RENO, Nev. (AP) — A new report on the progress of efforts to protect Lake Tahoe says removing an invasive shrimp from the alpine waters could offset a decline in clarity while experts grapple with other threats exacerbated by global warming.
The Tahoe Environmental Research Center says the Mysis shrimp introduced to the lake in the 1960s are driving out native zooplankton that keep the water clear by consuming algae and other small particles.
In recent years, scientists have noticed that removing the shrimp from the lake's west shore near Emerald Bay resulted in dramatic improvements in clarity.
Now they want to expand removal efforts across the lake to help revive water-cleaning zooplankton.
Center director Geoffrey Schladow says he believes that maintaining a robust supply of native zooplankton will help keep the lake clearer.