The Great Lakes' most emblematic fish could be consigned to history books

Lake whitefish—the Great Lakes fish described in a 1888 book as a regional centerpiece—may be gone from parts of the system within five years, biologists warn. The article traces a decline that began in the 1990s in Lake Erie, initially puzzling fishers and researchers as juvenile whitefish became harder to find. The drop is attributed to invasive mussels, including quagga and zebra mussels, which arrived via transatlantic ship ballast. Their spread removed plankton that feeds diporeia, an oil-rich crustacean 100 to 400 feet deep that whitefish fingerlings eat. Economic consequences are highlighted through William Ortiz of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, whose commercial fishing has faced a steady downturn since 2015.