Essay Asian Carp: Destroying the Great Lakes

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When was the last time you swam in the Great Lakes? Could you say that it was clean, could you say that the organisms were all healthy and doing great? Well, unfortunately, there are many things harming our Great Lakes, like chemicals, pollution, and invasive species.

There are unwanted visitors threatening to make their home in the Great Lakes. Originally coming from Asia, the fish immigrated to the Mississippi River eventually making their way to the Great Lakes. Let’s take a look at the problem, the causes and effects, and the possible solutions of the Asian Carp Invasion.

As well as pollution, invasive species are damaging the lake ecosystems and food chains, made fragile by pollution and overfishing. The introduction of a new species throws off the balance of food chains. Some common invasive species include the sea lamprey, Asian carp, and zebra mussels, among many others. Zebra mussels have dramatically influenced and affected stable food chains by reducing the amount of zooplankton and phytoplankton. This presents a problem, as fish mostly feed on the drifters, and so they go hungry and die, leaving no food for larger fish to prey on. In addition to underwater disruption, it affects us as well, but only slightly. Plankton and algae especially are the most productive aquatic producers of oxygen, and by the decreasing population, we lose oxygen as well. The sea lamprey is also a problem, though it is not so influential to ecosystems as the zebra mussel.

Now days times have changed. You can no longer enjoy the things you once could. It has become dangerous to waterski or to even enjoy a boat ride down the river due to the Asian carp. These fish are startled easily by boats, and small watercraft. They can jump ten to twelve feet out of the water causing damage to boats and injuring humans. I have heard of people getting cuts from the fins, black eyes, concussions, broken noses and jaws, and even knocked unconscious from this species of fish. Not only are these Asian Carp causing physical damage, they are wreaking havoc on the ecological system. The main concern from the Asian Carp is the dangerous effects that it is bringing to our ecosystem. As an avid fisherman, this is of great concern to me. This will not only affect me as a fisherman, but also possibly hunters, bird watchers, boaters, even jet skiers and water skiers are

We need to decide if we want the economic benefits or if we want to save our ecosystem for the future generations to enjoy. Spotted bass are being considered an invasive species by some biologists. In 1993 a group of biologists in Louisiana put tracking devices in spotted bass to try and learn more about this species that was becoming more prevalent in the Flint river. The same group of biologists did a follow up electro-shock in 1999. The electro-shock showed that this population of bass was growing at an extremely rapid rate. The population of these fish had more than doubled and the other fish species had decreased, especially the largemouth and smallmouth bass. There was another electro-shock done in 2005 that showed the same results. The spotted bass population was growing rapidly and the largemouth and smallmouth populations were dropping. A different group of biologist decided to follow up on the studies that were done in earlier years. They found that the largemouth populations are struggling and the smallmouth are no longer in the Flint river. According to North American Journal of Fisheries Management, the recent introduction of spotted bass along the upper Flint River has caused great concern among anglers and fisheries managers about the potential negative impacts.

An invasive species has entered Maryland’s waters and threatens to dramatically alter the balance of the aquatic ecosystem. The Northern Snakehead fish, native to Asia and Africa, is a voracious predator, competing with native fish at all stages of its life. The juveniles will consume zooplankton, insect larvae, small crustaceans and other fry fish. Adults eat fish, crustaceans, frogs, small reptiles and even birds and mammals. Snakeheads aggressively protect their young. They are also air-breathers which allow them to survive on land for as long as four days and migrate up to a quarter mile over land making control difficult. Snakeheads carry a disease, Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome, and there is concern this disease may be transmitted to native fish. The snakehead fish was probably intentionally released in the U.S. by aquarium owners and through the live food fish trade attempting to establish a local food source. To date, the snakehead fish is found in seven states with reproducing populations documented in Maryland and Florida. In Maryland, they have been captured in the Potomac River and tributaries. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Biological Resources Division of the U.S.G.S. are all involved in monitoring and eradicating the snakehead fish. Maryland anglers can help by learning to identify the snakehead fish and by removing it from the ecosystem. As further incentive, Maryland DNR has offered

Some examples include the zebra mussel, sea lamprey, and Asian carp. The zebra mussel first came to the great lakes by traveling in the ballast water of a transoceanic vessel. Over the years, it has spread into the entire great lakes system. They are very dense with contaminants, which causes predators to stray away from them and not digest them. The zebra mussel has had many negative impacts on the ecosystem. A zebra mussel can attach themselves firmly to any solid object, which has caused water intake and discharge pipes to clog. Some other impacts include suppressing native mussels, over clarifying the water, and stripping water from various plankton that native fish eat. Sea lamprey are another invasive species in the great lakes. A sea lamprey is an eel like fish that sucks bodily fluids from other fish. They have traveled to the great lakes on their own by swimming up the Hudson River. They have contributed to the collapse of the whitefish and lake trout fisheries. Some prevention actions have been put in place and include chemical treatments of spawning

Species have been invading the Great Lakes for a very long time. “Scientists estimate that there are more than 185 invasive species in the Great Lakes today.” One of the species that invade the Great Lakes is the Round Goby. This animal usually feeds on fish eggs, Yellow Perch, Bass, and Walleye. The Round Goby is an invasive species because it kills other species, or it can make them extinct. Another example of invasive specie is Quagga Mussel. The Quagga Mussel usually sits in lakes or oceans, building up over a long period of time, this leads to millions, and millions

There were Asian Carp found in a water mass in one of the Great Lakes. Imported from Asia, the sliver carp, will out compete native species in the Great Lakes for food. This would ruin the ecosystem in the Great Lakes because the carps will out compete the species that are native to this lake for food causing the native species to die off. In the Great Lakes commercial and sport fishing is an industry that is worth billions yearly. The silver carp that was found in the great lake could have gotten there many different ways. On is that is swam through the electric barrier that prevents carps from entering the water way. Another is that it could have been on about and carried past the barrier. Lastly, it could have been placed in the lake by

Asian Carp where brought to America in the 1970’s because of their ferocious appetites, to keep algae and other matters out of ponds on catfish farms. Asian Carp average a full-grown length of five feet, and can surpass one hundred pounds. They breed and populate, and grow very quickly. Asian Carp are adversely affecting their un-natural environments by starving out native pond and river inhabitants. They have been slowly but surely migrating up the Mississippi River since their introduction to the Georgia portion. Their imminent arrival to the Great Lakes of Michigan has become a serious concern. This would be an issue because the Great Lakes are currently home to more than 43 federally protected species of fish. An invasion by Asian Carp

Although lake George was able to benefit from the late-comer effect and learn lessons from Lake Tahoe, certain steps could have been done differently to better fight the clams. Lake George did spend less time forming the task force and formulating an initial plan of action. However, the best plan for stopping the spread of Asian clams is prevention. Moreover, Saranac Lake is the ultimate beneficiary of the late-comer effect.

Minns, C. K. (October 01, 2014). Management of Great Lakes fisheries: Progressions and lessons. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management, 17, 4, 382-393.

71 percent of the earth’s surface is made of water. 97 percent of earths water is saline water and not safe for human consumption. This leaves just 3 percent of earth’s water as fresh water most of which is icecaps and glaciers. 68 percent of the fresh water on Earth is found in icecaps and glaciers. 30 percent of fresh water is found in ground water leaving around .3 percent of earth’s water as surface fresh water. Of the .3 percent of surface fresh water the great lakes make up 84% of North America 's surface fresh water and about 21% of the world 's supply of surface fresh water. ("Great Lakes Facts and Figures." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.)

environment, we as fish start moving to different areas and the whole side of the lake