"In the past 50 years or so, aquatic invasive species have expanded in the Great Lakes as a tremendous conservation concern, causing billions of dollars' worth of damage," said Nathan Lujan, lead author of the study and a Gerstner Scholar at the American Museum of Natural History. "Both Canadian and American authorities are concerned about the potential impact of these species on the Great Lakes and are very interested in installing barrier technologies in the Niagara River that would slow or stop their spread."