Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
Volume 8, Number 4 • July-August 2000
Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat NewsThe Newsletter of the Great Lakes
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The Nature Conservancy has identified Les Cheneaux Great Lakes Marsh as one of seven ecologically significant natural communities along the northern shore of Lake Huron. Since the early 1990’s, The Nature Conservancy has partnered with the Les Cheneaux community through providing resources and collecting biodiversity information along the Lake Huron shoreline. Recently, The Nature Conservancy helped to administer and facilitate funding to be used for beginning wetland plant and animal community descriptions and understanding of the natural and human-created factors affecting them. The University of Michigan (U of M), Michigan State University (MSU), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research team collected data over a three year period.
In October 1999, the research team compiled their results and submitted a report to Michigan Coastal Management Program titled, “Les Cheneaux Coastal Wetland Project: A Synthesis”. Overall, the integrity of Les Cheneaux marshes were found to be in excellent ecological health and very diverse. In addition, a report on invertebrates was published in the December 1999 issue of Wetlands, “Development of a Preliminary Invertebrate Index of Biotic Integrity for Lake Huron Coastal Wetlands.” Reports, such as these, were shared with the Les Cheneaux community and other partnering groups who make decisions about land and water use in and around marshes.
In July 1999, a community-wide Marsh Forum was held in Les Cheneaux to provide an opportunity for researchers to discuss with residents results from the collaborative wetland project. The success of the public forum began excitement and awareness in the community for future research projects. Following the public forum, MSU, U of M, and USGS researchers designed projects that included local citizens in monitoring particular species and groups of organisms. Monitoring of yellow perch and other fishes, burrowing mayflies, dragonflies and damselflies, frogs and toads, and invertebrates comprised the primary indices of long-term biotic health measurement. Four of these studies made their debut this summer, while two other studies were continued from previous years. Students from MSU and U of M performed each study independent of volunteers to determine accuracy of volunteer monitoring data. This spring and summer completes the pilot run for these newly designed studies and with the help of volunteer feedback and researcher input, the projects may be refined for long-term meaningful monitoring results.
The perch skein survey, in its second year, was developed by the US Geological Survey to identify critical spawning habitats and fish egg mass quantities. A large number of local residents and a high school science class combed the shoreline marshes looking for perch skeins, counting their numbers, and measuring their sizes. This survey takes place during a two-week period in late April or as soon as the ice melts away from the shoreline. Also developed by the US Geological Survey, were the Odonata (dragonfly & damselfly) and burrowing mayfly surveys. Volunteers scoured six bays for dragonfly and damselfly larval skins found attached to emergent vegetation during the summer months. Mayflies are widely recognized as excellent indicators of water quality and through collecting hatching dates and population estimates residents can track marsh health.
The University of Michigan developed a marsh fish survey, in which volunteers set out minnow traps baited with cat food at four bays. For a two week period, the number of each species captured and water depths were documented. Minnow species have been determined to be susceptible and sensitive to polluted or disturbed habitat more than other fish species. Therefore, the percentage of minnows versus other fish more tolerant of disturbed habitat can provide an indication of marsh health and water quality.
Michigan State University developed a study of aquatic invertebrates, which began in mid-July and will continue through September. The presence and percentage of water quality sensitive invertebrates can reveal an indication of wetland system health and diversity.
Volunteers have completed their fourth year listening to six of Michigan’s 13 frog and toad species breeding calls. The Marsh Monitoring Program, developed by the Long Point Bird Observatory of Point Pelee, Canada, has provided all the needed materials; identification cassette tapes, and protocols for conducting the survey. Monitoring amphibians can provide information about water quality, since water and any contaminants are easily absorbed through their skin.
The Nature Conservancy and Les Cheneaux community has established a long-term and vital partnership with collegiate and governmental institutions for continuing research and expertise. These projects provide an opportunity for the community to conduct research each year and use the information collected for making empowered decisions regarding shoreline threats. As the Les Cheneaux community begins further development of their economic base through nature-based tourism, monitoring programs such as these will be available for ongoing stewardship and measuring success for maintaining these special coastal marshes. For further information regarding the Les Cheneaux marsh monitoring program, contact The Nature Conservancy’s Northern Lake Huron Project Office at (906) 484-9970.