TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - A scientific report says invasive species in the Great Lakes may cost the Canadian economy and surrounding states' economies dearly.
The study, released Wednesday, says the majority of invasives established in the lakes after the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959 were transported in ballast water.
Among them are zebra and quagga mussels, the Eurasian ruffe and round goby.
Sectors of the regional economy hit particularly hard by invasives include commercial and sport fishing, wildlife viewing and use of water for municipal systems and industry.
The scientists from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wyoming say their preliminary numbers indicate the invasives may cost the regional U.S. Great Lakes area economy about $200 million a year.
They say Canada also has suffered economically from invasive species.
