WFSC 304 ndash Water and Bioenvironmental ScienceLecture 14 ndash Great Lakes
Great Lakes biological and cultural case studyThe Great Lakes occur on one of the worldrsquos longest international borders
Image IJC 2015
Components of the issue1 The long border2 Equal status of countries ndash both are developed capitalist democratic3 Despite the vastness of Canada 90 percent of its population is within 100
miles of the US border4 Both countries use the water heavily and problems have manifested due to
actions on both sides of the border5 Given the points above it is in the interest of both countries to have a system
of guidelines and processes in place to both prevent and mediate conflictsThe International Joint Commissionmdashone of the best examples of binational cooperation and action (httpwwwijcorgen )
6 Read the 2015 Review of Accords up to and including the paragraph beginning ldquo2015 RECOMMENDATION 2rdquo on page 7 Also read A Circle of Blue article
7 Reflect on this type of water resource management and contrast with unigovermental regulation under central and democratic sysems of government
Feel itmdashsee the system httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=ibTWQogsbL8ampfeature=player_embedded (5 min)
Understand the geological formation of this system as described in the video
Anatomymdash Learn the anatomy of this systemmdashthe five lakes major riverways the basic navigation constrictions and entry to the sea
The Chicago Sanitary Canal connects the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River
Here is a good map and information on the St Lawrence estuary (link)
Video describing river reversal (link)
Utility of Great Lakes Over 150 million tons of freight transported
annually (eg Water Atlas p 70) Provides recreation (eg $2B to Michigan economy
per year) Provides water for industrial agricultural and
domestic usage Provides hydropower Performs an immensity of ecosystem services
Trending environmental change in Great Lakes Effects of global warming on lakes not well defined Likely Warming of waters will reduce water quality
(Water Atlas p 32) Precipitation effect uncertain but probably reduced Anthropogenic expect increased usage nutrification emergent toxin issues
(eg mercury pesticide or industrial residues)
Fisheriesmdashboom bust boomhellip stay tunedmdashBiological history of the Great LakesAsian carp (early phase)
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
o introduced for sport fishingo carp fishing never caught on in US or Canadao considered naturalized though invasive
Goldfish (Carassius auratus) o introduced through pet trade
Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) o introduced for aquatic vegetation controlo now considered invasiveo triploid carp often used
These carps are naturalized now
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) ndash 1920-30rsquos
half meter eel-like body with sci-fi mouth prey uponparasitize large (often
predator) fish destroyed commercial fishery of native
whitefish lake trout walleye manual control achieved using TFM
(selective lampricide) TFM required massive coordination
effort between US amp Canada
Alewife (bad guy no waithellip now a good guy) ndash 1949
invaded through Welland Canal from the Atlanticpopulation explosion due to lamprey-driven loss of predatorsmassive fish kills on beaches (1970rsquos)mdashsubject to reduction effortsplanktivoremdashnew invaders (like zebra mussels below) compete for foodnow too few alewifemdashalewife now subject to restoration planning
Marine salmon ndash late 1960rsquos ongoing
introduced to control alewife ndash it workedrestored fishery of lakes in new form (recreational fishery for salmon)Pacific salmon (chinook coho pink) and the Atlantic salmon
Round goby (bad guy good guy) ndash 1990
thought to be very dangerousmdashsubject to reduction effortsnow thought beneficial as control for zebra mussels
Zebra mussel ndash 1992 (spread to all 5 Lakes in under 10 years)
lacks native predators in Great Lakesoutcompete native species (of fish mussels) for planktonfouls equipment other animalspossible control is other invaderso round gobyo rusty crayfish
New wave of Asian carpSilver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis)
control attempt in Chicago area (electric weirs also this)interesting behavior of the carpmdashvideo ldquoredneck fishingrdquospecies accounts for the new-wave carp linkGreat Lake states v Army Corps of Eng httpwwwgreatlakeslaworgblogasian-carp
Further readingHere is a pamphlet on Great Lakes invasion history linkHere is the timeline broken out by itself linkGood article on this history
httpwwwnwforgnews-and-magazinesnational-wildlifeanimalsarchives2007alien-invasion-a-great-lakes-dilemmaaspx
PCB Story PCBs used in transformer coolants regular point source PCB contaminations of waterways etc fat soluble bioaccumulation biomagnification health consequences (cancer immunodeficiency birth defects endocrine
dysfunction dermal amp ocular problems liver toxicosis blood imbalance) prolonged persistence (half life 10-15 years)
Timeline Massive use of PCBs for decades before we realized toxic effects and
environmental contamination In mid-late 1960rsquos we found out PCBs were very toxic Key event 1968 rice contaminationmdash1200 people in Japan contracted various
diseases linked to the contamination In 1970 we found it was present in the environment 1972 Monsanto voluntarily imposed sales restrictions to ldquoclosedrdquo uses 1976 US amp Canada passed legislation banning PCBs US amp Canada work hard to assess and make recommendations limiting intake
of fish by humans
Here are examples of the data
BTW data look similar for DDT
If the data look good here is a sobering summary from a Canadian research report
Canadian Council of Resources and Evnironment Ministers (link to source)
IJC instrumental in research synthesis
and policy advising for cleanup and regulation PCBs still high in many regions Fish were basically inedible from Lake Erie when I was a kid Search PCB at the IJC site httpwwwijcorgensearchXsearch_recherche_achtm
Links regarding the Island President dramahttptheislandpresidentcomwp-video-lightbox[iframes]0 httpwwwthedailyshowcomwatchmon-april-2-2012exclusive---mohamed-nasheed-extended-interview-pt--1
6 Read the 2015 Review of Accords up to and including the paragraph beginning ldquo2015 RECOMMENDATION 2rdquo on page 7 Also read A Circle of Blue article
7 Reflect on this type of water resource management and contrast with unigovermental regulation under central and democratic sysems of government
Feel itmdashsee the system httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=ibTWQogsbL8ampfeature=player_embedded (5 min)
Understand the geological formation of this system as described in the video
Anatomymdash Learn the anatomy of this systemmdashthe five lakes major riverways the basic navigation constrictions and entry to the sea
The Chicago Sanitary Canal connects the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River
Here is a good map and information on the St Lawrence estuary (link)
Video describing river reversal (link)
Utility of Great Lakes Over 150 million tons of freight transported
annually (eg Water Atlas p 70) Provides recreation (eg $2B to Michigan economy
per year) Provides water for industrial agricultural and
domestic usage Provides hydropower Performs an immensity of ecosystem services
Trending environmental change in Great Lakes Effects of global warming on lakes not well defined Likely Warming of waters will reduce water quality
(Water Atlas p 32) Precipitation effect uncertain but probably reduced Anthropogenic expect increased usage nutrification emergent toxin issues
(eg mercury pesticide or industrial residues)
Fisheriesmdashboom bust boomhellip stay tunedmdashBiological history of the Great LakesAsian carp (early phase)
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
o introduced for sport fishingo carp fishing never caught on in US or Canadao considered naturalized though invasive
Goldfish (Carassius auratus) o introduced through pet trade
Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) o introduced for aquatic vegetation controlo now considered invasiveo triploid carp often used
These carps are naturalized now
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) ndash 1920-30rsquos
half meter eel-like body with sci-fi mouth prey uponparasitize large (often
predator) fish destroyed commercial fishery of native
whitefish lake trout walleye manual control achieved using TFM
(selective lampricide) TFM required massive coordination
effort between US amp Canada
Alewife (bad guy no waithellip now a good guy) ndash 1949
invaded through Welland Canal from the Atlanticpopulation explosion due to lamprey-driven loss of predatorsmassive fish kills on beaches (1970rsquos)mdashsubject to reduction effortsplanktivoremdashnew invaders (like zebra mussels below) compete for foodnow too few alewifemdashalewife now subject to restoration planning
Marine salmon ndash late 1960rsquos ongoing
introduced to control alewife ndash it workedrestored fishery of lakes in new form (recreational fishery for salmon)Pacific salmon (chinook coho pink) and the Atlantic salmon
Round goby (bad guy good guy) ndash 1990
thought to be very dangerousmdashsubject to reduction effortsnow thought beneficial as control for zebra mussels
Zebra mussel ndash 1992 (spread to all 5 Lakes in under 10 years)
lacks native predators in Great Lakesoutcompete native species (of fish mussels) for planktonfouls equipment other animalspossible control is other invaderso round gobyo rusty crayfish
New wave of Asian carpSilver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis)
control attempt in Chicago area (electric weirs also this)interesting behavior of the carpmdashvideo ldquoredneck fishingrdquospecies accounts for the new-wave carp linkGreat Lake states v Army Corps of Eng httpwwwgreatlakeslaworgblogasian-carp
Further readingHere is a pamphlet on Great Lakes invasion history linkHere is the timeline broken out by itself linkGood article on this history
httpwwwnwforgnews-and-magazinesnational-wildlifeanimalsarchives2007alien-invasion-a-great-lakes-dilemmaaspx
PCB Story PCBs used in transformer coolants regular point source PCB contaminations of waterways etc fat soluble bioaccumulation biomagnification health consequences (cancer immunodeficiency birth defects endocrine
dysfunction dermal amp ocular problems liver toxicosis blood imbalance) prolonged persistence (half life 10-15 years)
Timeline Massive use of PCBs for decades before we realized toxic effects and
environmental contamination In mid-late 1960rsquos we found out PCBs were very toxic Key event 1968 rice contaminationmdash1200 people in Japan contracted various
diseases linked to the contamination In 1970 we found it was present in the environment 1972 Monsanto voluntarily imposed sales restrictions to ldquoclosedrdquo uses 1976 US amp Canada passed legislation banning PCBs US amp Canada work hard to assess and make recommendations limiting intake
of fish by humans
Here are examples of the data
BTW data look similar for DDT
If the data look good here is a sobering summary from a Canadian research report
Canadian Council of Resources and Evnironment Ministers (link to source)
IJC instrumental in research synthesis
and policy advising for cleanup and regulation PCBs still high in many regions Fish were basically inedible from Lake Erie when I was a kid Search PCB at the IJC site httpwwwijcorgensearchXsearch_recherche_achtm
Links regarding the Island President dramahttptheislandpresidentcomwp-video-lightbox[iframes]0 httpwwwthedailyshowcomwatchmon-april-2-2012exclusive---mohamed-nasheed-extended-interview-pt--1
Fisheriesmdashboom bust boomhellip stay tunedmdashBiological history of the Great LakesAsian carp (early phase)
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
o introduced for sport fishingo carp fishing never caught on in US or Canadao considered naturalized though invasive
Goldfish (Carassius auratus) o introduced through pet trade
Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) o introduced for aquatic vegetation controlo now considered invasiveo triploid carp often used
These carps are naturalized now
Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) ndash 1920-30rsquos
half meter eel-like body with sci-fi mouth prey uponparasitize large (often
predator) fish destroyed commercial fishery of native
whitefish lake trout walleye manual control achieved using TFM
(selective lampricide) TFM required massive coordination
effort between US amp Canada
Alewife (bad guy no waithellip now a good guy) ndash 1949
invaded through Welland Canal from the Atlanticpopulation explosion due to lamprey-driven loss of predatorsmassive fish kills on beaches (1970rsquos)mdashsubject to reduction effortsplanktivoremdashnew invaders (like zebra mussels below) compete for foodnow too few alewifemdashalewife now subject to restoration planning
Marine salmon ndash late 1960rsquos ongoing
introduced to control alewife ndash it workedrestored fishery of lakes in new form (recreational fishery for salmon)Pacific salmon (chinook coho pink) and the Atlantic salmon
Round goby (bad guy good guy) ndash 1990
thought to be very dangerousmdashsubject to reduction effortsnow thought beneficial as control for zebra mussels
Zebra mussel ndash 1992 (spread to all 5 Lakes in under 10 years)
lacks native predators in Great Lakesoutcompete native species (of fish mussels) for planktonfouls equipment other animalspossible control is other invaderso round gobyo rusty crayfish
New wave of Asian carpSilver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis)
control attempt in Chicago area (electric weirs also this)interesting behavior of the carpmdashvideo ldquoredneck fishingrdquospecies accounts for the new-wave carp linkGreat Lake states v Army Corps of Eng httpwwwgreatlakeslaworgblogasian-carp
Further readingHere is a pamphlet on Great Lakes invasion history linkHere is the timeline broken out by itself linkGood article on this history
httpwwwnwforgnews-and-magazinesnational-wildlifeanimalsarchives2007alien-invasion-a-great-lakes-dilemmaaspx
PCB Story PCBs used in transformer coolants regular point source PCB contaminations of waterways etc fat soluble bioaccumulation biomagnification health consequences (cancer immunodeficiency birth defects endocrine
dysfunction dermal amp ocular problems liver toxicosis blood imbalance) prolonged persistence (half life 10-15 years)
Timeline Massive use of PCBs for decades before we realized toxic effects and
environmental contamination In mid-late 1960rsquos we found out PCBs were very toxic Key event 1968 rice contaminationmdash1200 people in Japan contracted various
diseases linked to the contamination In 1970 we found it was present in the environment 1972 Monsanto voluntarily imposed sales restrictions to ldquoclosedrdquo uses 1976 US amp Canada passed legislation banning PCBs US amp Canada work hard to assess and make recommendations limiting intake
of fish by humans
Here are examples of the data
BTW data look similar for DDT
If the data look good here is a sobering summary from a Canadian research report
Canadian Council of Resources and Evnironment Ministers (link to source)
IJC instrumental in research synthesis
and policy advising for cleanup and regulation PCBs still high in many regions Fish were basically inedible from Lake Erie when I was a kid Search PCB at the IJC site httpwwwijcorgensearchXsearch_recherche_achtm
Links regarding the Island President dramahttptheislandpresidentcomwp-video-lightbox[iframes]0 httpwwwthedailyshowcomwatchmon-april-2-2012exclusive---mohamed-nasheed-extended-interview-pt--1
Alewife (bad guy no waithellip now a good guy) ndash 1949
invaded through Welland Canal from the Atlanticpopulation explosion due to lamprey-driven loss of predatorsmassive fish kills on beaches (1970rsquos)mdashsubject to reduction effortsplanktivoremdashnew invaders (like zebra mussels below) compete for foodnow too few alewifemdashalewife now subject to restoration planning
Marine salmon ndash late 1960rsquos ongoing
introduced to control alewife ndash it workedrestored fishery of lakes in new form (recreational fishery for salmon)Pacific salmon (chinook coho pink) and the Atlantic salmon
Round goby (bad guy good guy) ndash 1990
thought to be very dangerousmdashsubject to reduction effortsnow thought beneficial as control for zebra mussels
Zebra mussel ndash 1992 (spread to all 5 Lakes in under 10 years)
lacks native predators in Great Lakesoutcompete native species (of fish mussels) for planktonfouls equipment other animalspossible control is other invaderso round gobyo rusty crayfish
New wave of Asian carpSilver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis)
control attempt in Chicago area (electric weirs also this)interesting behavior of the carpmdashvideo ldquoredneck fishingrdquospecies accounts for the new-wave carp linkGreat Lake states v Army Corps of Eng httpwwwgreatlakeslaworgblogasian-carp
Further readingHere is a pamphlet on Great Lakes invasion history linkHere is the timeline broken out by itself linkGood article on this history
httpwwwnwforgnews-and-magazinesnational-wildlifeanimalsarchives2007alien-invasion-a-great-lakes-dilemmaaspx
PCB Story PCBs used in transformer coolants regular point source PCB contaminations of waterways etc fat soluble bioaccumulation biomagnification health consequences (cancer immunodeficiency birth defects endocrine
dysfunction dermal amp ocular problems liver toxicosis blood imbalance) prolonged persistence (half life 10-15 years)
Timeline Massive use of PCBs for decades before we realized toxic effects and
environmental contamination In mid-late 1960rsquos we found out PCBs were very toxic Key event 1968 rice contaminationmdash1200 people in Japan contracted various
diseases linked to the contamination In 1970 we found it was present in the environment 1972 Monsanto voluntarily imposed sales restrictions to ldquoclosedrdquo uses 1976 US amp Canada passed legislation banning PCBs US amp Canada work hard to assess and make recommendations limiting intake
of fish by humans
Here are examples of the data
BTW data look similar for DDT
If the data look good here is a sobering summary from a Canadian research report
Canadian Council of Resources and Evnironment Ministers (link to source)
IJC instrumental in research synthesis
and policy advising for cleanup and regulation PCBs still high in many regions Fish were basically inedible from Lake Erie when I was a kid Search PCB at the IJC site httpwwwijcorgensearchXsearch_recherche_achtm
Links regarding the Island President dramahttptheislandpresidentcomwp-video-lightbox[iframes]0 httpwwwthedailyshowcomwatchmon-april-2-2012exclusive---mohamed-nasheed-extended-interview-pt--1
Further readingHere is a pamphlet on Great Lakes invasion history linkHere is the timeline broken out by itself linkGood article on this history
httpwwwnwforgnews-and-magazinesnational-wildlifeanimalsarchives2007alien-invasion-a-great-lakes-dilemmaaspx
PCB Story PCBs used in transformer coolants regular point source PCB contaminations of waterways etc fat soluble bioaccumulation biomagnification health consequences (cancer immunodeficiency birth defects endocrine
dysfunction dermal amp ocular problems liver toxicosis blood imbalance) prolonged persistence (half life 10-15 years)
Timeline Massive use of PCBs for decades before we realized toxic effects and
environmental contamination In mid-late 1960rsquos we found out PCBs were very toxic Key event 1968 rice contaminationmdash1200 people in Japan contracted various
diseases linked to the contamination In 1970 we found it was present in the environment 1972 Monsanto voluntarily imposed sales restrictions to ldquoclosedrdquo uses 1976 US amp Canada passed legislation banning PCBs US amp Canada work hard to assess and make recommendations limiting intake
of fish by humans
Here are examples of the data
BTW data look similar for DDT
If the data look good here is a sobering summary from a Canadian research report
Canadian Council of Resources and Evnironment Ministers (link to source)
IJC instrumental in research synthesis
and policy advising for cleanup and regulation PCBs still high in many regions Fish were basically inedible from Lake Erie when I was a kid Search PCB at the IJC site httpwwwijcorgensearchXsearch_recherche_achtm
Links regarding the Island President dramahttptheislandpresidentcomwp-video-lightbox[iframes]0 httpwwwthedailyshowcomwatchmon-april-2-2012exclusive---mohamed-nasheed-extended-interview-pt--1
Here are examples of the data
BTW data look similar for DDT
If the data look good here is a sobering summary from a Canadian research report
Canadian Council of Resources and Evnironment Ministers (link to source)
IJC instrumental in research synthesis
and policy advising for cleanup and regulation PCBs still high in many regions Fish were basically inedible from Lake Erie when I was a kid Search PCB at the IJC site httpwwwijcorgensearchXsearch_recherche_achtm
Links regarding the Island President dramahttptheislandpresidentcomwp-video-lightbox[iframes]0 httpwwwthedailyshowcomwatchmon-april-2-2012exclusive---mohamed-nasheed-extended-interview-pt--1