Climate change negatively impacting Great Lakes

http://gvsu.edu/gvnow/index.htm?articleId=B5A3B861-F402-5444-86B46CBEA8C4956D

Posted on August 11, 2014
Grand Valley State University, Michigan

Climate change is having a direct negative effect on the Great Lakes, including impacts to recreational value, drinking water potential, and becoming more suited to invasive species and infectious pathogens, according to a Grand Valley State University researcher.

The impact of climate change on the Great Lakes, as well as other natural resources in the United States, was explored in the report “Science, Education, and Outreach Roadmap for Natural Resources,” recently released by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Kevin Strychar, an associate professor at Grand Valley’s Annis Water Resources Institute, co-authored one of the chapters.

Strychar researches climate change impacts on aquatic and marine ecosystems, and has studied climate change impacts on organisms for 16 years in countries from Australia and Palau to Canada and the United States.

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“Climate change has occurred in the past, but this time, the frequency of change is too fast, not allowing animals enough time to adapt,” Strychar said. “Further complicating this issue is that we need not only study individual animals but their inter- and intra-dependencies on other animals and on the environment. - See more at: http://gvsu.edu/gvnow/index.htm?articleId=B5A3B861-F402-5444-86B46CBEA8C4956D#sthash.JTtW3aOp.dpuf