Wildlife

Invasive gobies staking out new territory

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An uninvited outsider is rapidly showing up in new freshwater territory in Wisconsin–and a recent scientific study indicates the increasing impact of the small fish.  Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Center for Limnology found the invasive round goby has increased 10-fold in some of the state’s lakes and rivers. In addition to the Great Lakes, the fish are now showing up in 175 miles of inland streams, according to Matthew Kornis, doctoral candidate at the Center for Limnology. Like many of the known invasive species inhibiting the Great Lakes, the round goby arrived by an ocean-bound ship and was first seen in the Saint Clair River in 1990. “The study,” Kornis says, “raises significant concern of negative effects round gobies will have or already have on Great Lakes tributaries.”

Researchers found a related dramatic decline in native fish in places where gobies thrive.

Echo

Fossil fuels and wind energize Great Lakes shipping

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Two diverse energy sources will help power a Great Lakes shipping revival, according to the Economist. The development of shale gas and oil requires the transportation of heavy extraction equipment, the publication says.  And the giant turbines needed to harvest Midwest winds are a popular new cargo. An increase in energy supply that leads to a drop in costs could ramp up other manufacturing and perhaps additional shipping demand. The Economist also credits an expected shipping resurgence to currency fluctuations and removal of certain duties that spur the building of new vessels. The wet blanket?

Echo

Photo Friday: Montreal at night

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The city rests on the island of Montreal, at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. Major roads and industrial areas appear bright white, while residential and commercial parts of the city glow yellow-gold. The photo was taken while the space station passed over the Pennsylvania/New York border. Photo and information courtesy of NASA.

Echo

New Year’s resolution: Eat less chikin

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On the first of January, I turned over a new, er, leaf. I left behind my days of buffalo chicken wraps and bacon-covered bacon for a life of vegetarianism. And I stumbled upon the Vegetarian Calculator — this handy tool that calculates the actual, tangible impact that I’ve made by going meat-free, using data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Maybe it’s only been a few weeks, but I’ve supposedly already saved the lives of 16 adorable animals and prevented the release of 126 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. Everyone’s been asking me why I made the switch.

Echo

Minnesota waterfowl season good for 2012, but longterm it’s a concern

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It turns out that 2012 was a great year for the birds.  Until hunting season came around. Then it became a good time to be a hunter. Hunters dubbed the 2012 Minnesota waterfowl season a success on the opening day of the season according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The season benefited from fewer waterfowl hunting regulations and an earlier opening season date. It even seemed that the hunting season had some assistance from Mother Nature herself.

Echo

Hands-on environmental workshop offered to educators

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Many teachers may not think twice about dumping the contents of the class aquarium into a stream when the school year is through. Now, while living on an island in Lake Erie, they can learn why that’s a bad idea. The Great Lakes Education Workshop, which incorporates Great Lakes environmental issues into teachers’ curriculums, is offered for the first time in three years, thanks to a recent Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant. It is an interdisciplinary course where teachers can take part in field work and hands-on labs, said Rosanne Fortner, who heads the Ohio State University-based program. Held at Stone Laboratory at Lake Erie, teachers meet researchers and gain access to EPA equipment while living on the islands of Lake Erie.

Echo

Illinois study shows perennial biofuels give off less nitrogen

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Perennial crops like the tallgrass miscanthus can be turned into ethanol like corn, but give off less nitrogen into the atmosphere, according to a University of Illinois study. Limiting nitrogen is important because it can produce nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that furthers global warming. And nitrate can contaminate drinking sources and leach into lakes where it contributes to lethal dead zones for fish life. Ethanol is added to gasoline to reduce dependence on the fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. But it’s counterproductive to produce ethanol in a way that makes yet another powerful greenhouse gas – nitrous oxide.

Echo

Great Lakes pizzas raise $6,000 for litter reduction, Belle Isle restoration

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DETROIT — Which Great Lake is the most popular? Going strictly by pizza preference, it appears to be Huron and Michigan. They were marginally the most-ordered pizzas in a promotion that raised $6,000 for the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “They were all pretty close,” said Wesley Pikula, vice president of operations at Buddy’s. “They were within about twenty pies of each other.”

Last year, Echo reported that the popular Michigan pizza chain Buddy’s Pizza launched its Great Lakes Pizza Collection with a pledge.