New EPA rules to target invasive species The Toledo Blade (7/14) At a 2002 conference in Cleveland, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared invasive species the No. 1 threat facing the Great Lakes. For the first time anyone can recall, the top issue was something other than what people traditionally think of as pollution.
Invasive species threaten Great Lakes National Public Radio (7/7) The blue-green waters of the Great Lakes seem cleaner and clearer than ever before — but while cleaner is good, clearer isn't necessarily so. "The water looks clean because it's becoming sterile," says president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes.
Nuisance species invade Petoskey News-Review (6/20) The Petoskey and Harbor Springs city marinas, along with Irish Boat Shop in Charlevoix and Walstrom Marine in Harbor Springs, have applied for permits for the chemical treatment of aquatic nuisance plants including Eurasian milfoil and Phragmites.
General Resources Biodiversity The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation The Coastal Centre, through education, research and community stewardship, are undertaking efforts to help restore the biodiversity of the coast and minimize future losses.
Biodiversity Portrait of the St. Lawrence Green Lane, Environment Canada Presents the current knowledge base of the river's ecological and biological diversity in atlas form.
Biological Diversity in the Great Lakes Ecosystem The Nature Conservancy The network of state and provincial Natural Heritage Programs, which identify and track the status of key biodiversity features, has identified 131 elements within the Great Lakes basin that are critically imperiled, imperiled or rare on a global scale.
Canada's Aquatic Environments University of Guelph, Ontario Includes more than 9,000 pages of information on aquatic animals and habitats and soon to be expanded to include plants. Designed to make education fun, this site is the ultimate web resource for those with a passion for aquatic life.
Canadian Biodiversity Information Network (CBIN) CBIN is a Canadian node of the BIN21 (Biodiversity Information Network) and is being developed by Canadian participants, be they government, non-government or private sector.
Great Lakes Biodiversity Resources U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) Find out about the Marsh Monitoring Program, the Chicago Native Seed Garden project and the status of biodiversity in the Great Lakes region.
Great Lakes in the Balance The Nature Conservancy This 1997 document discusses the biological diversity of the Great Lakes region and the efforts to balance the needs of nature with the needs of people.
Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) The data center locates and keeps track of Indiana's rarest plants, animals, and natural communities. It maintains an extensive database of these elements of natural diversity.
NatureServe NatureServe and its network of natural heritage programs are the trusted source for information about rare and endangered species and threatened ecosystems.
Prairies in the Prairie State Presented by the Openlands Project and the Illinois State Museum, this exhibit discusses the environment, plants and animals, and human interaction of the Midewin Tallgrass Prairie
Protecting Lake Superior National Wildlife Federation NWF started the Lake Superior & Biodiversity Project to focus efforts on the measures needed to protect Lake Superior, the headwaters of the world's largest freshwater system and the heart of one of the most heavily forested ecosystems in North America.
Tallgrass Prairie Illinois Natural History Survey According to a document produced by The Nature Conservancy, the tallgrass prairie is "the most diverse repository of species in the Midwest [and] ... habitat for some of the Midwest's rarest species."
The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) NBII is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources. Great Lakes related information includes invasive species, fisheries and biodiversity.
Publications Biodiversity Investment Area Papers U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) Papers on aquatic, coastal wetlands, and nearshore terrestrial ecosystems.
Midwest Oak Savanna Conference Proceedings U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) These papers contribute to a growing base of information about an ecosystem that was virtually unknown 10 years ago. Topics include ecology and science; restoration; law, policies and ethics; and people.