Lake Invaders: Invasive Species and the Battle for the Future of the Great Lakes

Great Lakes Books Series

by William Rapai

There are more than 180 exotic species in the Great Lakes. Some, such as green algae, the Asian tapeworm, and the suckermouth minnow, have had little or no impact so far. But a handful of others—sea lamprey, alewife, round goby, quagga mussel, zebra mussel, Eurasian watermilfoil, spiny water flea, and rusty crayfish—have conducted an all-out assault on the Great Lakes and are winning the battle. In Lake Invaders: Invasive Species and the Battle for the Future of the Great Lakes, William Rapai focuses on the impact of these invasives. Chapters delve into the ecological and economic damage that has occurred and is still occurring and explore educational efforts and policies designed to prevent new introductions into the Great Lakes.

Rapai begins with a brief biological and geological history of the Great Lakes. He then examines the history of the Great Lakes from a human dimension, with the construction of the Erie Canal and Welland Canal, opening the doors to an ecosystem that had previously been isolated. The seven chapters that follow each feature a different invasive species, with information about its arrival and impact, including a larger story of ballast water, control efforts, and a forward–thinking shift to prevention. Rapai includes the perspectives of the many scientists, activists, politicians, commercial fishermen, educators, and boaters he interviewed in the course of his research. The final chapter focuses on the stories of the largely unnoticed and unrecognized advocates who have committed themselves to slowing, stopping, and reversing the invasion and keeping the lakes resilient enough to absorb the inevitable attacks to come.

Rapai makes a strong case for what is at stake with the growing number of invasive species in the lakes. He examines new policies and the tradeoffs that must be weighed, and ends with an inspired call for action. Although this volume tackles complex ecological, economical, and political issues, it does so in a balanced, lively, and very accessible way. Those interested in the history and future of the Great Lakes region, invasive species, environmental policy making, and ecology will enjoy this informative and thought-provoking volume.

Genres: Nature, Science, Nonfiction, Animals

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 4, 2016

About the author

William Rapai is an amateur naturalist and former newspaper journalist. He is the author of the 2013 Michigan Notable Book The Kirtland’s Warbler: The Story of a Bird’s Fight Against Extinction and the People Who Saved It.

Reviews

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty gripping read about the many marauding animals and plants attacking the Great Lakes. There are more species involved than I realized, and the prevention strategies are pretty varied and complex -- ahh, but are they going to be effective? Stay tuned and find out, I guess...

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! I highly recommend this nonfiction work. The writing is excellent; the author is a former journalist for major news sources, makes sense. Very interesting to learn of how various invasives, from aquatic to foliage, entered the Great Lakes system, how they affected the ecosystem, and what was done about it. This book was easy to understand: the chemistry of how the chemical treatments to waterways was not complex or boring. Lastly, included & relevant were legislation, acts, and organizations (working together or not) to save the lakes.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very enlightening read on invasive species in the Great Lakes region and efforts to combat them. It's not particularly rich in images (but with that gruesome cover picture of a sea lamprey, maybe that's a good thing), but the text is highly accessible to the lay reader. As a systems thinker, I appreciated the opportunity to read about a complex system that is out-of-field for me professionally, but deeply connected to the health and well-being of my state.

[April Bucknell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A terrifying book about invasive species and the lengths governments are going to keep them from spreading. It can get pretty technical. By the end I couldn't focus anymore. It's the same story over and over again, but that's not the author's fault. It just... the truth. And terrifying - did I mention terrifying? It's amazing that things aren't worse than they are in the great lakes.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book Rated 3.5 of 5

I consider myself to be someone concerned with environmental issues but let’s face it … how many of us (others concerned with environmental issues) spend much time thinking about or actively working to combat invasive aquatic species? It’s a lot more fun thinking about saving the eagles or the wolves or some cute owls, but we need to be more aware of, and more concerned for, our lakes. Particularly our Great Lakes.

Author William Rapai takes up the mantle and very eloquently lays out our current invasive species’ in the Great Lakes, how they came to be in our lakes, what effect they are having (how they are forcing out some of the native species), and what measures are being taken to combat the invaders.

At times the writing got a little more technical than I am prepared to follow. Not being a scientist, just an average concerned citizen, I’m less concerned with the science involved and more concerned with what we – the average person – can do about it. I recognize Sea Grant, which Rapai mentions, as I have a relative who worked for the organization many years ago.

Rapai does a nice job of also making the point that our government oversight hasn’t been able to keep stride in combat efforts. Whether through budget cuts, or denial that there’s a problem, the government agencies tasked with protecting our water haven’t been able keep pace.

Rapai sums it up:

if the relationships between states, the provinces, and the federal governments are complicated and complex, add on regulation from the International Maritime Organization and international treaties, and brains begin to explode.
He points out that as bad as the United States’ efforts are, Canada is probably even worse. (“Until 2015, Canada was fighting invasive species with a patchwork of twenty provincial and federal laws…”)

It isn’t all bleak, but “there is more work to be done, and there’s a role for individual citizens of the Great Lakes region.”

This book should scare you, but it likely won’t reach enough of the people who need to read it.

Looking for a good book? Lake Invaders by William Rapai is a thorough, sometimes very technical, exploration of the invasive species that inhabit our Great Lakes.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.