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Traces of Asian Carp Found in Waters of Lake Michigan - NYTimes.com

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anuary 20, 2010

Carp DNA Is Found in Lake Michigan

By SUSAN SAULNY

CHICAGO Genetic material from the Asian carp, a voracious invasive specieslong feared to be nearin

he Great Lakes, has been identified for the first time at a harbor within Lake Michigan, near the Illinois

ndiana border, ecologists and federal officials said Tuesday.

A second DNA matchwas found in a river in Illinois within a half-mile of the lake, according to scientis

at the University of Notre Dame who tested water samples and provided the results to officials last week

Experts said the most recent findings, from Calumet Harbor and the Calumet River, could mean that th

arp has found its way beyond an elaborate barrier system built at the cost of millions of dollars to preve

he fishs access to the Great Lakes and its delicate ecosystem, where it has no natural competitors and

would threaten the life of native fish populations.

Its a big admission of failure, said Henry Henderson, the director of the Midwest program at the Natu

Resources Defense Council. It indicates the kind of thing weve been fearing since 1993.

Government officials were careful to underscore that they had not found any fish dead or alive des

much effort, and that the Asian carps DNA could have arrived in Lake Michigan by various means other

han the fishs swimming from river basins it has already overtaken farther south.

Because we dont know for sure that the source of the DNA is live carp, were taking it as an early warni

hat it may be live carp, Maj. Gen. John W. Peabody of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division of the

United States Army Corps of Engineers said during a conference call to announce the findings.

As to how they got there, General Peabody said, the short answer is we dont know, and theres proba

no way for us to ever tell.

Still, Great Lakes advocates and the expert who conducted the tests seemed more convinced of the fishs

physical presence in or near Lake Michigan.

I think theres not another plausible explanation for the presence of DNA that weve found other than th

here are live fish in the vicinity, said David M. Lodge, a professor of biological sciences at Notre Dame

whose team tested the water samples.

The positive DNA findings were announced on the same day the United States Supreme Courtdenied a

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8/9/2019 First Traces of Asian Carp Found in Waters of Lake Michigan - NYTimes

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Traces of Asian Carp Found in Waters of Lake Michigan - NYTimes.com

//www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/science/20carp.html?hpw=&pagewanted=print[1/20/2010 8:44:00 AM]

equest by the State of Michiganfor an emergency injunction to force the closing of the locks of a Chicag

hipping canal that gives direct access to the lake a coincidence that drew intensified calls for help fro

ome Great Lakes states.

The Corps of Engineers and Illinois officials had argued against closing the canal.

But Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan and Gov. James E. Doyle of Wisconsin called on the Obama

administration on Tuesday to convene a summit and identify an emergency rapid response that GreatLakes states must adhere to to protect the waters from being overrun with Asian carp.

Professor Lodge said the findings and the court ruling highlight the urgency of action to protect the Gr

Lakes, which support a $7 billion fishing industry and contain 20 percent of the worlds freshwater.

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