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.
The spiny waterflea and the fishhook waterflea produce tiny resting eggs that can survive as much as 12 hours after the mature waterflea has perished.
Spiny Waterflea. Image: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
The resting eggs can also survive extreme environmental conditions, so it is imperative to make sure that recreational equipment is cleaned to prevent spreading these invasive crustaceans. Unfortunately, they’re distributed across all of the Great Lakes and a few inland lakes.
- Eighth day: Eight shrimp ‘a swarming
- Seventh day: Seven carp and counting
- Sixth day: Six lamprey leaping
- Fifth day: Five boat wash stations
- Fourth day: Perch on ice
- Third day: Three clean boat steps
- Second day: Two red swamp crayfish
- First day: A carp barrier in the city