New Invasive Species
Thirteen new invasive species were recently found for the first time in the ballast water of oceangoing ships that entered the Great Lakes. They will join the zebra mussel, and over 170 other species already found in the lakes.
Seven of the new crustaceans tolerate fresh water. The neomysis is a cousin to the bloody red shrimp which eats smaller animals, algae and waterfleas and may compete with young Great Lakes fish for food.
The sampled water and sediment came from 41 vessels between 2000 and 2002. The 2007 Coast Guard Reauthorization Act in the House, and the Ballast Water Management Act of 2007 in the Senate, want to put regulations on ballast-water discharges in the lakes and require ships to install treatment systems for their ballast tanks.
December 28, 2007 12:28 PM | Category: Invasive Species