Asian Carp Research Paper

Asian Carp should be prevented from entering the Great Lakes because they are destroying the ecosystem in that area. They are a negative contribution to the lakes because they are eating all of the plankton needed for the native fish to survive, which in turn will create a mass starvation among all the fish in the area. The Asian Carp are also a hazard to boaters, as they are capable of jumping out of the water and knocking into fishermen. They can take over an area quickly and never leave because they have no predators, they come in massive swarms, and they breed fast.

Bighead, Silver, Grass, and Black Carp, even though each its own distinct species, all fall under the name “Asian Carp.” They can weigh anywhere from 60 to 110 pounds, and range from 40 to 60 inches in length. Asian Carp are considered an “invasive species,” an organism that is not native and has negative effects on our economy, environment, or our health. Catfish farmers imported Asian Carp long ago to consume algae in ponds. The carp slowly escaped and migrated to the Mississippi River, then eventually to the Great Lakes.

Invasive species are very common all over the world. Invasive species are an organism that lives in an ecosystem in which they don’t belong. Invasive species are not only dangerous to people, but also the ecosystem and must be removed.

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

What is an invasive species? An invasive species is a species not native to an area, in this case not native to the Great Lakes area. A non-native species is a species that originally was not in a certain location but was brought there and causes a lot of damage. An invasive species also is a great danger to the environment and can cause damage to humans, plants, and animals. In Illinois and the Great Lakes area there are more than 180 invasive and non-native species. That means a lot of damage is made into our environment. One particular invasive species is Agrilus planipennis, more commonly known as emerald ash borer.

Introduced species are seldom a positive addition to an ecosystem as they cause great stress and harm to the populations of native species. Many introduced species become invasive as they have no natural predators in their new environment, therefore they thrive, and crowd out all other animals. Some examples of invasive species in Ontario waters include the round goby, zebra mussels, eurasian ruffe, goldfish, northern snakehead, rainbow smelt, and rudd, to name a few. A great example to show how destructive an introduced fish can be is the asian carp, this species spreads very aggressively and it is considered the greatest threat to aquatic ecosystems in Ontario. These fish grow to be very large in size, up to 40 kg and 1 meter long. The asian

Invasive species have been brought into the United States, some on purpose to help fill a needed use and then latter getting out of control and creating a mess of what they have done to waterways,

An invasive species is a plant, fungus, or animal species that is not native to a specific location and one point should be noticed is that invasive species does not have to come from another country. For example, lake trout are native to the Great Lakes, but are considered to be an invasive species in Yellowstone Lake because they compete with native cutthroat trout for habitat. Although there are some invasive species arrive with spread and establish populations, like the native butterflies feed on non-native plants in California, the alien trees help restore abandoned pastures to a condition suitable for native plants in Puerto Rico and even the much-maligned zebra mussel helps filter toxins from great lakes, most policymakers regard invasive

As the sun starts to go down an angler stands waist deep in the murky green waters of the Mississippi River. He anxiously awaits for the right moment to grasp onto his next big catch. All of the sudden, he reaches into the water and he feels his whole arm being swallowed by a massive fish eating machine. The angler struggles as the fish fights back and wants to let go but not on his watch. He lifts his arm up in the air and there it is, a massive 60 pound beast clamping down on his arm. This hand fishing method is better known as noodling. It is a common fishing practice used to catch flathead catfish in southern states such as Alabama and Mississippi. The fish eating machine of the North American freshwaters is known for devouring all fish it encounters to the point of

The black carp inhabits large river/lake habitats, and is native to many Pacific drainages located in eastern Asia. It is also known as snail carp, Chinese black carp, Chinese roach, black amour, or black Chinese roach. They appear blackish brown with blackish grey fins with an elongated/laterally compressed body. On average, they grow to 3+ feet and weigh an average of 33 pounds. They are known to live for 33 years. Currently, they are in research facilities in the United States, but have not been spotted in the wild. However, if they were to get into the wild, this would heavily disrupt the mussel/snail populations, downsizing them. In addition to this, other native fish, turtles, birds, and vertebrates such as raccoons, otters, and muskrats would be affected via competition for food. They can also host many pathogens, allowing infection of many other

There are six common aquatic invasive species that happen in Lake Winnipeg. They are the common carp, rainbow smelt, white bass, the cladoceran Eusbomina coregoni, Asian tapeworm, and spiny water flea. These species affect the ecosystem`s health and function, the economic value of ecosystems, and human health.

Zebra mussels may seem to be small and harmless creators, but these invasive species are taking over the ecosystem. First appearing in the Great Lakes, but over time has spread all across the U.S causing huge problems. Zebra mussels are negatively impacting lakes and rivers, as they are invasive species, and are killing may native species.

Did you know the Asian Carp can potentially starve out the native fish in the Great Lakes and make them go extinct? There are invasive alien plants and animals that humans have brought into the wild where they don't belong. There are many negative effects of this. Like ecosystems becoming very unbalanced and native species going extinct! Even though fisherman can benefit from Asian Carp, humans still should be forced to clean up the mess they have started. Humans need to take action to solve the problem before it is too late to save the native wildlife and oceans.

Asian carp are a group of fish out Asia. They were brought into America in the 1970s “to control the growth of algae in Arkansas aquaculture ponds” (Mears). The idea was that these fish would solely eat the algae. In the 1990s the Mississippi river saw huge floods, causing the water level of the aquaculture ponds to substantially rise (Mears). During this time the carp were flooded into the river (American). With no natural predators the fish reproduced. Asian Carp are an evasive and invasive species that have destroyed ecosystems across the U.S. Due to the shared water system of North America they are starting to make their way into Canada. Asian carp have left devastating impacts in their wake, despite efforts (both underway

Asian carp is an invasive species that was introduced in the US to help control weed and parasite control. They are aggressive, adaptable, and rapidly growing. Asian carps are known to disrupt food chains as they eat all the food supply available to them. This causes other native fishes to not have food to eat and die off. They cause damage to boaters and boating equipment as they jump at high speeds from water being electro charged or when surprised by moving boats. This in turn causes collisions with people resulting in injuries.