It’s time for the terrestrial invasives (and some aquatic wildcards) to step up to the plate in the Great Lakes SmackDown! Terrestrial Terror.

The bouts begin today with the battle of the birds.

Will the voracious gypsy moth win it all? Or will the mute swan make a silent comeback? You’ll help us decide. Using sound scientific principles let us know which invader you think is the worst for the Great Lakes region.

Confused what this is all about? Well, don’t miss out.

Last fall, we introduced the Great Lakes SmackDown!, a project that explored invasive species like never before: Through lake fights, discussion and expert and reader input.

The quagga mussel, also known as the “The Quagmeister,” came out victorious against the sea lamprey by filter feeding at extreme velocities, hording toxins and being a general pain in the lake.

Do you have a grudge or a personal vendetta against one of these bad critters? Then let your feelings be known! Winners will be chosen based on reader comments, poll results and expert opinion.

Some of these organisms may be exotic losers but that doesn’t mean they can’t be winners in the SmackDown!

And so can you. Fill out the bracket, check out the contenders and follow their progress through the month of March.

Download everything you need here:

• Bracket (writable)
• Fighter profiles (to help make your choices read about the contenders in this document)

Fill out this bracket and e-mail it to greatlakesecho@gmail.com or drop it off at the Michigan State University Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, 381 Communication Arts and Sciences, by Friday March 18.

Readers who call the shots correctly win a prize. But more importantly, they’ll claim intellectual smack down bragging rights.

Matches start today with the avian competitors. Check out the bird battles here.

Let’s fight!