Aug 07
Managing water levels in the Saint Lawrence . . . Learn more: The water levels in Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River have been tightly constrained since the fifties. Lee Willbanks of the nonprofit Save The River says the lack of occasional highs and lows is one reason invasive species have proliferated. “And so …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/restoration-and-conservation-initiatives/mission-water-balance/
Jul 24
Get the dirt on tiny, invasive mudsnails . . . learn more: New Zealand mudsnails have now been found twice in Wisconsin – most recently in Badger Mill Creek, near Madison. They’re the size of a corn kernel, but they can outcompete native species. In extreme cases… “We’ve seen densities of over 500,000 mud …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/water-and-the-economy/tiny-snails-pose-big-risks/
Jun 09
Turns out, noses aren’t the only things that get snotty: Phlegm-like algae grosses out stream beds, too. Listen up: “Rock snot,” aka didymosphenia geminate, is an algae that most anyone can identify, thanks to its snot-like appearance. Although it’s not toxic, fast-growing rock snot can overgrow native algae that insects and fishes in the stream …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/creature-features/rock-snot/
Jun 08
A tiny eel-like weathercaster? It may sound funny, but researchers are seriously concerned about the long-term impacts of weatherfish. Catch this intel: Chances are a storm is brewing if the weatherfish are all in a flurry. That’s how they react to changes in barometric pressure. But unless you’re a biologist, like Phillip Willink of Shedd …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/creature-features/forecasting-the-impact-of-weatherfish/
Jun 06
Blood-sucking vampire fish aren’t native to the Great Lakes, and yet…they’re heeeere! Listen up: Sea lampreys, like many a scary-movie villain, attach themselves to other creatures and suck their blood and other body fluids. But instead of showing up on the silver screen, this invasive species is all over the Great Lakes. Discovered in the …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/sustainable-fisheries/shady-characters-great-lakes-edition-sea-lampreys/
