Partnership Aims to Predict and Prevent Next Great Lakes Invasion
January 16, 2007
Zebra mussels washed up on
beach, Lake Erie
© EPA
Since the 1800s, species from faraway waters have been hitching rides to the Great Lakes on trans-oceanic ships. More than 180 of these creatures are invasive species that wreak havoc on freshwater ecosystems in the Great Lakes region and across North America.
With thousands of ports in the world, predicting the source of the next harmful invasive species is a necessary first step in preventing new invasions. Scientists from the University of Notre Dame, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, are hoping to do just that.
“A new invasive species is discovered in the Great Lakes once every seven or eight months,” says David Lodge, an ecologist and professor at Notre Dame whose lab is leading the research. “In order to better manage our lakes and waterways, we have to understand these invasions and forecast, with confidence, future invasions.”
Armed with data on water temperature, salinity and other characteristics of ports around the world, the researchers will first determine which ports are the most environmentally similar to the Great Lakes. Then, working with local scientists and Conservancy biologists, they will identify species found near those ports that are likely to pose the greatest risk if transported to the Great Lakes—such as species that reproduce quickly or have no predators in the Great Lakes. The final stage of the research will be to analyze global shipping patterns to determine which routes link the Great Lakes to the most risky ports. This information will help corporations, the shipping industry, insurance companies and others take measures to prevent more invasive species from entering the Great Lakes.
"Once invasive species are established in an aquatic system, it’s almost impossible to get rid of them. We’re trying to prevent new problems from occurring, because prevention is much less expensive than eradication."
John Andersen
Great Lakes Program Director,
The Nature Conservancy
“Once invasive species are established in an aquatic system, it’s almost impossible to get rid of them,” says John Andersen, the Conservancy’s Great Lakes Program director. “We’re trying to prevent new problems from occurring, because prevention is much less expensive than eradication.”
The study is one of several that Notre Dame is undertaking through the Center for Aquatic Conservation, established last year as part of a new partnership with the Conservancy. Directed by David Lodge, the Center serves as a place where scientists gather, analyze and distribute research on pathways in which aquatic invasive species are introduced or spread: shipping, trade, recreational boating and canals. The recently established partnership got a big boost with the hiring of Lindsay Chadderton as the Conservancy’s Aquatic Invasive Species director. Chadderton is a freshwater expert who comes from the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Part of his new role will be advancing TNC's collaboration with the Center for Aquatic Conservation.
Current research includes a first-ever study of the total costs of impacts from invasive species transported by ships into the Great Lakes, as compared to the total value of the shipping industry. Center researchers also authored the first study to analyze the economic costs and benefits of screening new plant species proposed for import, which is being carried out by the government of Australia. And in a study with immediate practical applications, the Center is working to quantify the spread of invasive species from the Great Lakes into inland lakes and rivers, in order to guide placement of boat inspection stations.
The Conservancy is using the Center’s research to advance public policy and to encourage collaborative, voluntary efforts with industries and other private and public institutions.
“I’ve been grateful to draw upon the expertise and scientific leadership of Dr. Lodge and the Center to help show federal policy makers the implications of their decisions,” says Catherine Hazlewood, senior policy advisor of the Conservancy’s Global Invasive Species Initiative. For example, Congress is expected to take up aquatic invasive species legislation this session and will be faced with two significant choices—whether to pass a ballast treatment bill or whether to additionally consider and regulate other pathways of species introduction.
“The Center and the Conservancy have worked together to show Congress why they must enact a comprehensive bill that considers all pathways, showing them specific examples of aquatic invasive species around the nation,” Hazlewood says.
The Center’s research also has implications on the ground, says John Randall, director of the Conservancy’s Global Invasive Species Initiative. “We’re using the Center’s field research not only to influence public policies and business practices, but also in our own land and water management practices,” Randall says. “In this way, it’s a multi-faceted, productive partnership.”
For More Information:
- Where We Work: Great Lakes
The Great Lakes ecosystem is threatened by altered water flows, invasive species, extraction of natural resources, climate change, and incompatible development, agricultural and forestry practices.
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How We Work: Global Invasive Species Initiative
The Global Invasive Species Initiative aims to abate the threat to Earth’s diversity posed by invasive non-native plants, animals, and diseases through a combination of prevention, early detection, eradication, restoration, research and outreach.
- Our Partner: Center for Aquatic Conservation
Established at Notre Dame University as part of a new partnership with the Conservancy, the Center serves as a place where scientists gather, analyze and distribute research on pathways in which aquatic invasive species are introduced or spread.
- How We Work: Nature Conservancy Partnerships
The Nature Conservancy pursues non-confrontational, pragmatic, market-based solutions to conservation challenges. This makes it essential for us to work collaboratively with partners—communities, businesses, government agencies, multilateral institutions, individuals and other non-profit organizations.
- Archive of our Saves of the Week and Success Stories
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