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.
Why are the Great Lakes a great resource for Canada?
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.
Why are the Great Lakes important to Canada?
Today more than 35 million people live in the Great Lakes basin in Canada and the United States. The Great Lakes are
important sources of drinking water, irrigation, transportation, and recreation opportunities
such as fishing, hunting, boating, and wildlife watching.
Are the Great Lakes important to Canada?
From a numbers standpoint, the Great Lakes watershed region supports
7 percent of the agricultural production of
the United States and 25 percent of Canadian agriculture. Apart from water for agriculture, the Great Lakes supply 25 percent of Canada and 10 percent of the United States with drinking water.
What is so special about the Great Lakes?
The Great Lakes and their connecting rivers and channels make up
the largest fresh surface water system in the world
. In fact, they're so big that astronauts can see them from the moon! … That's about 22 percent of the world's fresh surface water supply and about 90 percent of the United States' supply.
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.
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.
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 country owns the Great Lakes?
The water in the Great Lakes is owned by
the general public
according to the Public Trust Doctrine. The Public Trust Doctrine is an international legal theory – it applies in both Canada and the United States, so it applies to the entirety of the Great 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.
What would happen if the Great Lakes dried up?
Without Lake Superior, areas near the lake would
see far less snow each winter
, and the distribution of snow in the central and eastern regions around the lake would be far different. The effects would not be limited to snow.
What is the biggest fish in the Great Lakes?
Lake sturgeon
are an awesome sight. The largest fish in the Great Lakes, they can grow to be nine feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds.
Are there sharks in Lake Erie?
There are no sharks in Lake Erie
,” pronounces Officer James Mylett of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
What is the cleanest Great Lake?
“And this was really profound, because if anyone's been in the Great Lakes for years, you recognize that
Lake Superior
is kind of always held as the clearest, most pristine lake of all five Great Lakes.” For the study, scientists analyzed satellite images captured between 1998 and 2012.
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.”
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.
