Purdue News
Purdue News
Pat Charlebois, Sea Grant nonindigenous specialist, will demonstrate a nonindigenous Web site, SGNIS, at the Technology Showcase segment. Sea Grant's SGNIS, developed in partnership with the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network, offers peer-reviewed scientific information, photographs, maps and videos.
Since the early 1800s, 139 nonindigenous aquatic invaders have become established in the Great Lakes basin. Among the most recent are zebra mussels, spiny water fleas, round gobies and ruffe. These species have created havoc in the Great Lakes, both in ecosystem balance and economic impacts. Cleanup costs have amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars for industry and municipal water operations during the last decade.
Charlebois said, "Most of the species in Lake Michigan could be transported and survive in inland waters. Our world is getting smaller, and it's conceivable that new species from another part of the world could be transported to our area within 24 hours. People can use information on the SGNIS site to learn how to prevent the spread of these exotic species."
Sea Grant funds research and extension activities to help prevent spread and teach water users about nonindigenous control methods. SGNIS can be found on the World Wide Web at www.ansc.purdue.edu.sgnis. For more information about Sea Grant's presentation at the upcoming conference, or on nonindigenous species impacts, contact Charlebois at (847) 872-0140, e-mail, p_char@ix.netcom.com
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
