Invasive Animals

Invasive Aquatic Animal Effect on their New Ecosystem

What are Invasive Animals? An invasive species is a plant, fungus, or animal species that is not native to a specific location (an introduced species), and which has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health(https://en.wikipedia.org/). When an invasive species moves into a new environment , it changes the food pattern, growth production, and the environment conditions. An animal wasn’t made to adjust to every environment, so when they come into a new place. For example, Zebra Mussels, Sea Lamprey, and LionFish are all animals that has made a huge impact into the new environment they settle into now. Zebra Mussels,
Sea Lampreys came to the Great Lakes in the 1800s and they invaded the lakes. They are 12 to 20 inches long, and they have a deadly attack. These aquatic animal attack salmon, catfish, and trout. Since they are attacking freshwater fish, the fishing industry is decreasing,and the other aquatic animals are receiving lack of resources. Before lampreys arrived, the United States and Canada had about 2.4 million fish each from the Great Lakes. When they came to the Great Lakes, most of the fish population decrease, and the Lampreys population increase. The text states,” Before the spread of sea lampreys, the United States and Canada harvested about 28-million pounds of these fish from the Great Lakes each year. Then the sea lampreys invaded, and within twenty years fish populations had shrunk to just a fraction of what they once were” The quote represents the Sea Lampreys affect to their new
Lionfish came to Florida in 1985 and it’s about 15 inches long. It doesn’t have no predators excerpt for humans. They eat fish and invertebrates, so those animals are becoming endangered around southern Florida. The loss of fish hurts fishermans and the fishing industry. When the Lionfish eats the fish, the reefs then die, because there is not fish to clear the debris. According to the text,” Lionfish also indirectly cause reefs to die by eating the fish that would otherwise clear away debris”. This quote represents how the food chain is being changed by the effects of the Lionfish. To conclude, Zebra Mussels, Sea Lamprey, and LionFish have made effects on their ecosystem that has affect the animals, humans, and environment. Zebra Mussels clogged up pipes and tanks, and the U.S has to pay $250 million to clean the pipes and tanks. Sea Lamprey attack the freshwater fishes, so the fish population decreases. On the Lionfish, they overpowered the fish population, and the coral reefs died. All of these reasons show how invasive animals damages our population and can have an enormous effect new