We’ve learned about invasive zebra and quagga mussels in the biosphere before (see Zebra and Quagga Mussels: Georgian Bay’s Filter-Feeding Invaders). Now the question is, what is being done to control them? Zebra and quagga mussels belong to the genus Dreissena and are collectively referred to as Dreissenids. While they first arrived in the Great […]
Read More… from Getting the Zebra and Quagga Mussel Problem Under Control
Canada is home to a unique variety of species, over 9,000 of which are species of beetles. The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive beetle with a growing population in Ontario, including the Georgian Bay Biosphere region. Originating in Asia, this beetle likely made its way to North America in wood packaging or […]
Read More… from Small Beetle, Big Impact: The Invasive Emerald Ash Borer
Think of the last time you went for a swim. Before walking away from the shore, you probably gathered up all your things: your towel, sandals, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, and perhaps a book or magazine. Yet despite your careful attention there was still something you left behind. Did you know you left some of your […]
Read More… from eDNA: Learning From the Molecule That’s Always Left Behind
Georgian Bay is well known for producing trophy-sized fish, but the smaller inhabitants of the waters are often overlooked. Zooplankton are small aquatic animals that make up part of what is referred to as the lower food web of Georgian Bay. This month we take a closer look at one zooplankton in particular, the spiny […]
Read More… from The Spiny Water Flea: The Tiny Zooplankton Creating Big Problems
If you have been outside recently exploring the trails in your area or just getting out in your yard, you have probably encountered numerous caterpillars and their handiwork. These are LDD caterpillars, also called gypsy moth caterpillars. The LDD moth (whose acronym arises from its Latin name Lymantria dispar dispar) originates in Asia and Europe. […]
Most of us have heard of the Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus). Some of us might also know it’s an invasive species. Beyond that, however, your knowledge of the Round Goby may be a little like your knowledge of quarks: they’re something you’ve heard of, you know they’re important, but you couldn’t write more than a […]
Read More… from Fishing for facts: how is the Round Goby so successful?
Imagine: it’s a beautiful sunny day to go boating. You hop in, start the engine, and begin cruising through the still water. Suddenly, large, thrashing silver fish are throwing themselves from the water. Fish are flying everywhere! They land in your boat, flop madly around and turn a relaxing ride into a dangerous situation for […]
Zebra and quagga mussels can seem less like an invasive species and more like an invasive surface. The two mussels, sometimes collectively referred to as dreissenid mussels, are famous for coating lake bottoms, rocks, docks, and boats in sharp, pointed clusters. In this blog post, we’re taking a closer look at zebra and quagga mussels, […]
Read More… from Zebra and Quagga Mussels: Georgian Bay’s Filter-Feeding Invaders
When we think of invasive species in the Great Lakes basin, aquatic animals often jump to mind: zebra mussels coating a lake bottom, sea lamprey boring holes in fish, Asian carp leaping out of the water in droves as boats travel through waterways. Invasive plant species, however, can be just as impactful on ecosystems as […]
Read More… from Eurasian Water-Milfoil: A Closer Look at an Invasive Plant
In last month’s blog post, we dove into how the invasive sea lamprey entered the Great Lakes System, and the catastrophic effect they had on fish populations. While we touched on how rigorous control methods have reduced sea lamprey populations by up to 90 percent, going into exactly how sea lamprey control is done is […]
Read More… from Sea Lamprey 2.0: How We Prevent History from Repeating Itself
In 1919, improvements were made to the Welland Canal, a waterway that connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The improvements widened the canal and allowed large ships to travel between the two; a feat that until then had been made impossible by Niagara Falls. With an effective connection between Lake Ontario and the rest of […]
Read More… from Learning from History: The Sea Lamprey Legacy of the Great Lakes
The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve invites you to attend the State of the Bay Conference being held on November 19, 2019 at the Charles W. Stockey Centre in Parry Sound! This conference presents the latest research and monitoring findings on water quality, lower food web, and fish communities. The objectives of the conference are to […]
Many of us love hearing the call of a loon or seeing a majestic bald eagle. These species are the top of the food chain, relying on a healthy diet of fish. But what feeds the fish that they eat? Scientists are researching what they call “the lower food web” in Georgian Bay, and we […]
Think about what makes life possible under water. Phosphorus is the “food” that microscopic plants and animals need to survive. As the foundation of our food web in Georgian Bay, phosphorus is an important nutrient for us to measure when we study the health of our ecosystem. You can imagine that there wouldn’t be many […]
Read More… from Phosphorus Levels in Georgian Bay are Going Down
