Reviews of Science for Science Librarians: The Great Lakes Fishery—Current Status, Human Impacts, and Literature

Abstract

The Laurentide Great Lakes are the single largest fresh water system in the world and home to a significant fishery. This article reviews the research and literature on the Great Lakes fishery and describes how a history of overfishing, habitat change, aquatic nonindigenous species (ANS), and compromised water quality caused population declines for several native fish species and reduced commercial fishery productivity. While recreational fishing remains both a popular activity and a significant industry in the Great Lakes region, understanding the ecosystem interactions within the Great Lakes is a key to understanding the decline in fishery production and provides insight into how best to maintain other freshwater fisheries facing similar challenges.

KEYWORDS:

• aquatic nonindigenous species
• environmental history
• fishery
• Great Lakes
• Lake Erie
• Lake Huron
• Lake Michigan
• Lake Ontario
• Lake Superior
• literature review