Michigan Sea Grant

In 2011, Lake Erie experienced the largest harmful algal bloom in its recorded history, with a peak intensity over three times greater than any previously observed bloom. Here we show that long-term trends in agricultural practices are consistent with increasing phosphorus loading to the western basin of the lake, and that these trends, coupled with meteorological conditions in spring 2011, produced record-breaking nutrient loads. An extended period of weak lake circulation then led to abnormally long residence times that incubated the bloom, and warm and quiescent conditions after bloom onset allowed algae to remain near the top of the water column and prevented flushing of nutrients from the system. We further find that all of these factors are consistent with expected future conditions. If a scientifically guided management plan to mitigate these impacts is not implemented, we can therefore expect this bloom to be a harbinger of future blooms in Lake Erie.

With increasing pressure placed on natural systems by growing human populations, both scientists and resource managers need a better understanding of the relationships between cumulative stress from human activities and valued ecosystem services. Societies often seek to mitigate threats to these services through large-scale, costly restoration projects, such as the over one billion dollar Great Lakes Restoration Initiative currently underway. To help inform these efforts, we merged high-resolution spatial analyses of environmental stressors with mapping of ecosystem services for all five Great Lakes. Cumulative ecosystem stress is highest in near-shore habitats, but also extends offshore in Lakes Erie, Ontario, and Michigan. Variation in cumulative stress is driven largely by spatial concordance among multiple stressors, indicating the importance of considering all stressors when planning restoration activities. In addition, highly stressed areas reflect numerous different combinations of stressors rather than a single suite of problems, suggesting that a detailed understanding of the stressors needing alleviation could improve restoration planning. We also find that many important areas for fisheries and recreation are subject to high stress, indicating that ecosystem degradation could be threatening key services. Current restoration efforts have targeted high-stress sites almost exclusively, but generally without knowledge of the full range of stressors affecting these locations or differences among sites in service provisioning. Our results demonstrate that joint spatial analysis of stressors and ecosystem services can provide a critical foundation for maximizing social and ecological benefits from restoration investments.

This paper will integrate a number of intriguing results from a study of help-seeking in a national representative sample of Americans. It began as a search for an explanation of why women seek professional help at a greater rate than men. I expected two general findings: various facets of demoralization would be correlated with the search for help in both men and women; and women would express more demoralization than men. The results were not so straightforward. As the analyses unfolded, especially as education and age differences were also considered, it became increasingly clear that help-seeking is not singularly dependent on feelings of demoralization and that women are not necessarily more distressed about facets of their lives that should contribute to demoralization. I have attempted to develop a more complex model of professional help-seeking for both men and women suggested by the findings of this study.

Abstract Populations of cisco Coregonus artedi in the Laurentian Great Lakes supported large-scale commercial fisheries and were the primary forage of piscivores during the first half of the 20th century. However, by 1970 populations had collapsed in all of the lakes. Since then, ciscoes have staged a recovery in Lake Superior. In this synthesis, we describe the status of ciscoes in Lake Superior during 1970–2006 and provide a comprehensive review of their ecology. Better understanding of age estimation techniques, application of hydroacoustic and midwater trawl sampling, and compilation of long-term data sets have advanced our understanding of the species. Management agencies contemplating rehabilitation of cisco populations should recognize that (1) knowledge of cisco ecology and population dynamics is increasing; (2) ciscoes are long-lived; (3) Great Lakes populations are probably composed of both shallow-water and deepwater spawning forms; (4) large year-classes can be produced from small adult stocks; (5) large variation in year-class strength is probably intrinsic to Great Lakes populations; (6) despite the longevity and early maturity of ciscoes, stocks can be overfished because large year-classes are produced infrequently; (7) regional environmental factors appear to play a large role in reproductive success; and (8) rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax are likely to have a negative effect on cisco recruitment under certain conditions. A top-down approach for rehabilitating lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Superior probably benefited cisco recovery through lake trout predation on invasive rainbow smelt populations. We argue that managing for populations of exotic alewives Alosa pseudoharengus to support popular recreational fisheries of exotic Pacific salmonids in the other Great Lakes conflicts with stocking efforts to rehabilitate native lake trout in those lakes. If native fish rehabilitation is a serious and primary goal for management agencies in the Great Lakes basin, we propose that an ecosystem-based approach to modifying the environment for the benefit of native fish species (i.e., decimation or eradication of invasive species) is required.

Abstract Populations of lake herring Coregonus artedi in Lake Superior have exhibited high recruitment variability over the past three decades. To improve our understanding of the mechanisms which influence year-class strength, we conducted a 225-d laboratory experiment to evaluate the effects of body size, physiological condition, energy stores, and food ration on the winter survival of age-0 lake herring. Small (total length (TL) range = 60–85 mm) and large (TL range = 86–110 mm) fish were maintained under thermal and photoperiod regimes that mimicked those in Lake Superior from October through May. Fish in each size-class were maintained at two feeding treatments: brine shrimp Artemia spp. ad libitum and no food. The mortality of large lake herring (fed, 3.8%; starved, 20.1%) was significantly less than that of small fish (fed, 11.7%; starved, 32.0%). Body condition and crude lipid content declined for all fish over the experiment; however, these variables were significantly greater for large fed (0.68% and 9.8%) and small fed (0.65% and 7.3%) fish than large starved (0.49% and 5.7%) and small starved (0.45% and 4.8%) individuals. Final crude protein and gross energy contents were also significantly greater in large fed lake herring (17.6% and 1,966 cal/g), followed by small fed (17.1% and 1,497 cal/g), large starved (15.4% and 1,125 cal/g), and small starved (13.2% and 799 cal/g) fish. Lake herring that died during the experiment had significantly lower body condition and energy stores relative to those of the surviving fish. These results suggest that the depletion of energy stores contributes to greater winter mortality of small lake herring with limited energy uptake and may partially explain the variability in recruitment observed in Lake Superior.

Presently, efforts are being made to develop predictive mathematical models for water quality and food chains in lakes, rivers, and estuaries. Temperature is an important physical factor influencing the growth of planktonic plants. The effects of temperature on growth have not been investigated systematically for freshwater algae. This note reports the results of a literature review whose purpose was to define the effect of temperature on the growth of different phytoplankton groups. All surveyed data are listed in tabular form. A graphical interpretation of these data is presented that separates the effects into four phytoplankton taxa. This literature review provides a comprehensive data base which can be used to quantify phytoplanktonic growth responses to temperature. Quantification of these effects is essential for the construction of a multigroup phytoplankton model.

The seminal work of Mills et al. (1993) lists 137 established aquatic species as nonindigenous to the Great Lakes (two plants are further subdivided into two subspecies groups). We have removed seven of these species: three have been redefined as probably native, and four plants (including both subspecies of Sonchus arvensis) have been reclassified as terrestrial. Thirty-five species that arrived prior to 1993 (some due to reclassification, some due to a time lag in discovery and reporting) have been added to the list. Twenty-four new species have become established post-1993, bringing the total to 188 (with Pluchea odorata including two subspecies). Notably, 21 of the 23 species were introduced between 1993 and 2006, but only 3 new species have been documented with new reproducing and overwintering populations in the last decade. Multiple revisions have been made to taxonomy and introduction dates based on additional review of literature and museum/herbarium collections. Over the most recent 25 years, the rate of introduction of nonindigenous species capable of becoming established has declined. With the 2006 expansion of ballast regulations to include residual ballast sediments in vessels declaring ‘No Ballast on Board’, the rate of new invasions has fallen to a low of only 0.25 species per year.

Loss of functional habitat in riverine systems is a global fisheries issue. Few studies, however, describe the decision‐making approach taken to abate loss of fish spawning habitat. Numerous habitat restoration efforts are underway and documentation of successful restoration techniques for spawning habitat of desirable fish species in large rivers connecting the Laurentian Great Lakes are reported here. In 2003, to compensate for the loss of fish spawning habitat in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers that connect the Great Lakes Huron and Erie, an international partnership of state, federal, and academic scientists began restoring fish spawning habitat in both of these rivers. Using an adaptive management approach, we created 1,100 m 2 of productive fish spawning habitat near Belle Isle in the Detroit River in 2004; 3,300 m 2 of fish spawning habitat near Fighting Island in the Detroit River in 2008; and 4,000 m 2 of fish spawning habitat in the Middle Channel of the St. Clair River in 2012. Here, we describe the adaptive‐feedback management approach that we used to guide our decision making during all phases of spawning habitat restoration, including problem identification, team building, hypothesis development, strategy development, prioritization of physical and biological imperatives, project implementation, habitat construction, monitoring of fish use of the constructed spawning habitats, and communication of research results. Numerous scientific and economic lessons learned from 10 years of planning, building, and assessing fish use of these three fish spawning habitat restoration projects are summarized in this article.

Assessment of vegetation is an important part of evaluating wetland condition, but it is complicated by the variety of plant communities that are naturally present in freshwater wetlands. We present an approach to evaluate wetland condition consisting of: (1) a stratified random sample representing the entire range of anthropogenic stress, (2) field data representing a range of water depths within the wetlands sampled, (3) nonmetric multidimensional scaling (MDS) to determine a biological condition gradient across the wetlands sampled, (4) hierarchical clustering to interpret the condition results relative to recognizable plant communities, (5) classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to relate biological condition to natural and anthropogenic environmental drivers, and (6) mapping the results to display their geographic distribution. We applied this approach to plant species data collected at 90 wetlands of the U.S. Great Lakes coast that support a variety of plant communities, reflecting the diverse physical environment and anthropogenic stressors present within the region. Hierarchical cluster analysis yielded eight plant communities at a minimum similarity of 25%. Wetlands that clustered botanically were often geographically clustered as well, even though location was not an input variable in the analysis. The eight vegetation clusters corresponded well with the MDS configuration of the data, in which the first axis was strongly related (R2 = 0.787, P < 0.001) with floristic quality index (FQI) and the second axis was related to the Great Lake of occurrence. CART models using FQI and the first MDS axis as the response variables explained 75% and 82% of the variance in the data, resulting in 6-7 terminal groups spanning the condition gradient. Initial CART splits divided the region based on growing degree-days and cumulative anthropogenic stress; only after making these broad divisions were wetlands distinguished by more local characteristics. Agricultural and urban development variables were important correlates of wetland biological condition, generating optimal or surrogate splits at every split node of the MDS CART model. Our findings provide a means of using vegetation to evaluate a range of wetland condition across a broad and diverse geographic region.

Abstract New research techniques and changing Muskellunge Esox masquinongy and Northern Pike E. lucius fisheries have contributed to paradigm shifts in the science and management of these species. A symposium on Muskellunge and Northern Pike biology, ecology and management was held at the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a panel discussion following the symposium identified several research and management priorities, including spawning habitat identification, habitat and population restoration, genetics, and selective mortality and exploitation. Future Muskellunge and Northern Pike research should focus on quantifying egg and age-0 survival based on habitat characteristics, rigorously evaluating habitat restoration efforts using statistically sound study designs, describing range-wide genetic structure of populations, and developing a better understanding of how selective mortality and exploitation can alter population size structure, sex ratios, and life history characteristics. Information and outcomes from the proposed research and management priorities will be critical for conserving and restoring self-sustaining populations of Muskellunge and Northern Pike. Las nuevas técnicas de investigación y los cambios en las pesquerías de los lucios muskallonga, Esox masquinongy y europeo, E. lucius, han contribuido a modificar paradigmas sobre la ciencia y manejo de estas especies. Se llevó a cabo un simposio sobre biología, ecología y manejo de los lucios muskallonga y europeo en la reunión anual de la Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías, en Little Rock, Arkansas, y en un panel de discusión organizado después del simposio se identificaron diversas prioridades de investigación y manejo que incluyen identificación de hábitats de desove, restauración de hábitats y de poblaciones, genética, mortalidad selectiva y explotación. En el futuro, la investigación sobre los lucios muskallonga y europeo se debe enfocar en cuantificar la supervivencia a nivel de huevos y de edad O; sobre la base de las características del hábitat, evaluar rigurosamente los esfuerzos de restauración de hábitat mediante diseño de sondeos estadísticos, descripción amplia de la estructuración genética de las poblaciones y desarrollar un mejor entendimiento acerca de cómo la mortalidad selectiva y la explotación pueden alterar la estructura de tallas, proporción de sexos y características de la historia de vida de estas especies. Los resultados y la información que se genere tanto de la investigación propuesta como de las prioridades de manejo, serán críticos para la conservación y restauración de las poblaciones auto sostenibles de los lucios muskallonga y europeo.

In this mixed-methods study, we examine the potential of place-based stewardship education (PBSE) for nurturing rural students’ community attachment and aspirations to contribute to the preservation of the environmental “commons.” Analyzing pre- and post-experience surveys (n = 240) and open-ended responses (n = 275) collected from middle school students in a Northeast Michigan school district, we found significant increases in students’ environmental sensitivity, environmentally responsible behaviors, community attachment, and confidence in their capacities for civic action. Analyses of open-ended responses pointed to the potential of PBSE to nurture students’ identification with their community and to increase their commitment to stewardship of their community's natural resources. This study makes a unique contribution to the literature on rural schools by focusing on the environmental commons and younger generations’ commitments to preserve it as an asset of rural communities. By linking students’ learning with collective action to preserve the environmental commons, PBSE can expand students’ aspirations for the kind of world they want to live in and the roles they might play in it.

Human-driven nutrient inputs into aquatic ecosystems must be managed to preserve biodiversity and to ensure that valued fishery and water quality services are not compromised by hypoxia and harmful algal blooms. Aiming for nutrient inputs that achieve an intermediate level of ecosystem productivity is expected to provide both high fish yield and good water quality. However, we argue that such an intermediate “optimum” may not exist for many aquatic ecosystems that support multiple fisheries with differing tolerances to eutrophication and that must provide multiple water quality services. We further support this argument with an empirical case study of nearly a century (1915–2011) of change in the productivity of Lake Erie and its lake whitefish (<em>Coregonus clupeaformis</em>), walleye (<em>Sander vitreus</em>), and yellow perch (<em>Perca flavescens</em>) fisheries. We discuss and show how the harvest of each fishery has been historically maximized at different levels of ecosystem productivity. Additionally, we examine how anticipated management efforts to improve water quality by reducing nutrient inputs (i.e., oligotrophication) may favor certain fisheries over others, resulting in no single optimal range of nutrient inputs that achieves all valued fishery and water quality objectives. Our synthesis and case study illustrate how the need to balance multiple services in aquatic ecosystems can create a wicked management problem with inevitable trade-offs. To navigate these trade-offs, we recommend the use of ecosystem-based management approaches, which can help decision makers identify and resolve complex trade-offs by facilitating cooperative research and communication among water quality regulators, fisheries managers, and end users.

As of 2023, 188 non-native species have been identified in the Laurentian Great Lakes, with about half being considered benign. Some of these species have been elevated to the status of invasive (i.e. causing extreme negative effects). Here, we identified and quantitatively ranked in order of impact (highest to lowest), the top ten aquatic nonindigenous species (ANS) determined to have the most significant negative environmental and socio-economic effects. To accomplish this, we used an organism impact assessment (OIA) tool developed by the Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System (GLANSIS). The top ten identified species included: zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha); quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis); alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus); sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus); Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum); grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella); water chestnut (Trapa natans); common reed (Phragmites australis australis); round goby (Neogobius melanostomus); and white perch (Morone americana). The taxonomic groupings, continent of origin, and vectors of introduction of these top ten invaders do not reflect the full diversity of all invasive species in the Great Lakes region. The most common shared negative effects were: direct hazards or threats posed to native species, alteration of predator/prey dynamics, aggressive competition with native species, and costly damage to human recreation, aesthetics, and economic activities. These quantitative rankings of the top ten most harmful ANS can serve as a reference point for researchers, educators and communicators as the Great Lakes continue to be affected by the spread of invasive species and other contemporary and future anthropogenic factors affecting the Great Lakes ecosystem.

ABSTRACT Dietary fish must be assessed for benefits and risks to formulate risk management strategies. This article demonstrates that Laurentian Great Lakes (GL) freshwater species are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids using new data from a small sample (n = 7) of Lake Superior siscowet lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush siscowet) and five other GL fish species’ data. For Lake Superior (LS) siscowets, the saturates, mono-unsaturates, and poly-unsaturates composed 20.1, 40.7, and 39.1% of total lipid weight, respectively. Omega-3 poly-unsaturates (PUFAs) in these fish were more than twice the omega-6 (omega 3/6 ratio = 2.4). The LS lake trout data were combined with earlier LS data collected during the 1980s for eight other species and from five species of Lake Erie fish. All the GL freshwater species were compared with seven other published marine and freshwater fish studies from other global regions. PUFAs were compared based on latitude and marine versus freshwater origin. Differences between marine and freshwater species in omega-3 fatty acid were less at higher latitudes. GL freshwater fish species can be a good source of beneficial fats like marine fish and must be accounted in effective risk communications involving persistent bioaccumulative toxicants in dietary fish.

A bstract Fish consumption advisories fail to adequately help communities address the benefits and risks of eating potentially contaminated fish. We engaged community members and relevant institutions in identifying and implementing more effective risk communication in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula. In 2004–2005, we collected data in four Michigan counties through focus groups, community dinners, public meetings and angler interviews. Residents express a strong affinity toward eating Great Lakes fish, though a minority of participants have read the official fish advisory. Participants lack an understanding of how bioaccumulation affects consumption risk depending on the type of contaminant. We attribute the situation to conditions of post‐normal risk that emerge through interaction of the structural dimensions of science and bureaucracy with a strong natural resource‐based culture that affects the agency of residents. The implications loom large as Michigan's Department of Community Health no longer distributes hard copies of the Michigan Fish Advisory.

Understanding environmental driver-response relationships is critical to the implementation of effective ecosystem-based management. Ecosystems are often influenced by multiple drivers that operate on different timescales and may be nonstationary. In turn, contrasting views of ecosystem state and structure could arise depending on the temporal perspective of analysis. Further, assessment of multiple ecosystem components (e.g., biological indicators) may serve to identify different key drivers and connections. To explore how the timescale of analysis and data richness can influence the identification of driver-response relationships within a large, dynamic ecosystem, this study analyzed long-term (1969-2018) data from Lake Erie (USA-Canada). Data were compiled on multiple biological, physical, chemical, and socioeconomic components of the ecosystem to quantify trends and identify potential key drivers during multiple time intervals (20 to 50 years duration), using zooplankton, bird, and fish community metrics as indicators of ecosystem change. Concurrent temporal shifts of many variables occurred during the 1980s, but asynchronous dynamics were evident among indicator taxa. The strengths and rank orders of predictive drivers shifted among intervals and were sometimes taxon-specific. Drivers related to nutrient loading and lake trophic status were consistently strong predictors of temporal patterns for all indicators; however, within the longer intervals, measures of agricultural land use were the strongest predictors, whereas within shorter intervals, the stronger predictors were measures of tributary or in-lake nutrient concentrations. Physical drivers also tended to increase in predictive ability within shorter intervals. The results highlight how the time interval examined can filter influences of lower-frequency, slower drivers and higher-frequency, faster drivers. Understanding ecosystem change in support of ecosystem-based management requires consideration of both the temporal perspective of analysis and the chosen indicators, as both can influence which drivers are identified as most predictive of ecosystem trends at that timescale.

Abstract Informal science education has received great attention nationally in recent years, however little has been included in the research or policy literature regarding camps as contexts for informal learning. This article first describes how a Great Lakes water resource education camp is based upon professional definitions of informal, nonformal and formal education. Next, we describe specific details of our long‐running Michigan 4‐H Great Lakes and Natural Resources Camp designed to foster teen leadership and watershed stewardship. The Camp utilizes research‐based best practices in nonformal science education, Place Based Education, Great Lakes Literacy education, and environmental education, as we demonstrate through detailed literature review. We also provide details of quantitative impact evaluation conducted between 1999 and 2012 and involving over 700 youth participants. Youth received pre‐Camp and immediate post‐Camp surveys. The Camp had a positive impact on teens' Great Lakes literacy, place attachment, and stewardship intentions. We conclude with recommendations for designing nonformal water literacy education, based on guidelines from the National Research Council and from our experiences, to enhance whole‐person development and deep learning through nonformal camp‐based programs.

Abstract We compare results of Great Lakes charter captain surveys from 2002 and 2011. Charter trips declined 27%, from over 103,000 in 2002 to less than 76,000 in 2011. Revenues between the two years fell 24%, from US$48.0 million to $36.4 million, after values were adjusted for inflation. An estimated 1,696 captains operated as small businesses in 2011: a decrease of over 12% from 2002. Fuel costs and age of the average charter vessel were significantly higher in 2011. Motivations for chartering were basically unchanged since 2002, and fishing continued to be a secondary income source for most captains. The economy and aquatic nuisance species were included among top concerns for the future of the industry in both years. Although the basic nature of the charter industry had not changed, captains were making management decisions to reduce costs and maintain the viability of their business. Se comparan los resultados de un sondeo realizado de 2002 a 2011 a los capitanes de embarcaciones alquiladas en los grandes lagos. Los viajes de pesca disminuyeron 27% de 103,000 en 2002 a menos de 76,000 en 2011. Los dividendos de la pesquería entre esos dos años, ajustando los valores por la inflación, se redujeron 24%, de $48 millones de dólares a $36.4 millones. Se estimó que en el año 2011, 1,696 capitanes operaban en la forma de negocio pequeño: una reducción de 12% con respecto a 2002. Los costos del combustible y la edad de la embarcación promedio fueron significativamente mayores en el año 2011. Los motivos por los cuales se utilizan barcos de alquiler no han cambiado desde 2002, y la pesca continúa siendo un insumo secundario para la mayor parte de los capitanes. En ambos años, la economía y las especies acuáticas nocivas aparecieron dentro de las principales preocupaciones para el futuro de la industria. Si bien la naturaleza de la industria pesquera con botes de alquiler no ha cambiado, los capitanes están tomando decisiones de manejo para reducir los costos y mantener la viabilidad de sus negocios.

Over the past two decades, scientific research on the connections between the health and resilience of marine ecosystems, and human health, well-being, and community prosperity has expanded and evolved into a distinct "metadiscipline" known as Oceans and Human Health (OHH), recognized by the scientific community as well as policy makers. OHH goals are diverse, and seek to improve public health outcomes, promote sustainable use of aquatic systems and resources, and strengthen community resilience. OHH research has historically included some level of community outreach and partner involvement; however, the increasing disruption of aquatic environments and urgency of public health impacts calls for a more systematic approach to effectively identify and engage with community partners to achieve project goals and outcomes. Herein, we present a strategic framework developed collaboratively by community engagement personnel from the four recently established U.S. Centers for Oceans and Human Health (COHH). This framework supports researchers in defining levels of community engagement and in aligning partners, purpose, activities, and approaches intentionally in their community engagement efforts. Specifically, we describe: (1) a framework for a range of outreach and engagement approaches; (2) the need for identifying partners, purpose, activities, and approaches; and (3) the importance of making intentional alignment among them. Misalignment across these dimensions may lead to wasting time or resources, eroding public trust, or failing to achieve intended outcomes. We illustrate the framework with examples from current COHH case studies, and conclude with future directions for strategic community engagement in OHH and other environmental health contexts.

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are often impossible to eradicate from an ecosystem once breeding populations are established and widely dispersed. After establishment, control programs become one of the only options available to managers. Agencies are using public outreach programs to increase public awareness and prevent new introductions. This study employed the contingent valuation method to quantify boaters’ willingness to pay (WTP) for public outreach programs. On average, Michigan boaters were willing to pay $20.68 per year for AIS-prevention education, and total economic benefits at the population level were calculated at US$16.74 million. From a cost–benefit perspective, WTP benefits far outweigh aggregated federal, state, and nonprofit costs by a wide margin. One-time exposure to AIS education materials and perception of AIS threats did not affect WTP. Long-term program impacts and the economic benefits of resulting behavior change are important areas for future research. Managerial and policy-related implications are also discussed.