Free seminar on Asian Carp in the Great Lakes Tuesday

The Inland Seas Education Association invites you to attend the free Great Lakes Seminar on Tuesday, October 9th at 7pm at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay.

The guest this month is Mark Breederland of Michigan Sea Grant. Mark will provide an update on the potential for invasion of Asian Carp in our Great Lakes. His talk will also highlight the findings of recent detection work, discuss different views regarding the ability of Asian Carp to become established in the Great Lakes and their tributaries and review state and federal actions to mitigate future threats of introduction.

This event is free and open to the public. For information call 231-271-3077 or visit schoolship.org.

While we’re on the subject, here’s some of what Michigan Sea Grant has to say about Asian Carp:

Two species of Asian carp — silver and bighead — were originally imported to control algae in southern catfish farms. Following flooding, they escaped into the Mississippi River in the early 1990s. They now inhabit the Illinois River, which connects to the Great Lakes via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

Silver and bighead carp consume vast amounts of food and are extremely prolific. They can weigh up to 100 pounds and grow more than four feet long. Silver carp can jump from the water when agitated and have been known to injure boaters. These species pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem due to their large size, voracious eating habits, and rate of reproduction. Natural resource managers fear they would upset the food web, decimate native species, and damage the Great Lakes sport fishery.

For a look at what an Asian Carp invasion might look like, have a look at this scary video.

Photo credit: Detail of School of Jumping Silver Carp by Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee