Echo once again is running the Wisconsin Sea Grant version of the popular 12 days of Christmas carol. Produced by outreach specialist Tim Campbell in 2011, it brings 12 days of holiday invasive species cheer.
Things may have changed since then so feel free to update the song in the comments.
Bloody-red shrimp. Image: NOAA
The bloody red shrimp is one of the Great Lakes most recently discovered ballast invaders.
Bloody red shrimp swarms can be incredibly abundant, with swarms up to 1500 individuals/square meter being documented. Their effects on the Great Lakes are largely unknown, but they may compete for food with young fish, and have been found in the diet of some fish in the Great Lakes.
Regardless of the impacts, eight shrimp ‘a swarming is a huge underestimate.
I would list “One Stalled Conveyor!” for #1. The ice boom is the single biggest threat to the entire Lower Great Lakes ecosystem. Happy new year.