The Great Lakes span more than 750 miles (1,207 kilometers) and are straddled across the United States’ north-central border and Canada’s south-central border. The five bodies of water that make up the Great Lakes are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and their connecting channels, including the St. Lawrence River.
Dr. Sylvia Earle, Founder of Mission Blue, posed a challenge to Shedd Aquarium in April 2022 to consider the Great Lakes for Hope Spot designation, in part, due to the unique connectivity they share with marine environments and human health.
“The Great Lakes represent both the figurative and the literal heart of the North American water system,” Dr. Earle stated. “A source of water for over 40 million people and more than 3,500 plant and animal species, many of which are unique to the Great Lakes, the inclusion of this critically important natural area as a Hope Spot will highlight the connection and significance of protecting inland habitats, as we really understand that the whole aquatic world; inland waters and the ocean beyond are one interconnected system.”
In May 2023, Mission Blue declared the Great Lakes a Hope Spot, Championed by Chicago’s John G. Shedd Aquarium with support from more than 24 Great Lakes organizations across the region.
“The Great Lakes serve as a vital economic driver, natural resource and place of respite for millions of people across two countries”, said Bridget Coughlin, PhD, president and CEO of Shedd Aquarium. “By size alone, we know that conserving such a great and important source of sustainability and sustenance cannot be done alone. Hope Spot designations not only bring awareness and focus to areas in need of environmental protection and recovery, but also critical collaboration that can help influence policy change, motivate economic shifts and generate a global wave of community support for aquatic conservation.”
The massive lakes hold approximately 90% of the freshwater in the United States and 21% of the world’s surface freshwater supply. Unfortunately, freshwater habitats are experiencing declines in biodiversity far greater than those in the most affected terrestrial ecosystems (Dudgeon et al. 2006).
Life Within the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are home to a variety of endemic species such as fish, mollusks, invertebrates, birds, and mammals as well as oceanic species that either permanently or temporarily reside in the lakes, primarily birds and certain species of fish, including the coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and king salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).
Endemic species include lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), as well as critically endangered and possibly extinct species such as certain varieties of cisco .
Great Conservation Concerns
The conservation and accessibility of freshwater is an ever-growing issue. Threats to the Great Lakes are consistent with those historically faced by most aquatic ecosystems worldwide: habitat loss and degradation, pollution, invasive species, overexploitation and flow modification (Dudgeon et al. 2006). Modern threats have emerged, including pesticides that cause harmful algal blooms, microplastics and a rapidly changing global climate (Ried et al. 2018). Additionally, urbanization and a lack of connectedness to nature can exacerbate the threats to these natural resources, as many people do not regard the Great Lakes as a habitat for diverse aquatic life (Murchie et al. 2018).
Despite environmental challenges, the Great Lakes are also a fantastic example of what can be accomplished through both local and binational collaboration, but the work must continue to ensure an equitable, sustainable and thriving future for both people and aquatic life.
About Shedd Aquarium
The John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago sparks compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world. Home to 32,000 aquatic animals representing 1,500 species of fishes, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, birds and mammals from waters around the globe, Shedd is a recognized leader in animal care, conservation education and research. An accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the organization is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and supported by the people of Chicago, the State of Illinois and the Chicago Park District.
Several local, regional, national and international partners supported the bid from Shedd Aquarium to make the Great Lakes a Hope Spot. These partners include: Alliance for the Great Lakes, Aquarium of Niagara, Audubon Great Lakes, Buffalo Zoo, Chicago Park District, Cleveland MetroParks Zoo, Cook County Commissioner Kevin B. Morrison, Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability, The Detroit Zoological Society, Discovery World Science + Technology Center, Friends of the Chicago River, The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Haerther Scholars, Healing Our Waters: Great Lakes Coalition, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, National Wildlife Federation – Great Lakes Regional Center, Openlands, Rep. Danny Davis – U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Robyn Gabel – Illinois State House of Representatives, Sen. Robert Peters – Illinois State Senate, SC Johnson, Timothy Hoellein – Loyola University Department of Biology, Toronto Zoo and the UIC Freshwater Lab.
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media