|
Biodiversity wanes in New York
Throttling invasive species by TJ Sinnott
Bulwark for the Great Lakes and Hudson River by P Gerrity
Stopping ballast water "stowaways" by D Pughiuc
Biological pollutants in the Great Lakes by EL Mills, KT Holeck
Water quality signatures and the zebra mussel invasion by DA Matthews, SW Effler
Zebra mussel population dynamics: Implications for water quality modeling by CL Lange, DR Opdyke, JC Powers
Bad seeds: an introduction to invasive plants by AD Halpern, CA Boesse, AE Altor
You can help stop the plant invasion
President's message by D Ellis
Executive director's message by P Cerro-Reehil
Spring 2001 — Vol. 31, No. 1
Biodiversity wanes in New York
|
There are now an estimated 145 alien species in the North American Great Lakes alone. Among these is the European Zebra Mussel, which has infested over 40% of internal waterways in the Great Lakes and beyond and cost the U.S. government more than $5 billion in clean up expenses. And, in San Francisco Bay, nearly the entire native biodiversity has been replaced by an ecosystem composed of introduced marine species. But this is just scratching the surface. A plankton-feeding ctenphore jellyfish introduced from North America into the Black Sea reproduced in such high numbers that it caused the near collapse of whole fisheries. In severe cases, ballast water is thought to spread serious diseases, including cholera. Shellfish contaminated by "red-tide" algae can even cause paralysis or death.
In those words, Dandu Pughiuc of the London-based Global Ballast Water Management Programme aptly summarizes the need for vigilance in protecting biodiversity.
This issue of CLEARWATERS looks at the effects of exotic species and management techniques. It is a problem truly global in scope but with especially drastic implications for New York State. We are just beginning to implement controls as the obstacles multiply.
— Editor
Image from GloBallast web site <http://globallast.imo.org>. February 6, 2001.
Executive Director