Work, school, and relationships are common stressors for people. But nature can also find itself under strain. A recent study found Lake Ontario to be the most stressed of the Great Lakes. YNN's Sarah Blazonis reports.

Oswego, NY, January 20, 2013 - It may be the smallest of the Great Lakes in surface area, but when it comes to stress, Lake Ontario has its fellow lakes beat.

"That's not as surprising as many would think. You have to remember, Lake Ontario is, depending on your perspective, the beginning and the end of the system," said Dave White, coastal recreation and tourism specialist with New York Sea Grant.



The Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping Project conducted a three-year study of the lakes. It was based on 34 stressors in categories like climate change and coastal development. White says it's a combination of issues that put Ontario over the top, but one of the main problems it's dealing with is invasive species.

"If you think historically about Lake Ontario and the development of the Erie Canal and the St. Lawrence Seaway, many invasive species have come through those two vectors into either Lake Erie or Lake Ontario," said White.

But White says the condition of Lake Ontario shouldn't stress out the public. That's because now that stressors have been identified, steps can be taken to fix the problem. One of those solutions is already underway at Onondaga Lake.

Water from that lake eventually flows to Lake Ontario, so clean-up efforts here will help its stabilization. White says measures like the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement also laid a foundation for success.

"If you think back to the 60's and 70's when Lake Erie was considered extremely polluted, we had rivers that were catching fire the Lakes have improved dramatically...so the lakes are in much better shape," said White.

And experts have a better idea of what still needs to be done to help them de-stress.


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New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NSGCP engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources. Through its statewide network of integrated services, NYSG has been promoting coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources since 1971.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG also offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/coastlines for NY Coastlines, its flagship publication, and Currents, its e-newsletter supplement, each distributed 3-4 times a year.

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