Destruction of Giant Algae Doughnut Threatens Lake Michigan (Quagga mussels eating phytoplankton)

LiveScience.com ^ | 9/8/10 | Andrea Leontiou

[Lakeshark]

It's a quaggamire......

They're always finding something to complain about environmentally. It's usually BS.

[glorgau]

Quagga Mussels Cooked with Lager

[cripplecreek]

You should know better than to try to educate the willfully ignorant.

[cripplecreek]

So that dirty, murky water I swam in as a kid is better than the clean, clear water I swim in now?

Actually yes, for the people around the lakes who rely on the 20 to 30 billion dollar sportfishing industry that "dirty" water is the basis of their livelyhoods. Its somewhere between 6 and 10 billion for Michigan alone.

The great lakes once had the single largest freshwater commercial fishing industry in the world. Between the sea lamprey and environmentalists it was literally eliminated. The lamprey was brought under control, the environmentalists still thrive. Its a sad thing to see the old fishing boats rotting away along the shores. I suspect many more went to the bottom just to get rid of them.

[NormsRevenge]

but but but.. lol

It’s like a passion for many here. Thanks!

I hope the walleyes and perch and muskies make it.. to heck with the smelt, get me some beer batter..

[cripplecreek]

Better to deal with it now rather than letting government deal with it 20 years from now.

In 20 years they’ll need a half trillion dollar great lakes restoration agency and more control of the water.

[1rudeboy]

I actually know some commercial sport fisherman on Lake Michigan. They appear to be doing good business, but I can’t speak for the industry as a whole. Wasn’t the zebra mussel going to wipe them out?

[cripplecreek]

Whether the business is affected depends on zebra mussel control efforts. Take out the bottom of the food chain and the whole thing falls apart. The zebra mussels haven’t been here long enough to do the damage they could potentially do.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NormsRevenge. Krispy Kreme ping.

A giant ring of phytoplankton (microscopic plants such as algae) was discovered in Lake Michigan in 1998 by Michigan Technological Universitybiologist W. Charles Kerfoot and his research team. The "phytoplankton doughnut" is formed when winter storms kick up nutrient-rich sediment along the southeastern shore of the lake. The disturbed sediments begin circulating in a slow-moving circle with the lake's currents, which provides a massive supply of food for phytoplankton.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I grew up with dirty farm ponds that had bluegill, maybe and bullhead catfish.

A very deprived childhood.

We did have Jackrabbits, coyotes and tumbleweeds however.

[grellis]

If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[magslinger]

They're always finding something to complain about environmentally. It's usually BS.

If it wasn't a disaster waiting to happen, who would finance their research. If researcher A wanted to study a mussel that is new to the Great Lakes and he doesn't know what effect it will have and researcher B wanted to study a mussel that is new to the Great Lakes and he says he thinks it may destroy the Great Lakes as we know them, who will get the grant?

[reagan_fanatic]

The quagga is found in all of the Great Lakes...

And also in Quahog.