Interstate Early Detection and Rapid Response

Great Lakes Site Prioritization Maps

A 9km x 9km grid, based on the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Framework, has been used to map potential surveillance sites within the Great Lakes. The color of each 9km square grows darker as invasion risk increases. The method is based on the likelihood that a watch list species could be introduced by any of the key pathways of spread (e.g., shipping, recreational boating, and organisms in trade). The method categorizes high-risk, priority sites for different groups of species: fish, invertebrates, and plants. A comparable site-prioritization system is under construction for Canada. To switch between maps for fish, and invertebrates, and plants, click on the Layer List icon in the upper right hand corner of the map.

For more information on the Site Prioritization Map see the published paper ‘A Framework for Aquatic Invasive Species Surveillance Site Selection and Prioritization in the US waters of the Laurentian Great Lakes‘.