Invited Speaker Seminar Home  •  SAFS Seminars Home

Thursday, 21 April

James F. Kitchell
Student Nominated Speaker 2011

Arthur Hasler Professor of Zoology, University of Wisconsin Center for Limnology

History of Ecological Change and Restoration in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Abstract

Prior to 1900, the Great Lakes were major avenues of commerce and supported approximately 400 major commercial fishing villages. Ecological conditions began to change in response to scores of invasive species. In order of appearance and importance those were Europeans, the sea lamprey, the alewife, and the Dreissenid mussels. Massive ecological changes resulted from each. Lamprey control programs developed and continue in ways that allowed Lake Superior to recover. Each of the other lakes has different recent histories. Biological control of alewife developed through stocking of Pacific salmonids and fueled a recreational fishery estimated at $7 billion per year. Along the way, many native fish species were extirpated. Mussels remain unchecked and produce major changes in ecosystem structure and function. In sum, each of the lakes now has a bright future very different from their past. Ecological changes continue in response to new invaders, naturalized populations of introduced salmon, and management intended to guide restoration efforts.

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