Saving the Great Lakes from invasive species is a task that crosses many boundaries - logistical, political and geographical.

Jerry Mast, a political science professor at Carthage College, is one of the people locally navigating those boundaries to combat invasive species in the Great Lakes and the challenge the problem represents for the region.

Mast primarily teaches and researches in the field of public policy with a focus on American government. He also researches public policy affecting environmental and natural resource issues.

Recently, Mast spoke with The Journal Times about the Great Lakes' ecosystem.

Looking at the issue, haven't non-native species been making their way into the Great Lakes forever? What's different now?

Yes indeed! Species have been migrating to the Lakes since they've been lakes. The difference is that the rate of new species introduced has gone up dramatically over the "natural" rate, in the last hundred years or so. By creating the Welland Canal to bypass Niagara Falls, constructing the St. Lawrence Sea Way to facilitate trans-oceanic shipping on the Great Lakes, and connecting Lake Michigan to the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers via the Illinois and Michigan Canals, Americans and Canadians have greatly expanded the commercial usefulness of the Lakes. But as a result we've also greatly increased the rate at which new species show up. The current rate is now one new species every eight months!

What are the invasive species that have made their way to the Great Lakes?

There are over 140. Some of the most problematic include sea lampreys, Zebra and Quagga mussels, Round Gobies and - potentially - the Asian Carp.

Why are they considered invasive?

An invasive species is typically defined as a new species that is not native to a given environment and that poses harm to ecological health, human health or to the economic well-being of the area. The Great Lakes ecosystem has been seriously disrupted by invasive species that de-stabilize systemic health by harming various native species the system has come to depend on. Invasive species currently cost the Great Lakes region $5 billion a year in terms of negative impacts. They are a big problem on many levels.

Tell me about efforts to combat them in the Great Lakes?

There has been much collaborative activity by many parties inside and outside of government. Mayor Becker has been active in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Governor Doyle is Chair of the Great Lakes Governor's Council - both groups have advocated tackling this problem. Scientists in the Sea Grant programs in the various states have been active in promoting effective policy responses. Interest groups with both environmental and business perspectives have sought solutions. A critical problem has been getting Congress to act.

I imagine the issue has international and regional implications. Who are some of the parties at the table?

In addition to governors and mayors organizations mentioned previously, there are several agencies whose missions are to facilitate communication and coordinate efforts across regional and international boundaries. The International Joint Commission, the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, the Great Lakes Commission, and the current Great Lakes Regional Collaboration are examples of organizations that attempt to represent the multiple parties involved. One possible problem from a public administration perspective is that there is no central hub through which to coordinate all of these various efforts.

What are the logistics and political challenges?

Aside from getting Congress and the Bush administration to move more expeditiously, a critical hurdle is identifying standards and technology to effectively regulate ballast water on ships that travel on the Great Lakes. Ballast water is the most critical vector for invasive species introduction. Who will pay for the costs of equipment to effectively treat ballast water is another sticking point. How soon should such requirements for ballast water treatment come into effect, given that some of the technologies to treat ballast water are still in development? These are some of the remaining challenges.