White perch is a fish that is native to Atlantic coastal regions and is invasive to the Great Lakes. It feeds on native species and is thought to be the cause of the decline of the Great Lakes walleye fish populations. What was most likely its mode of introduction?

White perch is native to the Atlantic coast, so it most likely reached the Great Lakes by water transport. Ships can carry small fish or their eggs in ballast water or other water tanks and release them in a new region. Produce, cargo crates, and passenger luggage are much less likely ways for a fish to be introduced. The best choice is “trapped in a ship's ballast or a water tank.”

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