Shared with Canada and spanning more than 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from west to east, these vast inland freshwater seas provide
water for consumption, transportation, power, recreation and a host of other uses
. The Great Lakes are one of the world's largest surface freshwater ecosystems.
What does the Great Lakes produce?
Farmers within this watershed produce
corn, soybeans, hay, milk, and other food products
. The area is also known for its industry that produces steel, chemicals, and other products. The shipping opportunities in the Great Lakes played a critical role in settlement of the region and development of industry.
Why are the Great Lakes important?
Why is the Great Lakes Ecosystem important? The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem
is the largest body of freshwater in the world
. It holds 18 percent of the world's supply of fresh water; covers 95,000 square miles with 9,000 miles of shoreline; includes 5,000 tributaries; and has a drainage area of 288,000 square miles.
What are the 4 main benefits the Great Lakes provide?
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River have always been at the heart of Ontario's economy. They provide numerous jobs and other economic benefits around
transportation (shipping), commercial and sport fishing, food processing, recreation, science and engineering
.
What Makes the Great Lakes so special?
Technically the Great Lakes hold one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water. … One reason why the Great Lakes are so important is
they harbor 20 percent of all the liquid water on Earth's surface
. All the more reason to keep them pollution-free.
Are there sharks in the Great Lakes?
The only sharks in the Great Lakes region can be found behind glass in an aquarium
. … “There may be one kind of shark that could survive — some of the time — in the Great Lakes,” said Amber Peters, an assistant professor specializing in Marine Ecology in Michigan State University's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Which country owns the Great Lakes?
The Great Lakes basin encompasses large parts of two nations,
the United States and Canada
.
Can you drink water from the Great Lakes?
The Great Lakes are an
abundant source of fresh drinking water
; with proper treatment, that water is safe to enjoy.
What is the cleanest Great Lake?
Lake Superior
is the largest, cleanest, and wildest of all the Great Lakes.
Do the Great Lakes have tides?
True tides—changes in water level caused by the gravitational forces of the sun and moon—do occur in a semi-diurnal (twice daily) pattern on the Great Lakes. … Consequently,
the Great Lakes are considered to be non-tidal
. Water levels in the Great Lakes have long-term, annual, and short-term variations.
Which country has the most Great Lakes?
- 8) Argentina – 13,600.
- 7) Norway – 20,000.
- 6) Brazil – 20,900.
- 5) Sweden – 22,600.
- 4) China – 23,800.
- 3) USA – 102,500.
- 2) Russia – 201,200.
- 1) Canada – 879,800.
Are the Great Lakes healthy?
The overall condition of the Great Lakes has been assessed as “
fair and unchanging
” in the 2019 State of the Great Lakes joint report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environmental and Climate Change Canada, published on June 3.
Are all great lakes connected?
The five Great Lakes – Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario – span a total surface area of 94,600 square miles and are
all connected by a variety of lakes and rivers
, making them the largest freshwater system in the world.
What lives at the bottom of the Great Lakes?
The organisms living on the bottom in shallow waters are the same kinds of
snails, clams, worms, mayflies, and caddisflies
found in most small lakes.
Are there crocodiles in the Great Lakes?
“The alligator is being transported to the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest.” …
Alligators are rarely found in the Great Lakes
. Although some alligators thrive in freshwater, it's just too cold in the north for them to survive. They don't typically live farther north than North Carolina.
Are there whales in the Great Lakes?
Whales don't live in the Great Lakes
. … They just point out that whales require salt water, and we don't have any of that here.”
