That goldfish your neighbor “set free” in the lake behind the subdivision? Still out there. Possibly 18 inches long. Definitely causing problems. New research published in the Journal of Animal Ecology confirms what ecologists have suspected for years: a pet goldfish released into the wild is a seriously bad idea. A team led by William D. Hintz of the University of Toledo built 32 miniature lake ecosystems, introduced goldfish, and documented the damage over 61 days. The results weren’t pretty. Videos by VICE In nutrient-rich water, the kind filling countless lakes across North America, goldfish drove floating sediment up by as much as 81 percent and cut water clarity by up to 65 percent. They do this by rooting aggressively through bottom sediment, consuming everything from algae to small animals to decaying plant matter as they go. The invertebrates didn’t stand a chance. Snail populations fell 63 to 72 percent wherever goldfish were present. A shrimp-like bottom-dweller vanished at similar rates.…