{"id":10250,"date":"2022-09-09T14:30:42","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T18:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/?p=10250"},"modified":"2022-09-14T14:59:59","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T18:59:59","slug":"lake-ontario-home-to-many","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seeds.ca\/schoolfoodgardens\/lake-ontario-home-to-many\/","title":{"rendered":"Lake Ontario- Home To Many"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lake Ontario-Home To Many<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Written By: Deana Bjedi<\/span>
\n<\/span>Edited By: Deana Bjedi<\/span>
\n<\/span>Designed By: Deana Bjedi<\/span>
\n<\/span>Published By: Samantha Porte<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Lake Ontario may be the smallest Great Lake in surface area, but that doesn\u2019t make it any less popular. Lake Ontario is one of Ontario\u2019s biggest tourist attractions as it is home to over 100 beaches and the Toronto Islands. It also provides over 9 million people in Canada and the U.S with drinking water, but besides all of the benefits it provides for us humans, it is also home to lots of wildlife. Unfortunately, local species of Lake Ontario are being threatened by pollution, invasive species, overfishing, and more. As a result, we need to take action quickly in order to protect this major Great Lake!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Species in Lake Ontario<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Like many other bodies of water, Lake Ontario is home to many native species such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and many diverse fish species. The countless fish species make Lake Ontario a very common location for fishing Atlantic Salmon, Smallmouth bass, Rainbow trout, etc. Sadly,\"\" \"\" the variety of fish has also made Lake Ontario a victim to overfishing. Furthermore, there are also invasive species threatening this lake\u2019s natural biodiversity. For example, one of the main invaders present in multiple bodies of water throughout North America (including Lake Ontario) is the Asian Carp.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What Threatens Lake Ontario?<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Unfortunately, there are many factors threatening the species of this Great Lake. These factors include overfishing, invasive species and water pollution. As mentioned, overfishing has greatly threatened the fish population in Lake Ontario, thus causing it to rapidly decrease. This has negative effects on this Great Lake\u2019s ecosystem and food chains because all species depend on each other for survival. The Asian Carp is also a factor threatening native fish. This invasive species poses a threat to native fish because it consumes dangerous amounts of the food native fish need to survive. To illustrate, the Asian Carp eats as much as 40 percent of its body weight each day and can weigh up to 40kg and be over a meter long! They also reproduce at an alarming rate with females being able to lay up to 1 million eggs in one spawning event. This could definitely lead to an astronomical population of invasive fish if not prevented.\"\"\u00a0\"\"\"\" However, we humans have also been instigating other disasters that greatly impact the ecosystem.
\nA mostly
\nhuman-caused threat to this lake is water pollution. Water pollution is especially present in Lake Ontario because the other lakes flow into it and add in their share of pollution. This lake, being a popular location for tourists and residents, also makes it susceptible to littering and as a result, more pollution.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Taking Action<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

There is a lot threatening Lake Ontario so we need to take action and do our share to protect this lake and its species from further damage. In order to avoid further damaging Lake Ontario, here\u2019s what to do:<\/span><\/p>\n

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