U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

USGS Great Lakes Science USGS Great Lakes Science CenterCenter

Great Lakes ResearchGreat Lakes Research

GLSC Fisheries and Aquatic GLSC Fisheries and Aquatic Research on the Great LakesResearch on the Great Lakes

Our MissionOur Mission – To advance scientific – To advance scientific knowledge and provide scientific information knowledge and provide scientific information for restoring, enhancing, managing, and for restoring, enhancing, managing, and protecting the living resources and their protecting the living resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes basin ecosystemhabitats in the Great Lakes basin ecosystem

Our Basin-wide Facilities enable us to conduct Our Basin-wide Facilities enable us to conduct research throughout the Great Lakes basin, and to research throughout the Great Lakes basin, and to link terrestrial, coastal, nearshore, and deepwater link terrestrial, coastal, nearshore, and deepwater ecosystems.ecosystems.

Lake Superior Biological Station

Munising Biological Station

Lake Michigan

Ecological Research Station

Lake Erie Biological Station

Ann Arbor

l

Lake Ontario Biological Station

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˜ Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science

Hammond Bay Biological StationCheboyga

n Vessel Base

GLSC Research Focusing on:GLSC Research Focusing on:

• Deepwater ScienceDeepwater Science

• Invasive SpeciesInvasive Species

• Aquatic Ecosystem HealthAquatic Ecosystem Health

• Restoration EcologyRestoration Ecology

• Wetlands and Coastal HabitatsWetlands and Coastal Habitats

Deepwater ScienceDeepwater Science

Research Vessels on all 5 of the Great Lakes

Long-term data provides information on Long-term data provides information on changes in fish community structure and changes in fish community structure and the impact of invasive species.the impact of invasive species.

Invasive species Invasive species Our History:Our History:• Van Oosten part of international team working on Van Oosten part of international team working on

smelt in Lake Champlain in late 1930’ssmelt in Lake Champlain in late 1930’s• Hammond Bay Biological Station established in Hammond Bay Biological Station established in

1950 to control and eradicate sea lamprey1950 to control and eradicate sea lamprey Current Program:Current Program:• Long-term monitoring of fish community structure Long-term monitoring of fish community structure

and food-web dynamicsand food-web dynamics• Targeted research addressing current and future Targeted research addressing current and future

partner and resource needs related to individual partner and resource needs related to individual exotic speciesexotic species

Sea LampreySea Lamprey

Lampricide Control

Data Archiving Tags

Alternative Control Technologies (barriers, sterilization

of males)

Zebra Mussel ExpansionZebra Mussel Expansion

Aquatic Ecosystem HealthAquatic Ecosystem Health

Focus areas:Focus areas:

• TributariesTributaries

• WetlandsWetlands

• Nearshore Nearshore habitatshabitats

• Deepwater Deepwater habitatshabitats

Decline of Diporeia and MysisDecline of Diporeia and Mysis

• Deepwater benthic Deepwater benthic invertebrates and diet invertebrates and diet staple of fishesstaple of fishes

• Decline coincident with Decline coincident with proliferation of invasive proliferation of invasive dreissenid musselsdreissenid mussels

• Trophic dynamics – Trophic dynamics – decline results in aquatic decline results in aquatic food web disruptionfood web disruption

Diporiea

Mysis

Human Health: Human Health: Swimming Swimming AdvisoriesAdvisories

• E. coli not as a nuisance E. coli not as a nuisance species but as a component of species but as a component of the ecosystemthe ecosystem

• Life history of E. coliLife history of E. coli

• Source is often wildlife and Source is often wildlife and waterfowlwaterfowl

E. Coli and Lake Michigan E. Coli and Lake Michigan Beach ClosuresBeach Closures

Thiamine Deficiency Complex (TDC)/Thiamine Deficiency Complex (TDC)/Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS)Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS)

• Nutritional deficiency believed to Nutritional deficiency believed to result from salmonids (lake trout, result from salmonids (lake trout, salmon) consuming non-native forage salmon) consuming non-native forage fish (alewife, rainbow smelt)fish (alewife, rainbow smelt)

• May be fatal and seriously impact May be fatal and seriously impact population and/or fish communitypopulation and/or fish community

Restoration Ecology – Rehabilitation Restoration Ecology – Rehabilitation of Native Species and Their Habitatsof Native Species and Their Habitats

Huron/Erie Corridor InitiativeHuron/Erie Corridor InitiativeThis Initiative addresses:This Initiative addresses:• Conservation biology of native Conservation biology of native

speciesspecies

• Threats posed to native species by Threats posed to native species by invasives (e.g. egg predation, similar invasives (e.g. egg predation, similar spawning requirements)spawning requirements)

• Alteration of habitats used by native Alteration of habitats used by native threatened and endangered species threatened and endangered species (e.g. substrate removal, reduced (e.g. substrate removal, reduced availability of low water velocity availability of low water velocity habitat, water temperature)habitat, water temperature)

• Restoration ecologyRestoration ecology

Lake sturgeon – Restoration of Lake sturgeon – Restoration of spawning habitat in the Detroit Riverspawning habitat in the Detroit River

• Unionids are the most endangered Unionids are the most endangered fauna in North Americafauna in North America

• Over 70% of the 300 species are Over 70% of the 300 species are listed as either endangered or listed as either endangered or threatenedthreatened

• In the Great Lakes basin, In the Great Lakes basin, proliferation of dreissenid mussels proliferation of dreissenid mussels pose a significant threat to native pose a significant threat to native musselsmussels

• Research: assess unionid species Research: assess unionid species composition abundance, and composition abundance, and community structure, determine the community structure, determine the potential of public lands to serve as potential of public lands to serve as refuges for unionidsrefuges for unionids

Restoration of Native MusselsRestoration of Native Mussels

Lake trout restoration Lake trout restoration

• For over 40 years the GLSC has worked For over 40 years the GLSC has worked closely with the Great Lakes Fishery closely with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and its cooperating U.S. and Commission and its cooperating U.S. and Canadian Federal agencies, the eight Great Canadian Federal agencies, the eight Great Lakes states, the Province of Ontario, and Lakes states, the Province of Ontario, and Tribal fishery management agencies to Tribal fishery management agencies to restore lake trout populations in all of the restore lake trout populations in all of the Great Lakes. Great Lakes.

Wetlands and Coastal HabitatsWetlands and Coastal Habitats

GLSC provides critical scientific information to natural resource managers through wetland restoration and management studies, and long-term effects of lake level changes (IJC partnership).

Metzger Marsh before and after restoration (western Lake Erie)

Wetland studies and development of new water level regulation plans for Lake Ontario

Coastal Ecosystem InitiativeCoastal Ecosystem InitiativeResearch Focus:Research Focus:

• Understanding relationships between protection Understanding relationships between protection of natural coastal habitats and biota and of natural coastal habitats and biota and environmental factors such as:environmental factors such as:• Water-level changeWater-level change• Coastal sediment dynamicsCoastal sediment dynamics• Coastal tributary sediment dynamics and hydrologyCoastal tributary sediment dynamics and hydrology• Ground water contributions to the coastal zoneGround water contributions to the coastal zone

GLSC Research Focus SummaryGLSC Research Focus Summary• Deepwater Science – long-term datasets for fish Deepwater Science – long-term datasets for fish

population/community assessmentpopulation/community assessment• Invasive Species Program – understanding biological Invasive Species Program – understanding biological

impacts of current invasives and preventing further impacts of current invasives and preventing further invasionsinvasions

• Aquatic Ecosystem Health – food web dynamics and Aquatic Ecosystem Health – food web dynamics and other key issues (E.coli,TDC/EMS)other key issues (E.coli,TDC/EMS)

• Restoration Ecology – rehabilitation of native species Restoration Ecology – rehabilitation of native species and habitats and habitats

• Wetlands and Coastal Habitats – wetland restoration Wetlands and Coastal Habitats – wetland restoration and management studies; effects of Great Lakes and management studies; effects of Great Lakes water level changeswater level changes

USGS Great Lakes Science CenterUSGS Great Lakes Science Center

(Maybe something here to re-iterate the importance and value of water quality monitoring and research to GLSC projects; value of partnerships between BRD and WRD and also inter-agency collaborations.)