Bloody Red Shrimp Becomes Michigan’s Latest Great Lakes Invader

There's a new threat to Michigan's Great Lakes, and its name alone is enough to send a shiver up my spine. Scientists have confirmed the bloody red shrimp has reached Lake Superior, meaning the invasive species has now been found in all five Great Lakes.

Here's What You Should Know About the Bloody Red Shrimp:

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Tiny Invasive Shrimp Raises Great Lakes Concerns

Each summer it seems as though a new invasive critter is capturing headlines. If it's not the spotted lanternfly or hemlock wooly adelgid, then it's invasive sea lamprey or zebra mussels. Now, officials in Michigan are monitoring the spread of tiny "bloody red shrimp".

What Are They, and Why Are They So Bad?

Known as Hemimysis anomala, the bloody red shrimp was first detected in Michigan near Muskegon in 2006. Since then, the invasive species has spread throughout the Great Lakes. Scientists have now confirmed an established population in Lake Superior, making it the final Great Lake where the bloody red shrimp has been detected.

While the long-term effects of the bloody red shrimp invasion are still unknown, scientists fear it could disrupt the food web, forcing fish and other aquatic organisms to find new food sources.

How Did They Get Here?

According to Bridge Michigan, the most likely source of introduction of bloody red shrimp to the Great Lakes came from cargo ships,

The invader is native to the Caspian Sea and Black Sea regions and probably arrived in North America in ballast water dumped by transoceanic cargo ship

As far as Michigan's countless inland lakes, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources told Bridge Michigan they have no evidence of bloody red shrimp becoming established in Michigan's inland lakes. Let's keep it that way!