Great Lakes near ecological breakdown: scientists

[420inTN]

From Reuters:

Thu Dec 8, 2005 2:16 PM ET165

By Andrew Stern

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Stresses from polluted rivers to invasive species threaten to trigger an ecological breakdown in the Great Lakes, a group of scientists hoping to sway U.S. environmental policy said on Thursday.

Seventy-five scientists who study the world's largest collective body of fresh water released their report on the myriad problems that need cleanup or restoration ahead of two key policy announcements next week.

"This is just a critical period for the Great Lakes," Andy Buchsbaum, director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes office, said about next week's announcements.

A task force comprising federal agencies, Congress, local government officials and regional Indian tribes is scheduled to release its much-anticipated final plan for preserving the Great Lakes requested by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2004.

more, full story here

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Not good!

[AngryAmish]

2. Some of the invasive species are quite tasty

Chinook and coho salmon. Unfortunately there will always be invasive species because of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

To be honest I would take the Great Lakes of today over Lake Michigan of 1950s and 60s. (Salmon taste better than Lake Trout).

[Dave Reynolds]

3. They are tasty,

but Zebra mussels are not, too small and stinky.

[Lisa]

6. plus, they're filter feeders

I wouldn't fancy them after they've sucked most of the Great Lakes (including the runoff from Chemical Alley and the sewage outflow from several large cities) through their little gills.

[Canuckistanian]

17. They've really cleared up Lake Ontario

The water is crystal clear in Lake Ontario and I've never seen it like this before. And clear water is not a sign of a healthy lake.

Remember acid rain? Some of the worst affected lakes were beautiful to look at, clear, blue water. But underneath - no life at all. No fish, no algae, no insects. Dead.

[Lisa]

19. I remember the old lake (during eutrophication) ...

Not a pretty sight. But somehow, seeing clear water with nothing living in it (except for billions of zebra mussels) is even more disquieting. (Quiet. TOO quiet.)

In the 1980s, I was in a canoe in OSA Lake (Killarney Provincial Park) -- looked down -- and it was clear tropical blue. Nothing on the bottom except for grey silt. The guys I was with were trailing their fishing lines in the water all day, and of course there were no fish. I was astonished at the difference, from other lakes in the area (oligotrophic -- black water, and lots of fish, loons, etc.).

[greenman3610]

4. Salmon are not really invasive

Salmon were introduced as game fish after the collapse of the
Trout Fisheries due to the infestation of invasive sea lampreys.

I remember the Great lakes when I was young. And I remember the
first summer ferry ride when I saw slicks of dying alewives stretching
for miles, as far as one could see - one of the first
invasives.
Last time I walked on the beach near the Sleeping Bear Dunes,
instead of soft sand, I was walking on crunching shells of
thousands, millions of zebra mussels.
Now I see the pictures of Asian Carp swimming up in the Wabash
Rivershed - wait till those babies get a foothold here--
say good bye to your salmon.....

For those of us who grew up swimming, sailing and fishing
in these waters, these insults are like a deep, unending heartache.

[AngryAmish]

11. Until further notice

I buy my license every year for both Il and Wisco. The only defense v. the Asian Carp is the electric line in the Cal Sag Channel. My dollars (directly) go to maintain that line.

Also, Zebra Mussels only congregate on rock structures. I'm not calling you a liar because the shells may have washed up on your sands. But any sand I have walked (in the great lakes) exhibit a marked lack of zebra mussels.

[greenman3610]

13. trust me, I've walked on them for miles

on the mainland, and on South Manitou Island.
It's disconcerting.

[Lisa]

7. lamprey stew, anyone?

I swear, I once saw a recipe for this!

[Inland]

5. And the feds have nixed the big cleanup effort. It would cost as much as

three months of Iraq occupation so it's a no go.

[jbnow]

9. I read that too

The Great Lakes make up the biggest inland water system in the world. Water matters. We might be very sorry if we let it go.

[iconoclastNYC]

18. Our fucked up priorities.

It's as much about admitting thiers a problem than money tho.

Republicans embody almost every negative psychological complex.

Denial. Projection. Lies. Attacks = the modus operandi of the modern GOP.

[bbgrunt]

8. ...and just what happened to all the lake perch?

They are the tastiest delicacy in the world. Last I heard they simply weren't reproducing. If you find lake perch for sale, they are probably from Canada.

Lake perch are our aquatic canaries

[AngryAmish]

12. From what I'm told

and I'm not an expert, but perch lost a lot of their bait to zebra mussels.

[usregimechange]

10. Does DU ignore envorimentalism threads? Seems like it some...

[PaulaFarrell]

14. Seems that way to me to... n/t

[kitkatrose]

23. Well, it's not as exciting at Tookiefest 2005...

I usually read and don't comment. These threads depress me and make me wonder if I'll have a field of study when I come out of grad school (ecology concentration in undergrad). :(

[raccoon]

15. This was a good idea on somebody's part,

"More than 30 million people rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, and large-scale diversions to far-off states or countries have been forbidden.

I saw a headline in Yahoo news a few months ago about citizens in Utah protesting some water being diverted to Las Vegas. We'll be seeing more of that in the future.

[420inTN]

16. I believe that was about the CO river. n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

20. SOME water?

Vegas and LA are sucking the Colorado dry. Try reading Mark Reisner's "Cadillac Desert". Very disturbing book.

[raccoon]

24. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look up that book. nt

[bleedingheart]

21. there is a lot of building going on along the shoreline as well

in fact one of my husband's family members had been fighting with the MI DEP to build on a dune...which is forbidden...but he still hopes to build...

[plasticsundance]

22. Sad, if true ...

The Great Lakes (IMO) are a wonder of the world. It would be in our best interest to maintain these inland seas. And we know what Chimpy-in-Chief thinks of our best interests.

On another note, I grew up in Cleveland, but now live in the South. I miss the fact I cannot get walleye. That fish tastes so damn good on the grill. I remember the bars in Cleveland use to serve it with perogies.