Invasive species have largely not taken over the Crown, although they are looming at the edges and make their way into lakes and streams periodically. The discovery of walleye perch, introduced into Swan Lake in 2015, represents yet another surprisingly well-established invasive.
Increased temperatures will create more opportunities for invasive fish, aquatic plants and mussels to make way into ecosystems, putting stress on native species. Already present non-native Rainbow trout can outcompete and hybridize with Westslope cutthroat trout that favor cooler water.
Many introduced aquatic plants can outgrow natives and will gain an advantage in increased water temperatures. Didymo, a slime alga, and other algae species will benefit from global warming causing excess nutrient uptake and accumulation.
The zebra and quagga mussels that have invaded the East Coast, Great Lakes and Colorado River basin must be kept out forever. The job requires education, frequent boat and lake inspections, dogs sniffing out invasive species, and new tools for testing. Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is a genetic test of a water sample that can determine the species present based on very small quantities of DNA. Early detection is the next best step to prevention.
Maintaining an intact aquatic ecosystem with fewer external variables that affect already vulnerable species with make future challenges workable.
For more info:
Aquatic Species Detection – Working Dogs for Conservation
Aquatic Invasive Species Research at FLBS