Environmental Reviews & Case Studies: Halting the Invasion: Maintaining the Health of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins by Preventing Further Exchange of Aquatic Invasive Species

Abstract

Over the past century, both the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins have been economically and ecologically devastated by the establishment of self-sustaining populations of aquatic invasive species. In the Mississippi River basin, some of the most significant damage has been attributed to the presence of reproducing populations of Asian carp in the main waterway and its tributaries. The ability of this nonindigenous invasive fish to outcompete native fish for food and habitat has led to the widespread establishment of Asian carp in the Mississippi River, impacting the natural balance of the aquatic ecosystem. Stakeholders in the Great Lakes region are acutely aware of the destructive impacts that could result if Asian carp become established as self-sustaining populations in the Great Lakes ecosystem, and are particularly concerned with the risk of a potential interbasin exchange of Asian carp through the canals and waterways that connect the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. A regional ...