Transcript Challenge_20_20_Presentation - challenge2020usm

Challenge 20/20 Presentation
General Information
• Last year:
o biodiversity, alternative energy and water reclamation in
post industrial areas
• This year:
o Changes in biodiversity within Lake Michigan, specifically
in terms of invasive species and low water quality
Borna vs. Milwaukee
• While we found similarities in our cities, we addressed more
specific problems within our region
o Borna: Energy Crisis
 Transition from coal-mining town to more efficient
forms of energy
o Milwaukee: Pollution of Lake Michigan/Runoff
 Retention ponds, bio swales, gardens, underground
repositories, urban gardens, rain barrels and green
streets
German Exchange Students
• Exchange trip this fall, plus future trips
• Simmilarities between our school and those in both Borna
and Leipzig, Germany
• Gives us a new perspective on issues that may not nessisarily
be controversial in our area.
• Chance to exchange information with teens our age in a
different part of the world
Effects on Native Species
-Invading species often compete
with native ones for the same
resources
-Can lead to ousting of native
species
-Native and invading species can
share a niche
-fundamental to realized niche
-i.e. barnacles
Asian Carp History
Native to China and parts of Southeast Asia, the freshwater fish
have been cultivated for aquaculture for more than 1,000 years,
often raised in submerged rice paddies. Catfish farmers in the U.S.
imported Asian carp decades ago to eat up the algae in their ponds.
Also, they were imported into the southern United States to keep
aquaculture clean and to provide fresh fish for fish markets. Now,
the fish have slowly escaped into the wild and have been making
their way up the Mississippi River. They are eating machines that
can decimate entire ecosystems.
Here are the 4 different types of Asian Carp:
Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis)
Black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus)
Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)
Asian Carp's Effects on Other Fauna
• Harmful to many types of animals because of
the Asian carps consumption of low level food chain
organisms such as plankton
o Birds
o Insects
o turtles
• Consumption
of macrophytes and
macroinvertebrates
Asian Carp Risks
Ecological Risks:
• rapid range expansion and population increase leads to a decrease of native
mussels and other invertebrates
• grass carps can eliminate vast areas of aquatic plants which reduces
recruitment and abundance of native fish
• black carp reduces abundance of mussels and snails
• silver carp tend to jump out at people and hurt them severely
Threats to Great Lake:
Some people believe that if invasive species of carp enter the Great lakes, the
multi-billion dollar recreational fishing and tourism industry will be devastated.
If they colonize in the GL, the decline of native fish will hurt the Great Lake
communities that depend on fisheries for its economy (fisheries are valued at 4.5
billion dollars annually)
Waterfowl production areas are at risk too (hunters spend more than 2.6 billion
dollars on their sport in Great Lakes). Asian carp could decrease economic value
to communities that benefit from hunting too.
Asian Carp Video
Response Efforts
• Increased eDNA (Environmental DNA) monitoring
• An electrical barrier system
o Due to safety concerns and monetary problems, this
barrier is still largely disputed and not operating at full
capacity.
• Chemical controls
• Fish harvesting
Effects of biodiversity loss on humans
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Vulnerability to natural disasters, global warming
Already limited, but large amount of species
Rely on freshwater
Ecosystem Services:
o protection of water resources, pollution, stability,
maintenance of ecosystems, recovery
• Biological resources:
o food, medicine, breeding stocks, future resources,
diversity
• Social benefits
o Research and education, recreation and tourism,
cultural values
The Human Element: Why
Care?
Economics:
- The initial impact and damaged
caused by invasive species, such as
zebra mussel or asian carp, can be a
great detriment to all aspects of
commerce and impair infrastructure.
Quality of Life: Simply put, if invasive
species continue to infiltrate and impact
our ecosystems, the quality of nature and
living in the surrounding areas will
decrease.
Ethics: The profit at any cost model used for generations has done
irreversable damage to our ecosystems, it is a question of whether or not it
is necissary or wise to take of our ecosystems and the species they harbor.
Why 20/20?
• Forms bonds with students from across the globe
• Gives students from all grades the opportunity to research a
problem they see in their world and attempt to find a
solution
• You have a long time to complete the project (due in late
January at the earliest, May at the latest)
• Some past projects have really made a difference
• FUN!
• If interested in getting more information about the program,
talk to Dr. Wend, Ms. Griffin, Mrs. Konkol or Ali Robinson