Impact and Awareness of Asian Carp in Michigans Great Lakes

Our Vision & Overview

Our objective of this project is to raise awareness of the problem asian carp pose to the economy and culture of the Great Lakes and illustrate the importance of preventing them from invading.

Overview

Asian carp pose a great threat for the native aquatic species of the Great Lakes. While they have not yet made it to the Great Lakes, we must be aware of the damages they will cause if they do. According to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the only effective approach to sustaining the valuable Great Lakes fisheries is to prevent the introduction and establishment of Asian carp (2012). There are four main species of Asian carp: bighead carp, silver carp, black carp, and grass carp. They were all brought to North America to help with water quality control in manmade ponds mostly in the south, but they escaped into the wild in the 1990’s (DFO. 2012). Since their escape, they have been moving north through the Mississippi River basin, wreaking havoc on local ecosystems along the way. Female carp can produce over one million eggs annually and individuals grow up 110 pounds, though most carp are smaller (“Commercial Fishers”). Their rapid population growth pushes out native species, allowing them to dominate a river or a stream, and they can also spread parasites and disease to native fish. Some species, like grass carp, also alter the shoreline through eating vegetation that native fish rely on for spawning and cover ("Asian Carp Overview"). This potentially increases the mortality rate of young fish and bighead carp also eat native mussels, further endangering them and making it more difficult for them to compete with invasive quagga and zebra mussels. Silver carp pose a danger to recreational use because they jump out of the water when startled and can injure people through hitting them in the face. Asian carp, as a result, could collapse the $7 billion fishing and $16 billion tourism industries if they invade ("Michigan DNR").

Connect to Place

The interconnectivity of U.S. water bodies has allowed asian carp to thrive and migrate north towards the Great Lakes. Since initially escaping containment ponds in Mississippi, they have been found in Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri, Wisconsin, etc. The most direct way for asian carp to invade the Great Lakes is through the Chicago River, where an electric barrier is the only thing keeping them from entering Lake Michigan. Asian carp, specifically silver and bighead carp, would have sufficient food to survive and breed in Lake Michigan but they would follow coastlines as that is where algae is most concentrated and areas with habitable temperatures are most prominent. This would disrupt coastal ecosystems biologically as well as commercially because activities, such as the breeding cycles of native fish or recreational boating or swimming, are done near the coastline and not usually in open water (“Asian Carp”).

Damages of Asian Carp

Asian carp are detrimental to local communities because they ruin recreation and economic opportunities. This is illustrated in the state of Kentucky where fishermen removed 9.5 million pounds of carp from its waters in 2021, and the number of carp being harvested has increased each year (“Commercial Fishers”). In Missouri, a teenager from the town of Pleasant Hill was tubing while silver head carp startled and started jumping out of the water. He was nearly killed after one hit him in the face while fracturing his nose, denting his forehead, and shattering the bones above his brow and in both eye sockets (Schankman). Climate change could also help asian carp establish populations in previously uninhabitable waterways as increased temperatures warm cold-water rivers, such as the Lower Wisconsin River, which is the longest free-flowing river in the Midwest and home to over 98 species of fish, including rare ones like longnose gar and the paddlefish. Adult carp currently live in the rivers but are unable to reproduce and models show that there could be a four-fold increase in rivers where carp could thrive by midcentury under the most likely trends, and without emission cuts (Hubbuch). In 2021, climate change increased Great Lakes temperatures by 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit (Thompson), and this could help asian carp establish breeding populations as the waters continue to warm. Grass carp specifically eat plants and can only digest about half of what they eat, and the rest of it is released into the water, enriching it and causing algal blooms (Holmes). Lake Erie already struggles with toxic algal blooms from sediment runoff and cities, such as Toledo, frequently have to issue orders to not drink the water. Grass carp could further exacerbate this problem through potentially helping to increase algal blooms in other lakes. This would negatively impact even more communities as water would become undrinkable and more money would have to be spent treating algae and dealing with carp. With all of the ways asian carp ruin an ecosystem, it is important that they never set a single fin inside of the Great Lakes.

Government Involvement and Partnerships

Due to the Asian Carp's growing threat to the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission is already working with multiple partners to further secure the great lakes ecosystem. The commission has partnered with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey to complete risk assessments. It is important for people to understand the effects of Asian Carp not only on the ecosystem but the effects of the human population as well. Asian Carp will greatly harm recreational opportunities such as fishing, boating, and other water activities. Due to their sizey dominate the food chain. Reducing overall fish populations. Carps pose a direct threat to human health due to their jumping habits. When carp are disturbed by vibrations such as those of boat engines, they leap high out of the water. Boaters and boats can get injured or damaged by these flying carp. This threat to human health will ultimately injure Michigan's recreational economy. The state government is working with multiple partners to protect the recreational opportunities in the great lakes. Former Governor Rick Snyder Formed the Great Lakes Basin Partnership to block asian carp. This coalition together supports the 8 million annual cost of operating and managing the Army Corps of Engineers selected plan of action. (see additional project info below)

The Michigan DNR has also partnered with the Illinois DNR and implemented a new set of carp prevention training exercises to prevent these invasive fish. DNR has also continued to conduct eDNA surveillance and field exercises with other lake states, provinces, and other tributaries.

Probability of Introduction

This table was created by Asian Carp Canada and shows the probability of introduction focusing on arrival, survival, establishment, and spread. Survival in all the lakes is very likely

Overall Risk

The graphic to the right shows the probability of introduction and magnitude of consequences for the five Great Lakes. This represents what would happen if no additional action is taken. The magnitude of consequences increases greatly from 20 to 50 years as the carp population increases

Where are they now?

As of August 2022, Silver carp were found just 7 miles from Lake Michigan in Lake Calumet, which is just south of Chicago (Lambert, 2022). Fisheries and Ocean Canada did an extensive risk assessment of Bigheaded carps and found the most likely entry into the Great Lakes Basin is through the Chicago Area Water System.

What can we do?

The most important thing we as fishers and recreational users can do is be aware of and report invasive species.

The process of reporting an invasive animal whether it was caught or spotted is relatively simple and can be found on the Michigan DNR website.

Report an Invasive Carp

How to Identify...

Interbasin Project

Electric Barrier Info

eDNA Surveillance Info

The above video illustrates how silver carp leap out of the water when startled and also how they can rapidly spread throughout the Great Lakes.

Resources

Holmes, M. (2021, April 28). Invasive Species: Why Are Asian Carp a Problem? treehugger.com. Invasive Species: Why Are Asian Carp a Problem? (treehugger.com)

Hubbuch, C. (2022, October 31). Carp invasion: Study highlights climate threat to key Wisconsin rivers. madison.com. Carp invasion: Study highlights climate threat to key Wisconsin rivers (madison.com)

Lambert, D. (2022, August 6). Invasive Carp Captured in Lake Calumet, Just 7 Miles from Lake Michigan. WTTW News. https://news.wttw.com/2022/08/06/invasive-carp-captured-lake-calumet-just-7-miles-lake-michigan

Nissen, J. (2019, November 5). Michigan DNR pledging $8 million to Asian carp barrier in Illinois. fox2detroit.com. Michigan DNR pledging $8 million to Asian carp barrier in Illinois (fox2detroit.com).

Schankman, P. (2015, August 31). Pleasant Hill man injured by flying Asian carp. fox2now. Pleasant Hill man injured by flying Asian carp | FOX 2 (fox2now.com)

Thompson, C. (2021, November 8). Great Lakes' record warmth likely to fuel lake effect snow, may disrupt fish. phys,org. Great Lakes' record warmth likely to fuel lake effect snow, may disrupt fish (phys.org)

Asian Carp Overview. nps.gov. Asian Carp Overview - Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).

Asian Carp Would Have Adequate Food to Survive in Lake Michigan | U.S. Geological Survey, https://www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/asian-carp- would-have-adequate-food-survive-lake-michigan.

Ecological Risk Assessment for Bighead and Silver Carps. (n.d.). Asian Carp Canada. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.asiancarp.ca/impacts/risk-assessments/ecological-risk-assessment-for-bighead-and-silver-carps/

Great Lakes Fishery Commission - Asian Carp. (2012). Glfc.org. http://www.glfc.org/asian-carp.php