TromboneChat

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Life-Great-Lakes/dp/0393246434

We played in a library in a nearby town this weekend.  (yeah, 18 trombones in a formerly nice quite library!) and I grabbed a book while I was there.

This book talks about massive ecological changes in the Great Lakes, complete replacement of the fish population with other types, twice, and a few other changes.

I grew up in Wisconsin and had been to those lakes many times.  The interesting thing to me was that all this happened within my lifetime.  The St Lawrence Seaway was constructed when I was 4, the Clean Water Act happened when I was 19.  I was there for the alewife invasion (didn't know it was because the lamprey wiped out the lake trout) and fished for salmon (didn't know they were imported from California to eat the alewives) and now they're gone too, wiped out by zebra mussels that ate all the phytoplankton. 

I was surprised to hear you are over 300 years old Tim, but I guess you are talking about the final stages of the Seaway constructed in 1954.

I have been very interested in the Great Lakes since living in Michigan, which has shores on four of them.

Those ecological changes are very concerning and sad. Is anything being done these days to ensure no further impact on fish, water quality etc., or maybe even an attempt to return things to earlier times?

Australia has a similar battle on its hands with the Great Barrier Reef. It is highly vulnerable and has lost half its coral cover in the past three decades. Pollution has caused deadly starfish outbreaks. Global warming has produced horrific coral bleaching. Coastal development also looms as a major threat, as is runoff from flooding, particularly chemicals used in farming. Poor management of commercial, recreational and Indigenous fishing is increasing the threats to many of Queensland’s threatened species including dugongs, turtles and inshore dolphins. 

That is why we need to act quickly and fight for the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef, including making sure that international climate control agreements are upheld (Mr Trump!).

It seems to me that the US and Canada need to get some action going for conservation of the Great Lakes! Michigan of course has many other lakes it needs to take care of. It actually is a very beautiful State when you get away from the big towns and city, although some of them also have their charm. I used to live in Chelsea, which is very picturesque.

I was surprised to hear you are over 300 years old Tim, but I guess you are talking about the final stages of the Seaway constructed in 1954.

I have been very interested in the Great Lakes since living in Michigan, which has shores on four of them.

Those ecological changes are very concerning and sad. Is anything being done these days to ensure no further impact on fish, water quality etc., or maybe even an attempt to return things to earlier times?

Australia has a similar battle on its hands with the Great Barrier Reef. It is highly vulnerable and has lost half its coral cover in the past three decades. Pollution has caused deadly starfish outbreaks. Global warming has produced horrific coral bleaching. Coastal development also looms as a major threat, as is runoff from flooding, particularly chemicals used in farming. Poor management of commercial, recreational and Indigenous fishing is increasing the threats to many of Queensland’s threatened species including dugongs, turtles and inshore dolphins. 

That is why we need to act quickly and fight for the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef, including making sure that international climate control agreements are upheld (Mr Trump!).

It seems to me that the US and Canada need to get some action going for conservation of the Great Lakes! Michigan of course has many other lakes it needs to take care of. It actually is a very beautiful State when you get away from the big towns and city, although some of them also have their charm. I used to live in Chelsea, which is very picturesque.