Aliens Invade our waters! Second in the series
In this missive, the second in the "Aliens" series I reveal a sticky invader.
I don't know how many divers are also fishermen - or women! (sorry ladies) but if you've been fishing in the St. LAwrence River or the Great Lakes in the last decade or so you'll remember the cotton-like globs that got stuck on your lines
-looks like snot on a string!
Especially if you're trolling. Well it's the Spiny Waterflea (Bythotrephes Longimanus) that is getting tangled in your fishing gear.
This tiny predatory crustacean has a long, barbed tail spine that protects them from other predators. They float in the water eating and proliferating. Their diet consists of Zooplankton so whenever the Zooplankton is high in the water column, like when its warm, there will be lots of the little Waterfleas. (no Dilbert, dogs don't get them if the swim, !.)
The female (hmmm, so how do they meet, these males and females? At a flea club? Then what? ,,, but I digress.) of these prolific little aliens produce up to 10 young every two weeks or so during the warm summer months but are largely invisible underwater.
Like so many other invasive species they are a result of our highly mobile society. They too got a free ride to this waterway onboard freighters in their ballast (notice a recurring theme here !?) from Northern Europe and Great Britain. First discovered in Lake Ontario in 1982 they have since spread throughout the Great Lakes and SLR.
I have to admit that in all the years I've been diving the SLR I have not seen them in the water.Though I have seen them on the anchor rhode when I pull it up. But the once or twice I go fishing a year they sure are evident on the tackle!
Their impact on the food chain is still unknown but I bet there is some impact if they compete for Zooplankton with the Zebra and Quagga mussels.
So, next time you dive your favorite wreck pay attention to the life around you, even the minute life forms.
There is a war going on in the water column! From the Alien species to chemicals, pharmacological, silt runoff, to oil spills all have a cumulative impact.
Speaking of diving on wrecks - watch this spot (and www.DiveJunkee.com) for more details about this season's special dive challenge!
Stay tuned to this spot!
Its all about diving.
Its all good!
SCOTT.
I don't know how many divers are also fishermen - or women! (sorry ladies) but if you've been fishing in the St. LAwrence River or the Great Lakes in the last decade or so you'll remember the cotton-like globs that got stuck on your lines
-looks like snot on a string!
Especially if you're trolling. Well it's the Spiny Waterflea (Bythotrephes Longimanus) that is getting tangled in your fishing gear.
This tiny predatory crustacean has a long, barbed tail spine that protects them from other predators. They float in the water eating and proliferating. Their diet consists of Zooplankton so whenever the Zooplankton is high in the water column, like when its warm, there will be lots of the little Waterfleas. (no Dilbert, dogs don't get them if the swim, !.)
The female (hmmm, so how do they meet, these males and females? At a flea club? Then what? ,,, but I digress.) of these prolific little aliens produce up to 10 young every two weeks or so during the warm summer months but are largely invisible underwater.
Like so many other invasive species they are a result of our highly mobile society. They too got a free ride to this waterway onboard freighters in their ballast (notice a recurring theme here !?) from Northern Europe and Great Britain. First discovered in Lake Ontario in 1982 they have since spread throughout the Great Lakes and SLR.
I have to admit that in all the years I've been diving the SLR I have not seen them in the water.Though I have seen them on the anchor rhode when I pull it up. But the once or twice I go fishing a year they sure are evident on the tackle!
Their impact on the food chain is still unknown but I bet there is some impact if they compete for Zooplankton with the Zebra and Quagga mussels.
So, next time you dive your favorite wreck pay attention to the life around you, even the minute life forms.
There is a war going on in the water column! From the Alien species to chemicals, pharmacological, silt runoff, to oil spills all have a cumulative impact.
Speaking of diving on wrecks - watch this spot (and www.DiveJunkee.com) for more details about this season's special dive challenge!
Stay tuned to this spot!
Its all about diving.
Its all good!
SCOTT.
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