Round Gobies are Increasing in Lake Huron
Ann Arbor, MI — The round goby was introduced into the Great Lakes basin in 1990 and has now established populations in each of the Great Lakes. Much has been learned about the biology of round gobies since their arrival, however, most of the available information comes from shallow warm habitats such as Lake Erie. What may occur as round gobies move into the deeper, colder waters of the upper Great Lakes? To answer this question, scientists combined data from three independent trawl surveys to develop a comprehensive description of round goby distribution and feeding preferences in Lake Huron.
Prior to 1997, round gobies were absent in Lake Huron, but by 2003 they had been collected at most of the 26 sites sampled by the three agencies. New populations appeared almost simultaneously at a number of shipping ports, suggesting individuals were transferred throughout the lake in ships ballast. In almost all cases once round gobies were observed at a site, their abundance quickly increased. Only in northern Lake Huron do round gobies remain scarce, and cold temperatures may be slowing their invasion.
Round gobies were observed across a wide range of depths, including sites many miles offshore at depths in excess of 200 feet. Gobies were observed offshore only during the fall and winter. Diet analysis showed these fish collected offshore ate many of the same foods as native fish species suggesting round gobies will interact with the deepwater fish community. In addition, round gobies consumed some prey items rarely eaten by other fishes.
"This study shows that the impact of round gobies won’t be confined to shallow or warm habitats. They are also a threat in the deeper colder environments of the upper Lakes," says Jeff Schaeffer, a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, MI. "Their almost simultaneous appearance at numerous shipping ports reinforces the idea that ballast water transport remains an important mechanism by which invasive species are spread."
Each of the participating agencies will continue to work together to monitor this species. "This study would not have been possible without interagency cooperation and data sharing," Schaeffer said. "No one agency could have done this alone, and by pooling our results we got a much more complete picture of where this species is proliferating, and the role it plays in the fish community. The information will be useful not only in Lake Huron, but in other large lakes that are facing round goby invasions."
Original Publication Information
Results of this study "Invasion History, Proliferation, and Offshore Diet of the Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus in Western Lake Huron, USA," are reported by Jeffrey S. Schaeffer, Anjanette Bowen, Michael Thomas, John R. P. French III and Gary L. Curtis in the latest issue (Volume 31, No. 4, pp. 414-425) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, 2005.
Contacts
For information about this study, contact Jeffrey S. Schaeffer, U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48105; Jschaeffer@usgs.gov; (734) 214-7250.
For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; editor@iaglr.org; (608) 692-1076.
Links
Since 1967, IAGLR has served as the focal point for compiling and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on North America's Laurentian Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world and their watersheds. In part, IAGLR communicates this knowledge through publication of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, available to members in print and electronic form. A searchable archive of the journal is available online and includes the abstracts of articles from the journal's inception in 1975 through the most recent issue. In addition, complete articles are available to members who have signed up for an electronic subscription.
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