Zebra Mussels Flourish in Warm Weather

Here’s something else to blame on El Nino. Because last
year’s winter was so mild, the zebra mussel population has exploded in
one Lake Superior port. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike
Simonson has the story:

Sea Lamprey Soufflé?

A recent discovery has put the brakes on a plan to market Great Lakes sea lamprey to Europeans as a gourmet food. Scientists have found high levels of mercury in the lamprey, making it unfit to eat. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson has the story:

The Prairie Pioneer

For almost forty years, Dr. Robert Betz searched the railroad tracks and
back roads of the Midwest for remnants of the nearly extinct tall-grass
prairie. Along the way, he helped define and popularize a new
environmental movement on the rise throughout the Great Lakes and the
country—a movement called ecological restoration. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Alex Blumberg has this report:

Screening Out Exotics

Efforts to find new technology to stop the spread of exotic speciesentering the Great Lakes continue, even as some worry that a virus-basedthreat could make its way here. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s MikeSimonson has more:

Global Warming in the Peatlands

President Clinton has said this summer’s record breaking heat is evidence of global warming, and he blasted congress for ignoring the problem. Most scientists are firmly convinced that global warming is already underway, but there is still some scientific uncertainty about what effects it might have. Around the world, scientists are looking for answers. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on one research project now underway:

Id Cards Track Exotic Fish

As the Great Lakes fishing season gets into full swing, an"exotic" ID card is being distributed to sport anglers all over theRegion. Its part of an research effort to track the spread of twoexotic species—the Round Goby and the Eurasian Ruffe (rough). The GreatLakes Radio Consortium’s David Hammond reports:

Policing Ballast Water

Controlling exotic species in the Great Lakes hasn’t been easy. Scientists have been unable to slow the spread of things like the zebra mussel. But they still have a chance to prevent other non-native species from infesting Great Lake waters. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports on a potential breakthrough: