lakes back in the 1920s.

Lamprey attach themselves to large fish and suck the life out of them. By the 1950s, the lamprey had significantly depleted the lakes of large, predator fish. This allowed the population of alewives (a smaller fish) to explode.

Controlling the lamprey population and restocking the lakes with trout and salmon allowed some semblance of balance to return.

(Photo is from the Inland Seas Education Center located in Suttons Bay, Michigan)

Inland Seas Education Center

Segment 6 began up in Suttons Bay. Before I began walking, I stopped in at the Inland Seas Education Center to meet the director, Tom Kelly, and the center's dedicated staff. This group has the following mission:

"Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people of all ages experience the science and spirit of the Great Lakes through shipboard and on-shore programs. The knowledge gained through these experiences will provide the leadership, understanding and commitment needed for the long-term stewardship of the Great Lakes."

The organization has a 77 foot schooner designed for their mission. They can take groups of 30 school kids out onto the lake to study things like the pH of water, zooplankton, invasive species, and stewardship of the lakes. The center also has an onland facility with interactive displays.

I was so impressed with this organization and their work. Find out more at: www.schoolship.org