7.0 Wetland Dynamics on the Long Point Bay

7.4 Causes and potential impacts of exotic plant and animal introductions to Long Point Bay

To date there has been no detailed assessment of non-indigenous aquatic plants and animals that occupy Long Point Bay. However, since the 1800s, 139 aquatic organisms have been introduced and have become established on the Great Lakes, the majority of which have been plants (59), fish (25), and algae (24) (Mills et al. 1993). Since the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 there has been an upsurg in the number of plants and animals introduced to the Great Lakes. This is cause for concern because 13 introduced aquatic species have already had a substantial ecological influence on the Great Lakes (Mills et al. 1993). The most notable introduced species at Long Point are the Mute Swan (see section 8.2.3), the zebra mussel (see Section 6.2), and Eurasian milfoil (see Section 5.2). Fortunately, purple loosestrife, a species forming monospecific stands and negatively impacting prime waterfowl habitat, has not become well established at Long Point. This may be due to the frequent and substantial water level fluctuations experienced by aquatic plants on Long Point Bay and its associated wetlands. The substantial influence that zebra mussels have had on the ecology of Long Point Bay and the distribution and abundance of its waterfowl, while not necessarily negative, demonstrates the importance of regulating all intentional and unintentional exotic introductions.