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Protecting Northern Michigan's ​Water Resources

Invasive Fish

Alewife next to a penny

Alewife

This invasive species competes for plankton and aquatic organisms amongst native lake herring, whitefish, chubs, and perch, which negatively affects these species.

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Watchlist & Prohibited

Invasive Carp

Invasive carp are a tremendous threat to the Great Lakes and could devastate the lakes if they enter our Great Lakes ecosystem. The invasive carp includes four species: black carp, grass carp, bighead carp, and silver carp.

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Watchlist & Prohibited

Northern Snakehead

As with many non-native and invasive species, snakehead fish have no natural predators in the United States. This allows for competition and consumption of native fish species. Additionally, Northern snakehead fish can survive in waters with low oxygen levels, giving them a competitive advantage over native species.

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Prohibited

Round Goby

Round gobies originated in the Black and Caspian Seas. They were introduced into the Great Lakes by ballast water discharges from ships and were first discovered in 1990 along the St. Clair River (a Canadian river north of Detroit). Round gobies are a threat because of they are capable of rapid population growth after they reach new areas.

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Sea Lamprey

Sea Lamprey are primitive, jawless fish native to the Atlantic Ocean. In 1921, lampreys appeared in Lake Erie for the first time, arriving via the Welland Canal, which was constructed for ships to avoid Niagara Falls on their way up the St. Lawrence Seaway. Shortly thereafter, sea lamprey quickly populated all of the upper Great Lakes.

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