Sea-faring ships, ballast water, and invasive species . . . Learn more: Ships use water as ballast to add weight and increase their stability. But that water can bring invasive species into the Great Lakes from elsewhere. “They’re bringing in all the stuff that’s in the water. So zooplankton, fish, plants, bacteria, diseases, all those …
Category Archive: Invasive Species
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/invasive-species/see-sea-species-in-the-sea-not-the-lakes/
Apr 29
The Wetlands’ Devil in Disguise
A beautiful purple plant has some very ugly effects on many wetland ecosystems—listen up: What do you call a purple alien that’s really tough to get rid of? Purple loosestrife…and it’s no joke. First spotted in the Great Lakes region near Lake Ontario in 1869, this pretty but invasive purple flowering plant takes over wetland …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/citizen-science-2/the-wetlands-devil-in-disguise/
Apr 27
European Frogbit
A bit about European Frogbit: European Frogbit may look beautiful – like tiny, white water lilies floating on the edges of ponds and slow-moving rivers. But this plant is a ruthless invader. Frogbit was brought to Canada in 1932 as an ornamental pond plant. But it’s now spread to places such as the bays and …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/invasive-species/european-frogbit/
Apr 16
A tiny green insect does major damage
Tens of millions of ash trees in the U.S have fallen victim to an invasive insect called the emerald ash borer. That’s not just a problem for forests. Trees are important for water quality. “The roots help control the nitrates and phosphates, which are some of the pollutants that can enter streams and waterways. They …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/stormwater-management/a-tiny-green-insect-does-major-damage/
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/biodiversity/one-small-turtle-one-big-reason-not-to-let-it-go/