According to a research study led by McGill University in Canada, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin area will continue to be threatened by non-native species unless regulations are put in place by the U.S. and Canadian governments.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin remain vulnerable to non-native species, including invaders such as killer shrimp.

This is a conclusion from a study led by Canada’s McGill University, which has projected the effects newly introduced aquatic life will have on the Midwestern water system over the next 50 years.

Historically, about 60 percent of the invasive species that entered the lakes came from shipping, as ballast water taken in to stabilize vessels was often collected at departure ports. Both the water and the marine life in it were released upon arrival at the destination.

Regulations in 2006 and 2008 that dictate ballast water be changed prior to entering the St. Lawrence Seaway and subsequently the Great Lakes seem to have be