Invasive plant program expands statewide

The Traverse City-based Go Beyond Beauty program has received funding through two projects from the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program to tackle such plants as Japanese Barberry, baby’s breath and blue lyme grass that are spread by people putting them in gardens.

Feral swine decreasing but still pose threat

The number of feral swine in the state is declining, but there’s still concern about their transmitting diseases to domestic pigs — threatening a $500-million-a-year industry — and to people, as well as damage to vegetation.

Harmful algae could kill invasive mussels

A new idea to manage the spread of non-native mussels: kill them with another Great Lakes headache, the algae that sometimes blooms too much and threatens water quality. 

Invasive mussels challenge commercial whitefish fishing in the Great Lakes

The spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels in the Great Lakes has altered the ecology of lakes, including disrupting the food web in the lakes. Commercial whitefish fishers are facing challenges in their industry that may be the result of changes to the food web brought about by the presence of the invasive mussels.