1. Current Ecological Issues of the Great Lakes Jim Diana, Director Michigan Sea Grant College Program

2. The Great Lakes  20% of world’s surface freshwater  5 of 9 largest lakes in world  Historic role in transportation and settlement  Large human population depending on the region  Multiple uses throughout history  20% of world’s surface freshwater  5 of 9 largest lakes in world  Historic role in transportation and settlement  Large human population depending on the region  Multiple uses throughout history

3. Take Home Message  Humans have had a love – hate relationship with the Great Lakes  The lakes have served for economic, societal, and ecological value since humans first set foot in this region  The lakes have suffered massive damage due to human misuse, both intentional and unintentional  The lakes have also rebounded dramatically due to human intervention and luck  Challenges remain for the future

4. Early History  An important resource for aboriginal communities – food, water, and transportation

5. Early History  An important transportation route for development and discovery of middle America

6. Early European History  An important industrial resource for timber, waste disposal, shipping, and food

7. An Important Point  By the early 1800s, the lakes were already dramatically altered (the Cholera epidemic) YearDeathsRate Per 100,000 18496782,897 18504201,402 1851216635 18526301,626 18541,4242,162 1855147184 1866990494

8. Clearing Wetlands

9. WetlandForestWet Prairie Clearing Wetlands

10. Ship Canals

11. Dams NowThen Map courtesy of Troy Zorn, Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources

12. Logging Very common in 1900s Easy to catch Degraded habitat from logging Extinct in Michigan by 1930.

13. Fishing Lake Sturgeon

14. Commercial Fishing

15. High valueLow value Commercial Fishing

16. Pollution  Cholera epidemic of Chicago, 1854  Sawdust, tannery effluent by 1900  Eutrophication from sewage discharge in the early 1900s  PCB and DDT contamination from manufacture by 1960  Serious water contamination from industry, sawdust to petroleum products and animal wastes  Airborne contaminants and contaminated sediments  Cholera epidemic of Chicago, 1854  Sawdust, tannery effluent by 1900  Eutrophication from sewage discharge in the early 1900s  PCB and DDT contamination from manufacture by 1960  Serious water contamination from industry, sawdust to petroleum products and animal wastes  Airborne contaminants and contaminated sediments

17. Time Magazine (1965) – “Lake Erie is dead” Pollution

18. The Common Carp  Deliberate introductions  Carp, Pacific salmon  Deliberate introductions  Carp, Pacific salmon Invasions

19.  Unintentional introductions  Pink salmon, smelt  Unintentional introductions  Pink salmon, smelt

20.  Immigration through ship canals  Sea lamprey  Immigration through ship canals  Sea lamprey Invasions

21.  Immigration through ship canals  Alewife  Immigration through ship canals  Alewife

22.  Ballast water  Zebra mussel  Ballast water  Zebra mussel Invasions

23.  Ballast water  Quagga mussel, water flea, goby  Ballast water  Quagga mussel, water flea, goby Round GobyRuffe BythotrephesQuagga Mussel Invasions

24. Salmon Fishing  Introduced 1969 to control alewife  Now multibillion dollar industry  Introduced 1969 to control alewife  Now multibillion dollar industry

25. No predators Overfishing Lamprey Massive Alewife Die-off Lake Erie is dead Cuyahoga River burns DDT Banned Lamprey Control Clean Water Act Salmon stocked DDT use banned 1966196919721976 Salmon Control Alewives Lake trout Return PCB production banned 1984 Alewives Decline drastically Sport Fishery at $1 Billion Rehabilitation

26. The Future? – Lake Huron  In my view, this is the current ecological change that is most important to our future  Mussel invasion and increased water clarity  Reduced plankton and changes in food web  Loss of stocked salmonids  Rebound of native species  Change in economic conditions  In my view, this is the current ecological change that is most important to our future  Mussel invasion and increased water clarity  Reduced plankton and changes in food web  Loss of stocked salmonids  Rebound of native species  Change in economic conditions

27. Mussels and clarity  Dreissenids consume energy and nutrients that supported fish  Round gobies have proliferated lakewide, can feed heavily on Dreissena  Dreissenids consume energy and nutrients that supported fish  Round gobies have proliferated lakewide, can feed heavily on Dreissena

28. Loss of Plankton

29. Loss of Diporeia

30. Change in Forage Fishes

31. Loss of Chinook Salmon

32. Rebound of Natives

33.  Similar trends in other native fishes Smallmouth bass Do we change from a fishery supported by stocking to a much lower production of natural fish?

34. Economic effects Estimated $19 million loss in 10 coastal communities

35. Another Problem: Asian Carp  Imported by fish farms  Escaped into the Mississippi  Now very close to Lake Michigan  DNA in water of Calumet Harbor  Imported by fish farms  Escaped into the Mississippi  Now very close to Lake Michigan  DNA in water of Calumet Harbor

36. Other Comparable Changes  Botulism spread through the system  Increased growth of nuisance algae and harmful algal blooms  Dead zones in deep water of Lake Erie  Botulism spread through the system  Increased growth of nuisance algae and harmful algal blooms  Dead zones in deep water of Lake Erie

37. Summary  Dramatic deterioration and cleanup  Has required continual reaction and money input  Has resulted in significant improvement and environmental law  Needs continual intervention  Dramatic deterioration and cleanup  Has required continual reaction and money input  Has resulted in significant improvement and environmental law  Needs continual intervention

38. Contacts & Questions Jim Diana: jimd@umich.edu Phone: (734) 763-5834jimd@umich.edu Web: www.miseagrant.umich.eduwww.miseagrant.umich.edu