How did the invasive Sea Lamprey gain access to the Great Lakes ecosystem?
Answer
Via shipping canals like the Welland Canal bypassing Niagara Falls
The arrival of the invasive Sea Lamprey into the Great Lakes system is historically traced back to the 1830s. This migration was facilitated by human engineering projects, specifically shipping canals. The Welland Canal, which served to bypass the natural barrier of Niagara Falls, provided the necessary aquatic route connecting the Atlantic Ocean, where the species originates, directly into the freshwater ecosystem of the Great Lakes. Once established, the sea lamprey rapidly infiltrated all five Great Lakes by the 1940s, turning a shipping convenience into an ecological crisis.
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