The Round Goby as a Non-Native Species in the Great Lakes Eco Ssytem
As if there weren’t enough problems for scientists trying to save the Great Lakes Eco System. Many non-native species have entered the eco system and many of them are harmful. Every species in itself has played a role in the eco system. These non-native species make it increasingly difficult for the Great Lakes Eco System to be regulated.
One species in particular, the Round Goby (Neogobious Melanostomus), is particularly harmful. This is a freshwater fish that originated from the Europe and Asia area, mostly residing in the Caspian and Black seas. The round goby was most likely introduced into this area by accident. It was brought over by ships traveling in the ocean to the Great lakes region. The first big outbreak of the round goby was found in Lake Michigan, with large amounts now found in Lakes Huron and Erie. Round gobies have only been noticed in the Great Lakes Region since about 1990. By 1994 they were found in many bays and rivers outside of Cleveland. Most of the goby sightings have remained in the Midwest.
There are many problems that the round goby creates. First the goby
reproduces quickly and in large amounts. Second the round goby, witch is very small, is a very aggressive fish and disturbs and eats many native fish and their eggs. Gobies are also a problem among fishermen because they often scare off the specific kind of fish that the fishermen are looking for. Another problem with the round goby is that it appears to be very similar to many native fish, which makes it hard to identify.
While this species is relatively new to the ecosystem of the Great Lakes, it has had an impact. The goby is known to harass and kill many fish of its kind and eat the eggs of many different species of fish. When they first arrived it was not totally apparent to scientists whether they would be harmful or not. However, as more showed up their behavior has been monitored and it has been determined that they are harmful to the environment they have now invaded. This species, if not monitored can create large threats to the reproduction abilities of lake trout as well.
Known as Pterois Volitans in the animal kingdom, also called the red lionfish, is a sight to behold in the tropical waters as they swim like an underwater butterfly in the sea. In waters not native to their origin, as they are from the Pacific and have predators that will have them for a snack. Invasive to the Caribbean Sea they have rapidly reached the Gulf of Mexico and far south, spreading to parts of South America. The lionfish has become a persistent pest that’s more trouble than what it appears to be, attractive yet deceptive with a striking pattern of white and red stripes. In the New York Times article, A Call to Action… and Even Rodeos, scientists say that, “from 2005 onward, lionfish have become the most numerous nonnative invasive species in the world.” The average pound fish is one of nature’s clever creations, a venomous foe with spines and an infinite appetite that reproduce quickly. Invasive species are notorious because they have no or almost nonexistent natural predators and they are adapt to their new home very well. The biological adaptations of this fish has caused both ecological and economical mayhem, serious measures have been taken up to control their population as well as to protect our coral reefs.
The Longnose gars are found all over the eastern united states and grow to be a rather big fish. Their scientific name is Lepisosteus osseus and they are members of the gar family (Groves). Gars have been around for a very long time, some said even back to prehistoric times. However even with them being around for a long time, there is still little research done on them because they are considered pests to many fisherman. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program This is because “most fisherman consider gars to be a nuisance because they damage fishing gear and eat more important fish species” (Chesapeake Bay Program, 2012).
Invasive species do not only affect other species in their ecosystem, but also cost the United States more than one hundred and twenty million dollars each year in damages (“Cost” par. 2). Invasive species come in all different forms, and all have a negative impact on the environment. These species can come into a new area without being detected at first, but as time goes on their effects can soon be seen. Efforts are being made to prevent these invasive species from destroying fish population and habitat, but in order to be successful they need to be done on a much larger scale. In order to protect Wisconsin's waters, which are already infected with many invasive species that cause great damage to our bodies of water, more actions need to be taken. It is vital to remove all invasive species from Wisconsin’s waters because it will improve fish habitat, native fish population, and water quality.
There are an estimated, tens of thousands pythons living in the Everglades. One Burmese python can eat a lot by itself, but then you multiply that by tens of thousands, mass amounts of animal life goes down. The newspaper said,”With no natural predators, these eating machines appear to be wiping out huge numbers of opossums, raccoons, and bobcats, as well as many bird species.” This shows that the tens of thousands of Burmese pythons living in the Everglades are having a mass effect on the animal species living in the Everglades. If the Burmese pythons problem does not go away, it may lead to the extinction of some types of animals in the
http://eaglenet.lambuth.edu/facultyweb/science/biology/RCook/community%20ecologyS10.pdf. Impacts on the Biodiversity. Quebec Biodiversity Website -. Web. The Web.
“Summary Report for: Fish and Game Wardens”. O Net Online. 2014.Web. 4 April 2014. >.
Eurasian milfoil or Myriophyllum spicatum is an aquatic invasive plant that can be found throughout the Chicagoland area and in surrounding bodies of water. This plant can be a hindrance to swimming, boating, and fishing because of their thick, tangled stems and mats of vegetation. According to the Minnesota Sea Grant, Eurasian milfoil also overcrowd a body of water, which leaves little room for the plants native to the Great Lakes. One prediction is that if the Eurasian milfoil is not stopped, a reduction of biodiversity may result in Chicago and the areas surrounding it. If this was to occur, the ecosystems of the Midwest region would be significantly impacted in a negative way.
Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable. GLRPPR, 12 Dec. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
In 1996, the Asian Longhorn Beetle made its way into the New York and New Jersey creating the decimation of the forests. The Asian Longhorn Beetle has so far caused the cutting of over 10,000 trees in New Jersey, and quarantine of 109 miles in New York today . The spread of this foreign beetle has created great impacts on the environment. The Asian Longhorn Beetle is an invasive specie, a harmful specie from another locations, mainly other countries, that has ended up in a foreign habitat. As time has progressed, invasive species have continued to come into our environment more frequently creating many unforeseen consequences. The relationship of invasive species within the United States’ environment and ecosystem has been changing ever since the arrival of the Europeans in the 1700s to present day. Due to these encounters with other species whether harmful or neutral, the majority, if not all, of the United States has been affected with the threatening encroachment of native species due to the industrialization of waterways and transportation.
Latham, A., Wright, E., & Tsang, A. (n.d.). Pollution's Effects on the Great Lakes Ecosystem: Introduction and Background. Pollution's Effects on the Great Lakes Ecosystem: Introduction and Background. Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://sitemaker.umich.edu/section5group1/introduction_and_background
The Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater system on Earth, with a basin that is home to around 30 million people (USEPA, 2015). Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes that lies entirely within the United States, with a maximum length of 307 miles and maximum width of 118 miles. The Lake Michigan shoreline, composed mainly of sand and pebble beaches, stretches 1,640 miles along the coasts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as some islands (NOAA, 2015a). The Illinois portion of the Lake Michigan watershed (Figure 1) is only 100 square miles (0.22% of the lake’s total area) and the state’s coastline borders the lake for a short 63 miles (IEPA, 2014). However, despite this relatively small area of Lake Michigan, half of the state’s population lives within the watershed. Recreational water activities are popular throughout the Great Lakes and along Illinois’ Lake Michigan coastline. Lake Michigan is Illinois’ biggest recreational resource, as well as the state’s largest supply of drinking water and a major economic boon (IEPA, 2014). With so many people engaging in water activities, and both affecting and being affected by the lake in turn, it is important to frequently monitor the lake for potential health hazards.
There is evidence that ¨pets turned loose by their owners when they became too big--is threatening the ecosystem of Florida’s Everglades. With no natural predators, these eating machines appear to be wiping out huge numbers of opossums, raccoons, and bobcats, as well as many bird species.¨This idea is developed because people are putting the burmese python in the florida everglades This means that for 30 days, hundreds of people armed with shotguns, rifles, machetes, handguns, and hooked spears they are trying to kill pythons.
Invasive alien species are disrupting and changing the normal ecological functions of biomes, ecosystems, and the biosphere as a whole (CBD, 2009). They are a threat to biodiversity and can cause damage to, or even eradicate native species which natural cycles and other organisms depend on. While disrupting energy flow, food chains, and shaking the structure of ecosystems to the core, invasive species create not only ecological, but also a whole host of social, economical, and health issues that affect the livelihood of almost every organism on earth, including humans (CBD, 2009).
According to World WildLife Fund, many ecosystems around the world are being destroyed, eliminating many plant and animal species that inhabit them (“Pollution”).
One of the big causes of extinction or the endangerment of species is foreign species entering a habitat. This species that are not native to the land can disrupt the food web in that community. These species take control of the food web and endanger some of the other species. The native species become endangered and over the course of many years they either adapt to their new way or life, the foreign predator leaves or is killed off due to the different environment, or the species is killed off and becomes extinct. Organizations like the “World Wild Li...