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USGS1998

Overview of the International Symposium on Eurasian Ruffe ( Gymnocephalus cernuus ) Biology, Impacts, and Control

The International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Ruffe was organized to address the potential threat ruffe pose to North American fisheries. Scientists in diverse disciplines from Eurasia and North America were brought together in an attempt to examine all aspects of the North American invasion of ruffe, and to highlight the effects of similar introductions in Europe and Asia. The symposium, sponsored by the Minnesota and Michigan Sea Grant College programs, featured 48 oral and poster presentations and was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, during 21-23 March 1997. Papers from the symposium are published in a special section of this issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2009

Acoustic estimates of abundance and distribution of spawning lake trout on Sheboygan Reef in Lake Michigan

Efforts to restore self-sustaining lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes have had widespread success in Lake Superior; but in other Great Lakes, populations of lake trout are maintained by stocking. Recruitment bottlenecks may be present at a number of stages of the reproduction process. To study eggs and fry, it is necessary to identify spawning locations, which is difficult in deep water. Acoustic sampling can be used to rapidly locate aggregations of fish (like spawning lake trout), describe their distribution, and estimate their abundance. To assess these capabilities for application to lake trout, we conducted an acoustic survey covering 22 km 2 at Sheboygan Reef, a deep reef (<40 m summit) in southern Lake Michigan during fall 2005. Data collected with remotely operated vehicles (ROV) confirmed that fish were large lake trout, that lake trout were 1–2 m above bottom, and that spawning took place over specific habitat. Lake trout density exhibited a high degree of spatial structure (autocorrelation) up to a range of ~190 m, and highest lake trout and egg densities occurred over rough substrates (rubble and cobble) at the shallowest depths sampled (36–42 m). Mean lake trout density in the area surveyed (~2190 ha) was 5.8 fish/ha and the area surveyed contained an estimated 9500–16,000 large lake trout. Spatial aggregation in lake trout densities, similarity of depths and substrates at which high lake trout and egg densities occurred, and relatively low uncertainty in the lake trout density estimate indicate that acoustic sampling can be a useful complement to other sampling tools used in lake trout restoration research.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2012

Mysis diluviana and Hemimysis anomala : reviewing the roles of a native and invasive mysid in the Laurentian Great Lakes region

Mysis diluviana and Hemimysis anomala are the only two species of mysid shrimps in the order Mysidacea that are present in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America. M. diluviana has inhabited the deep, cold waters of this region since Pleistocene-era glacial retreat and is widely considered to have a central role in the functioning of offshore food webs in systems they inhabit. More recently, the Great Lakes were invaded by the Ponto-Caspian native Hemimysis , a species that inhabits warmer water and shallower depths relative to M. diluviana . Hemimysis has rapidly expanded throughout the Great Lakes region and has become integrated into nearshore food webs as both food for planktivorous fish and predators and competitors of zooplankton. This special issue is composed of 14 papers that represent the most recent advances in our understanding of the ecological importance of both species of mysids to lake and river ecosystems in the Great Lakes region of North America. Topics discussed in this special issue will inform future research in all systems influenced by mysid ecology.

Lake Erie;Lake Huron;Lake Michigan;Lake Ontario;La↗

USGS2014

An ecological basis for future fish habitat restoration efforts in the Huron-Erie Corridor

This perspective describes the major natural and anthropogenic forces driving change in the abundance and quality of fish habitats in the Huron-Erie Corridor (HEC), the Great Lakes connecting channel comprised of the St. Clair River, the Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River. Channels connecting the Laurentian Great Lakes discharge large volumes of water equal to or greater than most other large rivers in the world that is of consistent high quality and volume, all year. Owing to creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway through the Great Lakes, the connecting channels have been modified by dredging over 200 km of deep-draft shipping lanes with a maintained depth of no less than 8.2 m. Combined with modification of their shorelines for housing and industries, use of the connecting channels for discharges of industrial and municipal wastes and shipping has resulted in numerous beneficial use impairments, such as restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, degradation of fish and wildlife populations, and losses of fish and wildlife habitat. Various options for remediation of native fish populations and their habitats in the Great Lakes connecting channels, including construction of spawning habitat for threatened and high-value food fishes, such as lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), walleye (Sander vitreus), and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), have been implemented successfully in two of the channels, and form the basis for further recommended research described in this article.

Huron-Erie corridor↗

USGS2023

Behavioral and reproductive effects of the lampricides TFM and TFM:1% Niclosamide on native freshwater mussels

The lampricides TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4′-nitrophenol) and Niclosamide (NIC, 2′, 5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide) are used to control sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes and associated tributaries. Niclosamide is often used as an additive to TFM to reduce the amount of TFM required to control sea lamprey. Concern is growing over the risk that lampricide treatments pose to native freshwater mussels residing in streams. Our objectives were to determine the acute toxicity of TFM and TFM:NIC to free glochidia (removed from the marsupial gills), compare the relative toxicity of TFM and TFM:NIC between free glochidia and brooded glochidia (within the marsupial gills), determine if glochidia age influences toxicity, and assess if exposure of gravid mussels to TFM and TFM:NIC alters behavior and reproduction. Three acute toxicity tests (2:TFM, 1:TFM : NIC) were conducted with glochidia and adults of the plain pocketbook mussel ( Lampsilis cardium ). In tests with glochidia, viability did not differ across TFM and TFM : NIC concentrations that encompassed typical stream treatments. Glochidia age influenced toxicity as glochidia obtained later in the brooding season were less viable than glochidia obtained earlier in the brooding season. Exposure of adults to elevated concentrations of lampricides often resulted in behavioral effects, but rarely affected reproductive endpoints. Because mussels are long-lived (30 to 100 y), even intermittent and short duration exposures may cumulatively affect mussels over their lifetime. The risks posed by lampricide treatments in the Great Lakes would be further informed by research on the sublethal effects of lampricides, particularly effects on non-target organisms such as mussels.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2020

Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) spawn in the St. Marys River Rapids, Michigan

The St. Marys River connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron, comprising the international border between Michigan, United States, and Ontario, Canada. This Great Lakes connecting channel naturally encompasses various habitats including lakes, wetlands, islands, tributaries, side channels, and main channels. The St. Marys River Rapids are shallow rock areas with high flow velocities (>1 m/s) in the upper river adjacent to the navigation locks and electric power generating stations, while the Little Rapids are shallow, recently restored rocky areas with lower velocities located about 7 km downstream. The St. Marys River Rapids provide important spawning habitat for several native and introduced fishes, but spawning by lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ) was not previously documented. We sampled for lake sturgeon eggs and larvae in both locations during June and July 2018–2019 using weekly benthic egg mat lifts and overnight D-frame larval fish drift nets. Viable lake sturgeon eggs (11 in 2018, 45 in 2019) were collected in the tailrace of a hydroelectric power facility adjacent to the St. Marys River Rapids. Larval lake sturgeon (21 in 2018, 1 in 2019) were collected in the same area as the eggs. Neither lake sturgeon eggs nor larvae were collected at Little Rapids in either year. Our results are the first documentation of successful lake sturgeon spawning and larval drift in the upper St. Marys River. While our observations showed spawning in a human-made tailrace area, the fate of larvae produced here is unknown and warrants further research.

Michigan, Ontario↗

USGS1995

Do toxic substances pose a threat to rehabilitation of lake trout in the Great Lakes? A review of the literature

Toxic substances have been suspected of being one of the causes of Great Lakes lake trout reproductive failure. Because toxic substances are present in the Great Lakes basin, managers should be aware of the role of contaminants in preventing lake trout rehabilitation. This paper summarizes studies which have sought to establish a relation between toxic substances and lake trout mortality or morbidity, and offers recommendations for future research and management. The review suggests that exposure to toxic substances has the possibility of affecting the species' rehabilitation. A variety of toxic substances, specifically organochlorine compounds, concentrated in lake trout eggs, fry, and the environment, have affected the hatching success of lake trout in the laboratory, but the strength of the relation between toxic substances and lake trout mortality and morbidity in the field remains unclear. In order to clarify this relation, more information is needed on lake trout physiology, biochemistry, behavior, and genetics. An interdisciplinary workshop should be convened to evaluate existing evidence by epidemiological methods, to set priorities for further research, and to develop management strategies.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2019

Diet predictions of Lake Ontario salmonines based on fatty acids and correlations between their fat content and thiamine concentrations

Thiamine Deficiency Complex (TDC) limits early life stage survival of salmonines. Consuming fatty prey has been hypothesized as a cause of thiamine deficiency; however, this relationship has not been evaluated in the Laurentian Great Lakes where TDC occurs. We found that alewife ( Alosa pseudoharengus ) have higher lipid content than other common Lake Ontario prey fish. In addition, alewife were predicted as the most consumed prey for brown trout ( Salmo trutta ), Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ), coho salmon ( O. kisutch ), lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ), and steelhead trout ( O. mykiss ); however, the relative importance of alewife in diet composition varied within and among species. Overall, species with greater predicted consumption of alewife had lower egg and muscle thiamine concentrations. Negative correlations between thiamine concentrations and both lipid content and fatty acid concentrations (mg/mg of wet tissue) were limited to brown trout. Similarly, negative correlations between fatty acid proportions (i.e., cumulative proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA] and monounsaturated fatty acids [MUFA]) and thiamine concentrations were only observed for brown and lake trout. Combining data from all species produced curvilinear correlations between thiamine concentrations (egg and muscle) and fatty acid composition (eggs and belly flap). Proportions of PUFAs had negative correlations with thiamine concentrations while proportions of MUFAs had positive correlations. These results provide evidence that, in some cases, salmonine fatty acid composition negatively correlates with thiamine concentrations in Lake Ontario; however, additional research is needed to confirm that this mechanism causes TDC in salmonines, and to understand additional factors potentially associated with TDC.

Lake Ontario↗

USGS2003

Classifying sea lamprey marks on Great Lakes lake trout: observer agreement, evidence on healing times between classes and recommendations for reporting of marking statistics

In 1997 and 1998 two workshops were held to evaluate how consistent observers were at classifying sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) marks on Great Lakes lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) as described in the King classification system. Two trials were held at each workshop, with group discussion between trials. Variation in counting and classifying marks was considerable, such that reporting rates for A1–A3 marks varied two to three-fold among observers of the same lake trout. Observer variation was greater for classification of healing or healed marks than for fresh marks. The workshops highlighted, as causes for inconsistent mark classification, both departures from the accepted protocol for classifying marks by some agencies, and differences in how sliding and multiple marks were interpreted. Group discussions led to greater agreement in classifying marks. We recommend ways to improve the reliability of marking statistics, including the use of a dichotomous key to classify marks. Laboratory data show that healing times of marks on lake trout were much longer at 4°C and 1°C than at 10°C and varied greatly among individuals. Reported A1–A3 and B1–B3 marks observed in late summer and fall collections likely result from a mixture of attacks by two year classes of sea lamprey. It is likely that a substantial but highly uncertain proportion of attacks that occur in late summer and fall lead to marks that are classified as A1–A3 the next spring. We recommend additional research on mark stage duration.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1995

Lake trout spawning habitat in the Great Lakes - a review of current knowledge

We review existing information on lake trout spawning habitat, which might indicate whether habitat is now a limiting factor in lake trout reproductive success. Lake trout spawning habitat quality is defined by the presence or absence of olfactory cues for homing, reef location with respect to the shoreline, water depth, proximity to nursery areas, reef size, contour, substrate size and shape, depth of interstitial spaces, water temperature at spawning time, water quality in interstitial spaces, and the presence of egg and fry predators. Data on factors which attracted native spawners to spawning reefs are lacking, due to the absence of historic data on egg deposition. No direct evidence of egg deposition has been collected from sites deeper than 18 m. Interstitial space and, therefore, substrate size and shape, appear to be critical for both site selection by adults and protection of eggs and fry. Water quality is clearly important for egg incubation, but the critical parameters which define water quality have not yet been well determined in the field. Exposure to wave energy, dictated in part by reef location, may maintain high water quality but may also damage or dislodge eggs. The importance of olfactory cues, water temperature, and proximity to nursery habitat to spawning trout is unclear. Limited data suggest that egg and fry predators, particularly exotic species, may critically affect fry production and survival. Although availability of physical spawning habitat is probably not limiting lake trout reproduction, changes in water quality and species composition may negatively affect early life stages. This review of habitat factors that affect early life stages of lake trout suggests several priorities for research and management.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2007

Evidence of widespread natural reproduction by lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in the Michigan waters of Lake Huron

Localized natural reproduction of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Huron has occurred since the 1980s near Thunder Bay, Michigan. During 2004–2006, USGS spring and fall bottom trawl surveys captured 63 wild juvenile lake trout at depths ranging from 37–73 m at four of five ports in the Michigan waters of the main basin of Lake Huron, more than five times the total number captured in the previous 30-year history of the surveys. Relatively high catches of wild juvenile lake trout in bottom trawls during 2004–2006 suggest that natural reproduction by lake trout has increased and occurred throughout the Michigan waters of the main basin. Increased catches of wild juvenile lake trout in the USGS fall bottom trawl survey were coincident with a drastic decline in alewife abundance, but data were insufficient to determine what mechanism may be responsible for increased natural reproduction by lake trout. We recommend further monitoring of juvenile lake trout abundance and research into early life history of lake trout in Lake Huron.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2007

Research to support sterile-male-release and genetic alteration techniques for sea lamprey control

Integrated pest management of sea lampreys in the Laurentian Great Lakes has recently been enhanced by addition of a sterile-male-release program, and future developments in genetic approaches may lead to additional methods for reducing sea lamprey reproduction. We review the development, implementation, and evaluation of the sterile-male-release technique (SMRT) as it is being applied against sea lampreys in the Great Lakes, review the current understanding of SMRT efficacy, and identify additional research areas and topics that would increase either the efficacy of the SMRT or expand its geographic potential for application. Key areas for additional research are in the sterilization process, effects of skewed sex ratios on mating behavior, enhancing attractiveness of sterilized males, techniques for genetic alteration of sea lampreys, and sources of animals to enhance or expand the use of sterile lampreys.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2015

A spatial classification and database for management, research, and policy making: The Great Lakes aquatic habitat framework

Managing the world's largest and most complex freshwater ecosystem, the Laurentian Great Lakes, requires a spatially hierarchical basin-wide database of ecological and socioeconomic information that is comparable across the region. To meet such a need, we developed a spatial classification framework and database — Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Framework (GLAHF). GLAHF consists of catchments, coastal terrestrial, coastal margin, nearshore, and offshore zones that encompass the entire Great Lakes Basin. The catchments captured in the database as river pour points or coastline segments are attributed with data known to influence physicochemical and biological characteristics of the lakes from the catchments. The coastal terrestrial zone consists of 30-m grid cells attributed with data from the terrestrial region that has direct connection with the lakes. The coastal margin and nearshore zones consist of 30-m grid cells attributed with data describing the coastline conditions, coastal human disturbances, and moderately to highly variable physicochemical and biological characteristics. The offshore zone consists of 1.8-km grid cells attributed with data that are spatially less variable compared with the other aquatic zones. These spatial classification zones and their associated data are nested within lake sub-basins and political boundaries and allow the synthesis of information from grid cells to classification zones, within and among political boundaries, lake sub-basins, Great Lakes, or within the entire Great Lakes Basin. This spatially structured database could help the development of basin-wide management plans, prioritize locations for funding and specific management actions, track protection and restoration progress, and conduct research for science-based decision making.

Great Lakes↗

USGS2021

A review of osmoregulation in lamprey

Lamprey are living representatives of the basal vertebrate agnathan lineage. Many lamprey species are anadromous with a complex life cycle that includes metamorphosis from a freshwater (FW) benthic filter-feeding larva into a parasitic juvenile which migrates to seawater (SW) or (in landlocked populations) large bodies of FW. After a juvenile/adult trophic period that can last up to two years, adults return to rivers and migrate upstream to spawn in FW. Therefore, the osmoregulatory challenges anadromous lamprey face during migrations are similar to those of derived diadromous jawed fishes because lamprey osmoregulate to maintain plasma osmolality at approximately one third SW as well. While in FW, lamprey gills actively take up ions and their kidneys excrete excess water to compensate for passive ion loss and water gain. When in SW, lamprey drink SW and their gills actively secrete excess ions (to compensate for salt loading and dehydration). Nevertheless, lampreys diverged from the rest of the vertebrate lineage more than 500 million years ago, which is reflected in similarities and differences in ionocyte (ion transport cell) ultrastructure and distribution as well as tight junctions in epithelia. The current review discusses recent advances in our understanding of ion transport mechanisms of lamprey with a focus on sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) due to the large literature on this species. We emphasize key molecular and cellular mechanisms in osmoregulatory organs (i.e., gill, kidney and gut) and provide insight relative to what is known in other fishes and identify areas where more research is needed.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2021

Enhancing Great Lakes coastal ecosystems research by initiating engagement between scientists and decision-makers

A disconnect between scientific research and environmental management communities can be a detriment to both. In the case of Great Lakes coastal ecosystems, which are inherently complex and subject to uncertain effects of future climatic, environmental, and anthropogenic drivers, greater collaboration could be beneficial to their sustainability. We capture the challenges and opportunities identified by a scientist/decision-maker co-production workshop focused on the future environmental quality of Great Lakes coastal wetlands. We explain our path through the stakeholder workshop process, our challenges in translating meeting outcomes into actionable items, and lessons learned to bridge gaps between scientists and decision-makers. Additionally, we determine topics and directions identified by decision-makers that can be modeled with existing technologies and others that require further research. These topics may be incorporated into future research efforts and could serve as a shortlist of research priorities that were identified by decision-makers working with coastal wetland issues. Based on lessons learned during and after the workshop, we provide suggestions for bridging the gap between researchers and decision-makers, including sustained engagement between these groups and improved interaction through the beginning, duration, and end of research and/or management efforts.

Great Lakes↗

USGS2021

Quantifying Great Lakes sea lamprey populations using an index of adults

Effective control of aquatic invasive species requires knowledge of the population throughout the infested area. Lake-wide assessments of invasive sea lampreys ( Petromyzon marinus ) are used to assess their status in the Laurentian Great Lakes, informing fisheries managers and decision makers in the sea lamprey control program. Initially these assessments focused on an estimate of absolute abundance, but later switched to an estimate of relative abundance as an index. In this paper, we describe the recently developed index of sea lamprey abundance and the reasons for its use. Rather than trying to estimate spawning run sizes of all Great Lakes tributaries, the index instead estimates run sizes of a small subset of index streams. Streams chosen for the index had large spawning runs and a history of trapping operations that consistently yielded mark-recapture estimates. This change enabled the sea lamprey control program to abandon a previously used regression model that predicted run size on streams with no sea lamprey traps. Further research is needed to determine how strongly correlated the index is with actual patterns in the lake-wide population of adult sea lampreys.

Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario↗

USGS2014

Beach science in the Great Lakes

Monitoring beach waters for human health has led to an increase and evolution of science in the Great Lakes, which includes microbiology, limnology, hydrology, meteorology, epidemiology, and metagenomics, among others. In recent years, concerns over the accuracy of water quality standards at protecting human health have led to a significant interest in understanding the risk associated with water contact in both freshwater and marine environments. Historically, surface waters have been monitored for fecal indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli , enterococci), but shortcomings of the analytical test (lengthy assay) have resulted in a re-focusing of scientific efforts to improve public health protection. Research has led to the discovery of widespread populations of fecal indicator bacteria present in natural habitats such as soils, beach sand, and stranded algae. Microbial source tracking has been used to identify the source of these bacteria and subsequently assess their impact on human health. As a result of many findings, attempts have been made to improve monitoring efficiency and efficacy with the use of empirical predictive models and molecular rapid tests. All along, beach managers have actively incorporated new findings into their monitoring programs. With the abundance of research conducted and information gained over the last 25 years, “Beach Science” has emerged, and the Great Lakes have been a focal point for much of the ground-breaking work. Here, we review the accumulated research on microbiological water quality of Great Lakes beaches and provide a historic context to the collaborative efforts that have advanced this emerging science.

Great Lakes↗

USGS2021

Progress towards integrating an understanding of chemical ecology into sea lamprey control

The sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus , is a destructive invader in the Laurentian Great Lakes that relies on several complex chemical cues to complete their life cycle. The central roles of chemical cues in sea lamprey reproduction provide opportunities to leverage knowledge of sea lamprey chemical ecology when developing alternative or supplemental strategies for sea lamprey control. A solid foundation has been laid regarding sea lamprey chemical ecology, with recent advances in our understanding of the migratory pheromone, male sex pheromone, and alarm cues broadening our fundamental understanding of the diversity, complexity, and evolution of chemical cues used by sea lamprey. Additionally, research applying semiochemicals in differing management scenarios has provided useful insights into the challenges of incorporating chemical cues into the sea lamprey control program. Here, we synthesize new findings related to fundamental research of chemosensory cues along with knowledge learned from management-based tests and explore options for integrating an understanding of chemical ecology into sea lamprey control in light of new knowledge. We also highlight current unknowns and future research needs that should be addressed prior to implementation of sea lamprey chemical ecology into the sea lamprey control program.

Great Lakes↗