The Nature Conservancy’s Great Lakes Program Adds Freshwater Specialist to Help Address Threat of Aquatic Invaders

CHICAGO — April 5, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy’s Great Lakes Program announced the hiring of Lindsay Chadderton as its first-ever aquatic invasive species director today. In this new position, Chadderton will build upon the Conservancy’s efforts to reduce the threats to freshwater ecosystems. Chadderton will initially focus on helping develop strategies to keep harmful non-native species out of the Great Lakes basin and to contain invaders already found in the region’s waters. His continuing work will allow the Great Lakes Program to influence public policy and management actions to protect the region’s aquatic biodiversity.

An exceptional natural resource, the Great Lakes hold 95 percent of North America’s surface freshwater and one fifth of all fish species found on the continent. Aquatic invasive species are one of the principal ecological and economic threats to the Great Lakes. In recent years, an average of at least one new invader has been discovered in the Great Lakes each year. Once an invasive species arrives, it can wreak havoc on native plants and animals and is difficult and expensive to control. With many connections to shipping pathways, the Great Lakes are one of the major entryways for freshwater invaders into North America. Invasives that enter the Great Lakes can then spread across the country through river systems such as the Mississippi.

Before joining the Conservancy, Chadderton worked the past 16 years for the Department of Conservation in New Zealand, most recently as the sole freshwater scientist within the department’s science and research unit. In that position, Chadderton helped develop the department’s invasive fish program as well as its national freshwater research program.

John A. Andersen, Jr., director of the Conservancy’s Great Lakes Program, said that Chadderton’s experience in helping direct New Zealand’s efforts to control aquatic invaders and preserve freshwater ecosystems in that country will be invaluable in the Great Lakes basin.

“Once invasive species are established in an aquatic system, it’s extremely difficult to get rid of them,” said Andersen. “That’s why we have to do everything we can to prevent future invasions. By keeping non-native species out, we preserve the ecological health not only of the Great Lakes but also of rivers, streams and lakes throughout North America.

Chadderton acknowledged that protecting the Great Lakes and additional significant freshwater ecosystems in North America from aquatic invaders will be challenging, but he said that the threat to the region’s natural resources and economy will likely convince decision-makers to adopt ecologically and financially sound solutions.

“It’s not going to be easy, but there are enough examples around the world where significant improvements have been made in reducing the rate of invasion and in dealing with existing pests,”
Chadderton said. “So while the problem is massive - it’s only going to get bigger if we don’t take action.”

Chadderton will advance the Conservancy’s collaboration with the University of Notre Dame in reducing the threat of invasive species. Last year, the Conservancy and Notre Dame signed an agreement to work together to bring solutions to this costly problem. Researchers are working to forecast how and where invaders will spread; to determine their ecological and financial impact and to develop best practices for their early detection, prevention and management. Research is focusing on pathways in which invasive species are introduced or spread: shipping, pet and watergarden trades, recreational boating and canals.

“Lindsay Chadderton brings rich experience in research and natural resource management to the Great Lakes basin,” said David Lodge, director of Notre Dame’s Center for Aquatic Conservation, which was established as a result of Notre Dame’s partnership with The Nature Conservancy. “Chadderton will further bridge the research expertise at Notre Dame with the management and policy expertise at the Conservancy, synergizing our combined efforts to prevent additional invasions and better control those already present.”

Research and findings that result from this partnership will serve as a model for other freshwater systems in the United States and internationally. The partnership is expected to target additional watersheds in the future where there are opportunities to advance polices and strategies that reduce the threat of invasive species.

John Randall, director of the Conservancy's Global Invasive Species Initiative, emphasized the effect that aquatic invasive species can have on freshwater ecosystems. “Many of our lakes, rivers, and streams have suffered great damage from invasions by non-native animals like zebra mussels, Asian carp, snakehead fish, rusty crayfish, and spiny water fleas. These invaders sharply alter the ecosystems they invade and reduce or eliminate native animals by completely altering food chains and water quality, directly preying on valued native species, and competing with them for food and space,” said Randall. “The good news is that changes in public policies and voluntary business practices can prevent new invasions and the spread of invaders and limit our losses in the future. That is why I am so encouraged that someone with Lindsay Chadderton’s experience and skill has taken this new position.”

Chadderton resides in South Bend, and will split time between the Conservancy’s Great Lakes Program office in Chicago and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.