Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 26 sepTember 2017

Evidence of invasive grass carp signals threat to Lake Erie

By JOHN SEEWER HOW BIG OF A THREAT? It appears the grass carp
Associated Press It’s believed there are still spawn after heavy rains or
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — only a small number of when there’s high water
Researchers have fresh evi- grass carp in the lakes. on the Sandusky River, said
dence that invasive grass But a report released by Rich Carter, who oversees
carp are swimming and U.S. and Canadian re- fish management and re-
spawning near the mouth searchers warned this search for the Ohio Depart-
of a river that flows into year that if effective steps ment of Natural Resources.
Lake Erie. aren’t taken, it’s likely that The fish also seem to like
Their next step is figuring out the invasive fish will be es- long rivers.
how to stop it from gaining tablished in lakes Erie, Hu- All of that is important to
a foothold and devouring ron, Michigan and Ontario know, he said, to help find
wetland plants along the within 10 years. a potential way to control
shoreline and underwater WHERE ARE THEY BEING their populations.
vegetation in the lake that FOUND? WHAT’S BEING DONE?
shelters native fish. Janice Kerns, left, and Anne Marie Gorman, both with the Ohio The biggest concern is in Plans are being developed
Grass carp are one of four DNR, net fish after a brief electric shock is administered to the Lake Erie where grass carp to make a more intensive
Asian carp species threat- water. Associated Press have been found in tribu- effort to capture and re-
ening the Great Lakes, but tary rivers and along the move the carp from the
they’re not as worrisome gan and Ontario. Great Lakes waterways. shoreline. Sandusky River, where
as the bighead and silver A look at the efforts to stop Some made their way into Researchers have been more than 100 have been
carp, which could devas- the grass carp: the lakes via rivers, while closely watching the San- found since 2012, Carter
tate fish populations in the WHAT ARE GRASS CARP? others were dumped into dusky River, between said.
lakes. Brought to the U.S. more the waterways. Cleveland and Toledo, There’s also ongoing work
While environmental than 50 years ago to con- The fish feed on aquatic since the discovery of grass to follow grass carp that
groups and scientists have trol weed growth, they’re plants, eating up to 90 carp eggs in 2015. More have been tagged to de-
put much of their attention still sold to pond owners. pounds a day and damag- eggs were found this sum- termine where they spawn
on preventing the bighead Some states now require ing areas used by spawn- mer along with eight adults and where they can be
and silver carp from reach- that they be sterilized be- ing fish and migrating birds. that were netted during a found, said Mark Gai-
ing the lakes, the grass fore being released. What is not known is how two-day search. kowski, a research director
carp already have been But recent surveys have many are in the lakes and WHAT HAVE RESEACHERS with the U.S. Geological
found in Lakes Erie, Michi- found grass carp eggs in where they’ve spread. LEARNED? Survey.q
New model confirms endangered

right whales are declining

By PATRICK WHITTLE sis shows the probability the from 482 in 2010 to 458 in
Associated Press population has declined 2015. That follows a period
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — since 2010 is nearly 100 per- of slow recovery for the
Researchers with the fed- cent. animals, which increased
eral government and the “One problem was, are from about 270 in 1990, the
New England Aquarium they really going down or agency said.
have developed a new are we not seeing them?” Right whales appear off
model they said will provide Corkeron said. “They re- the coasts of New England
better estimates about the ally have gone down, and and Atlantic Canada ev-
In this April 10, 2008, file photo, the head of a North Atlantic right North Atlantic right whale that’s the bottom line.” ery spring and summer to
whale peers up from the water as another whale passes behind population, and the news NOAA said in a statement feed. They are also show-
in Cape Cod Bay near Provincetown, Mass. isn’t good. about the new model that ing a worrisome, widening
Associated Press The model could be criti- it’s using a new statistical population gap between
CALL FOR OUR MODEL, GIRL & STRIPPERS cally important to efforts to method to get a “clearer males and females, NOAA
save the endangered spe- and timelier picture” that’s said. Females declined
cies, which is in the midst less affected by changes in from an estimated 200 in
of a year of high mortality, whale distribution, less reli- 2010 to 186 in 2015, the
said Peter Corkeron, who ant on frequency of whale agency said.
leads the large whale team sightings and better at ac- The new model is being un-
for the National Oceanic counting for animals that veiled during a disastrous
Tour to the Red Light Lipstixaruba@outlook.com and Atmospheric Adminis- are still alive but are seen year for the whales, which
District with a Private tration’s Northeast Fisheries infrequently. were hunted to the brink of
Guide & a FREE bottle Science Center. The agency said the num- extinction during the com-
of wine... The agency said the analy- ber of whales declined mercial whaling era. q