A very interesting story from the Pacific. From The Guardian.

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Pacific 'garbage patch' changing insect mating habits

Study on vast area of rubbish in north Pacific ocean finds it is beginning to impact on ecosystem

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• Erin Hale
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 9 May 2012 07.40 EDT
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Seaplex researchers Matt Durham and Miriam Goldstein encounter netting and plastic in the Pacific. Photograph: Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Marine insects in the Pacific Ocean are changing their reproduction habitats in response to environmental changes from the accumulating amount of rubbish in the north Pacific subtropical gyre, also known as the great Pacific garbage patch, according to researchers.

The patch has increased in size 100 times since the 1970s, including its swath of microplastic particles of less than 5mm diameter. The marine insect Halobates sericeus, a species of water skater, is now using the microplastic debris as a surface to lay its eggs, said a study by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego, published on Wednesday in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

"This paper shows a dramatic increase in plastic over a relatively short time period and the effect it's having on a common North Pacific Gyre invertebrate," said graduate student and lead author Miriam Goldstein, in a statement released by Scripps. "We're seeing changes in this marine insect that can be directly attributed to the plastic."

Goldstein was part of a graduate student team, the Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition (Seaplex), which travelled to the patch to study its environmental impact in 2009. The study compared the group's findings to data from the early 1970s.

The Seaplex team found that water skaters typically lay their eggs on floating objects like seashells, bird feathers and pumice, but the change to plastic could have "ecosystem-wide consequences". The insects are an important link on the marine food chain, plus predators like crabs rely on their eggs as a source of food.

Increased quantities of microplastic could also mean population growth of the water skaters, and more pressure on their prey zooplankton and fish eggs, according to the study.

Debris from the patch has had an impact on other marine life, including ingestion by fish and invertebrates at a rate of roughly 12,000 to 24,000 tonnes per year, according to Scripps. It also transports pollutants and has introduced alien species into new areas.

The Blade says "block the carp"

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Published: 5/4/2012 

Block those carp -- now

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While Washington dithers and delays, Asian carp continue their relentless migration throughout the Great Lakes region. Two senators who represent Lakes states, Ohio Republican Rob Portman and Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow, propose bipartisan legislation that could help block a carp invasion.

A similar bill is before the House. But if Congress and the Obama Administration don't display a sense of urgency about the issue, it's unlikely that government bureaucrats will either.

The bill would accelerate the leisurely timetable advanced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for addressing the risk posed by silver and bighead carp, which disrupt the food chain and threaten to devour other species in the waterways they invade. The Corps now plans to offer options for keeping the big fish -- along with other aquatic species -- out of the Great Lakes by the end of 2013, and to present a final proposal by 2015.

Click here to read more Blade editorials.

That isn't soon enough, given the inroads carp already have made. The proposed legislation would mandate a progress report from the Corps within three months of its enactment, and a final proposal for action within 18 months.

The options already are well known. The Chicago Area Waterway System connects the Mississippi River basin, where carp have taken hold, with the Great Lakes watershed. The ultimate solution is erecting physical barriers that would separate Lake Michigan from the engineered Chicago system and permanently deflect carp from their primary entry point to the lakes.

But resistance by Illinois politicians has delayed action. They cite what they call the high cost, inconvenience, and disruption to shipping of that alternative. Meanwhile, several temporary expedients are in place: maintaining electric gates, catching large numbers of carp before they reach these fences, and nervously checking the water beyond the fences for carp DNA.

Other proposals including poisoning carp and manipulating the temperature of the water in which they swim. None is a permanent corrective.

The proposed legislation also is designed to block carp from entering the Great Lakes via other rivers and tributaries. It directs the Corps to study how to maintain shipping while the anti-carp offensive proceeds.

The need to keep carp from destroying the Great Lakes' ecosystem cannot be overstated. The lakes are the world's largest source of fresh water. They support a $7 billion fishing industry, largely in Lake Erie, a $16 billion recreational boating industry, and billions of dollars more in tourism spending. These mean hundreds of thousands of jobs, tax revenue, and economic growth for Ohio, Michigan, and other Lakes states.

But the lakes' fragile ecosystem is jeopardized by a series of threats: invasive species, toxic algae blooms, and other forms of pollution. These threats demand action now. If Congress wants the Corps to get serious about protecting the Great Lakes, it can set an example.

Its Great Lakes Week and all the fun will be in Cleveland !
















Cleveland to Host Great Lakes Week in 2012

CHICAGO (May 3, 2012) – An unprecedented effort to restore the Great Lakes will be highlighted in Cleveland this September when hundreds of advocates, scientists, public officials and conservation leaders gather for Great Lakes Week 2012. The theme of this year’s event, to be held Sept. 10-13 in downtown Cleveland, is “Taking Action, Delivering Results.” It will focus public attention on efforts to rid the Great Lakes of toxic hotspots, reduce polluted runoff, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the lakes.

Great Lakes Week advances the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades. The special week also gathers the annual meetings and conferences of various U.S. and Canadian organizations in one place, making it one of the most wide-ranging Great Lakes summits. Leaders will explore issues of importance to citizens on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border.

Great Lakes Week 2012 will feature the following events:

• Sept. 10: International Joint Commission Meeting.
• Sept. 10-11: Great Lakes Commission Annual Meeting.
• Sept. 10: Great Lakes Week Town Hall.
• Sept. 11-13: Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition’s 8th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference.
• Sept. 12: A joint session with U.S. and Canadian federal officials and organizations participating in Great Lakes Week.
• Sept. 12-13: Great Lakes Areas of Concern Annual Conference.

Quotes from Great Lakes Week partner groups:

“We’re excited to be coming to Cleveland, a city which has been at the center of some of the nation’s most urgent environmental challenges - and greatest comeback stories,” said Jeff Skelding, Director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Restoration projects are producing results. And even though a lot of work remains, we are eager to showcase our successes in Cleveland.”

“We all have a vision for what we want the Great Lakes to be for the region’s economic and environmental future,” said Cameron Davis, EPA’s Senior Great Lakes Advisor. “Great Lakes Week is the chance for leaders from both countries to come together to demonstrate what they’ve done and will continue to do to keep pushing for that vision to become a reality.”

“Great Lakes Week will help build upon the enormous energy that now exists to restore the Great Lakes and keep invasive species like Asian carp and others from colonizing the lakes," said Tim Eder, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission.

“Communities across the basin witness daily how Great Lakes restoration benefits both the environment and economy,” said Dave Ullrich, Executive Director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. “Cities are the front lines of the restoration effort and are working to ensure our binational commitment to the Lakes continues.”

“In Cleveland, the IJC will be reporting on our priority research work, highlighted by our focus on Lake Erie,” said Lana Pollack, U.S. Chair of the International Joint Commission. “Supported by a new Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the U.S. and Canada can work together to make real progress on the challenges facing Lake Erie.”

For more information on Great Lakes Week activities visit www.glweek.org, or contact:

EPA, Pete Cassell,             312-886-6234      .
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Dave Ullrich,             312-201-4516      .
Great Lakes Commission, Dave Knight,             734-971-9135      .
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, Jordan Lubetkin,             734-887-7109      .
International Joint Commission Meeting, John Nevin,             519-903-6001      .