Great Lakes Problems

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I am Melanie Morales, I live in the shores of New York along Lake Ontario. I am a biologist studying the Great Lakes it has come to my concern that The Great Lakes are not in the best condition. I have been studying them for quite some time now, hoping there would be an improvement soon. The Great Lakes are in trouble because they’re affected by many things, these include pollution, invasive species, and loss of habitat. The concern should not be only focused on those things but the millions of people who rely on the Great Lakes for drinkable water. The Great Lakes will be degraded if we don’t do anything to conserve and protect the lakes. First, pollution is causing many problems, a point-source of pollution is the toxic waste pumps that contain poisons which leak into waterways. As a result, the water quality decreases and the fish and wildlife are negatively affected. Pollutants are air-bound and damage watersheds, a chemical pollutant, DDT has affected the population of bald eagles along with other animals. People consuming fish that live in the chemically polluted water have high PCB levels in their blood. Another chemical is phosphorus, when it enters lakes it causes algae to grow, thus causing the imbalance of the ecosystem and lack of…show more content…
They reproduce which decreases habitat and lower the amount of organisms. These invasive species have entered the Great Lakes because they’re connected to the Atlantic ocean having an opening for non-native species to enter. This can damage the Great Lakes economy by decreasing fishing, tourism, agriculture, and the overall health of the ecosystem. Humans have also been invasive species, settlers have removed half of the region’s original forest lost to development. These all contribute to the harm of the Great Lakes and its

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