The waters off Sleeping Bear Dunes — where white sand meets a blue so transparent, it’s possible to stand onshore and see fish swimming fathoms deep — have inspired comparisons to the Caribbean.
The clear aquamarine waters are an illusion: beautiful, but so devoid of food and nutrients they’ve become a wasteland for whitefish and other creatures that have inhabited the Great Lakes for thousands of years.
That’s because of the invasive zebra and quagga mussels that filter out the phytoplankton and nutrients that these fish eat to survive.
Scientists are trying to find a way to kill the invasive mussels, but many worry the speed of scientific discovery can’t keep pace with a mussel takeover that has experts predicting the imminent disappearance of whitefish from vast areas of lakes Michigan and Huron.
Read more here: https://bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/can-michigan-save-beloved-whitefish-fate-hinges-on-uphill-bid-to-kill-mussels/
This video is a collaboration between Great Lakes Now and @bridge.michigan
#michigan #fishing #whitefish #lakemichigan
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