Invasive Species
GLANSIS: Science and Management Support
Overview & Objectives
Aquatic nonindigenous species (ANS) are perhaps the greatest stressor currently facing the Great Lakes aquatic ecosystem, altering energy pathways, lowering food web and fisheries productivity, and costing millions of dollars annually in control and mitigation. NOAA’s Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System (GLANSIS) is a searchable database with fact sheets, threat assessments, and maps designed to improve stakeholder education, and inform prevention, management, and control of aquatic nonindigenous species (ANS). In this project, we propose to maintain, improve, and enhance GLANSIS to better inform managers of current and future threats from ANS.
Products
PrincipaI Investigator(s):
Bradley Cardinale (CILER)
NOAA Technical Lead(s):
Felix Martinez (NOAA-GLERL)
Zebra mussels are native to the Black and Caspian seas of Western Asia and Eastern Europe and have spread across the world via shipping. Zebra mussels are invasive species to the Great Lakes and were first found in this system in 1988 when they were discovered in Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River. Photo Credit: D. Jude, University of Michigan.
Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) entered the Great Lakes system in the 1800s through manmade locks and shipping canals. They were first discovered in Lake Ontario in 1835. Sea lamprey prey on commercially important fish species, such as lake trout, living off of the blood and body fluids of adult fish. During its life as a parasite, each sea lamprey can kill 40 or more pounds of fish. Photo Credit: T. Lawrence, Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
Invasive carp, bighead carp and silver carp, were first brought to the southern United States to aid in the cleaning of fish hatcheries. Due to flooding and hatchery overflow, invasive carp were accidentally released into waterways and have now been flourishing in the Mississippi River basin for nearly 40 years. They compete with native fish by devouring the planktonic food, the microscopic plants and animals at the base of the food web, causing extreme stress and ultimately an environment where the native fish struggle to survive. Photo Credit: D. O’Keefe, Michigan Sea Grant.