Couple Documents Invasive Species Threat to Lake Michigan through Film

A lifelong passion has turned into a labor of love for Plainfield High School graduates Brendan and Jessica (Saraga) Walsh.

“Brendan and I have always had a love for nature,” Jessica, 27, said. “We spend a lot of time on Lake Michigan with our families, so we’ve always had a love for the Great Lakes.”

They wanted to find a way to do their part to protect the waters that have given them so much, and to raise awareness about the threat of invasive species.

The couple, who graduated from the University of St. Francis and now live in Joliet, has spent more than a year conducting research and filming “Making Waves: Battle for the Great Lakes.” The documentary highlights the devastating impact of invasive species and the efforts of biologists to control them while restoring native species.

Brendan, 28, a filmmaker whose credits include work on numerous Bill Kurtis documentaries, and Jessica are also acting as producers on the project.

They’re in the running to win a $50,000 grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project to help fund the non-profit endeavor. Winners will be determined by votes cast at www.refresheverything.com/makingwavesdocumentary.

“We’re hoping to use the money to complete the film,” Jessica said. The funding could help with the costs of traveling to locations throughout the Great Lakes, including Ontario, Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as editing the film, graphics, animations, musical score and narration.

What lies beneath

“I don’t think a lot of people realize the effects invasives are having on the Great Lakes, or even that there is a problem,” Jessica said. “ … As long as the water and beaches look clean, people think everything must be OK. They have no idea what’s going on below the surface.”

Most people are aware of the battle to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan, including the electric fish barriers installed near Romeoville to prevent the species from making the move from the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal into the Great Lakes.

But the invasive carp aren’t the first harmful species to threaten the Great Lakes — not by a long shot, Jessica said.

“The first recorded invasive species was in the 1830s,” Jessica  said. Back then, the sea lamprey, which is native to the Atlantic Ocean, entered Lake Ontario and began wreaking havoc, quickly spreading throughout the Great Lakes. “It suctions onto fish with sharp, razor teeth,” she explained. “It’s almost like a vampire.”

The species caused mass die-offs of native species and devastated the ecosystem.

The cost of carp

The damage isn’t just ecological, Jessica said. What many people don’t realize is that there’s also a financial cost.

“There’s going to be impact to fishermen,” she said. Tourism and recreation can also suffer when invasives go unchecked.

“Invasives cause millions, if not billions, of dollars annually in damages, control costs and lost revenue,” Jessica added.

In the 1960s, mass die-offs caused millions of fish to wash up on beaches throughout the Great Lakes, forcing beaches to close and, in some cases, required the use of bulldozers to remove the dead fish. The damage to the ecosystem has a domino effect, Jessica said, affecting hotels, marinas, the seafood industry and even property values.

“No one’s going to want to buy that lakefront property,” she said.

Invasive species can also pose a physical threat. One type of Asian carp is especially dangerous, according to Walsh.

“The huge thing is that the silver carp have a tendency to jump out of the water when boats come by,” Jessica said, sometimes hitting boaters. “We had one jump in the boat that was three feet long. It’s dangerous.

“These fish can get huge and can injure or kill someone. … That could result in a decline in boating, and more lost revenue for the region.”

Efforts to keep the Asian carp out of Lake Michigan have been successful so far. But it’s unknown how severe the impact would be if they do spread, Jessica said.

“They’re just spreading rapidly and we don’t know what they’ll do when they get into the Great Lakes,” she said. Asian carp prey on plankton, a major food source for fish in those bodies of water.

And they’re not the only threat; more than 180 invasive species have been identified in the Great Lakes. On average, a new invasive species is discovered every eight months, Jessica said.

“Invasives didn’t start with Asian carp and they’re not going to end with them unless we all work together,” she added. “Hopefully, this will give people a reason to care about the Great Lakes.”

The Walshes plan to finish filming next year and complete the documentary by next summer.

 Pepsi Refresh Project

The Pepsi Refresh Project is aimed at “funding amazing ideas that refresh the world,” according to the project’s Web site. Through the program, Pepsi awards grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to projects that get the most online votes. Categories include education, community and arts and music.

The Walshes recently learned that the “Making Waves” documentary was chosen as one of 1,000 finalists in the $50,000 bracket for this month’s Pepsi Refresh education grant. Voting is under way and will continue until June 30.

To vote for “Making the Waves: Battle for the Great Lakes,” visit www.refresheverything.com/makingwavesdocumentary. To vote, users must register or log on through Facebook. Each user can vote up to once every day now through June 30. Voters can also earn “power votes” by purchasing specially marked Pepsi products.

“Your one vote might turn into 100 votes,” Jessica said.

The couple will find out in July whether their project has been chosen for a Pepsi Refresh grant.

For more on the documentary, including photos and videos, visit the website, www.theinlandseas.com, check out the Facebook page or follow the project on Twitter.