Scientists may have found the cause for the spread of an invasive species in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’sJonathan Ahl reports:
Transcript
Scientists may have found the cause for the spread of an invasive
species in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Jonathan Ahl reports.
Cordylophora is a small brown stringy animal that looks more like a
plant than a fish. For years the pest has caused problems in Midwest lakes
and rivers by clogging intake pipes and stealing food from native animals.
Researchers in Illinois think they may have found a reason for the animal’s
recent increase in numbers. Jim Stoeckel with the Illinois Natural History
survey says the research is focusing on water quality.
“To see if runoff of road salt or discharge from
sewage treatment plants are increasing the salinity in some areas, and this
may be contributing to the increase in cordylophora.”
Stoeckel says if there is a link between water salinity and the growth of
the pest, it may be easy to develop some practical ways to control the animal.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Jonathan Ahl.