CAN YOU IDENTIFY INVASIVE SPECIES?
Invasive species are plants or animals that are not normally found in a place and are so aggressive or numerous that they change the ecosystem.
Invasive species compete with native plants and animals for food and habitat – and win. They take over an area and crowd out or kill the plants and animals that naturally live there.
Invasive species can also harm our economy and human health. For example, zebra and quagga mussels clog up water treatment and power plants; this increases maintenance costs. They also can contribute to algae blooms in the water, closing beaches and swimming areas.
Invasive species compete with native plants and animals for food and habitat – and win. They take over an area and crowd out or kill the plants and animals that naturally live there.
Invasive species can also harm our economy and human health. For example, zebra and quagga mussels clog up water treatment and power plants; this increases maintenance costs. They also can contribute to algae blooms in the water, closing beaches and swimming areas.
What Can YOU Do?
To help keep invasive species out of our waterways, there are some simple things you can do:
– Clean, drain and dry your boat and trailer after every use.
– Never dump unused bait into any water body.
– Never release pet fish into any water body.
– Learn to identify invasive species and report when and where you see them to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
| Round Goby - BAD BEHAVIOR! - Round goby eat the eggs and young of native fish. - Very aggressive, this fish reproduces quickly and takes over habitat - pushing out native fish; also steals bait off fishhooks. | Spiny Water Flea - DON'T BE FOOLED! - Spiny water fleas look similar to harmless zooplankton. - Eats the plankton that is the food for perch and other small fish, causing native fish to go hungry | Asian Carp - KEEP OUT! - Not in Great Lakes yet - let's keep it that way! - Fast-growing, aggressive fish that compete with native fish for food; can jump out of water and smash into boaters |
| Sea Lamprey - WRONG PLACE! - Sea lampreys are native to the Atlantic Ocean, not the Great Lakes. - Has a suction cup mouth ringed with sharp teeth; attaches to fish and feeds on their blood, usually killing them | Quagga Mussel - STAY OFF! - Zebra and quagga mussels are covering our underwater cultural treasures, such as shipwrecks! - Clogs intake structures at power plants and water treatment plants; has crowded out most native clams | Zebra Mussel - STAY OFF! - Zebra and quagga mussels are covering our underwater cultural treasures, such as shipwrecks! - Harms native fish by eating up the plankton that is the food of whitefish and other Great Lakes fish |
Have you seen these invaders in our lakes and rivers?
