Invasive Species

Who is hitching a ride on your boat?

With the boating and fishing season underway, your boat and equipment could be ferrying more than just you and your family and friends. You may have on board hidden invasive plants or small creatures.

Wordwide, invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. And while the individual boater or fisher may feel they have a minimal impact, their combined actions can have serious consequences. The zebra mussel, which has plagued the Great Lakes for two decades, has now crossed the continental divide and is found in Lake Mead, Nevada. How did it get there? It was attached to a recreational boat.

A number of animals, plants or various other organisms originating from other regions of the world can grow and spread rapidly in the absence of their natural predators or controls. Invasive species can have devastating effects on native species, habitats and ecosystems. The zebra mussel, sea lamprey and round goby are well known examples of invaders that outcompete native wildlife and throw natural ecosystems out of balance.

With more than 185 invasive species now established in the Great Lakes, the risk of spreading them upstream and downstream is increased as boats or fishing gear (clothing, boats and items used in the water) are transported across the basin and other regions.

There are a few things that recreational users can do to help stop aquatic invasive species. By following a simple procedure each time they leave the water, we can stop aquatic hitchhikers.

By Hélène Godmaire with the collaboration of Doug Jensen University of Minnesota

© 2009 Great Lakes News.