Return of the Arctic Grayling to the State of Michigan?

The Arctic grayling is a coldwater fish that occurs in northern regions of the world. Two populations historically existed in the contiguous USA: Montana and Michigan. The Arctic grayling was extirpated from Michigan in the early 1900s due to degradation of streams (primarily from logging), overharvest, and introduction of non-native trout. In Montana, Arctic grayling currently inhabit only a small portion of the historic area where it once occurred. Recent conservation efforts in Montana have focused on reestablishing Arctic grayling populations using incubators to hatch fertilized eggs in the streams targeted for reintroduction. The in-stream egg incubators are small, flow-through units that allow rearing and hatching of eggs directly at the site of reintroduction. This technique provides an opportunity for newly hatched fry to acclimate to local environmental conditions through imprinting on water chemistry at the “spawning” location and has proved more effective for reestablishing populations than traditional stocking practices (where juvenile fish are raised in hatcheries for stocking).

Carl Ruetz’s lab is working in collaboration with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (LRBOI) to test egg-incubator designs in three tributaries of the Manistee River. In this “pilot” study, researchers are using rainbow trout eggs as surrogates for Arctic grayling eggs, which are not yet available in Michigan. This research will support a larger effort by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in partnership with the LRBOI to reintroduce Arctic grayling to Michigan. A first step in the Michigan effort is to determine whether the egg incubator designs that have been used effectively in Montana are appropriate for Michigan streams.

AWRI was represented by science instructors from the research vessels at the Earth Fair in Montague and the Earth Day festivities in Grand Haven, both held on April 22.

Katie Knapp, graduate student working with Bopi Biddanda, successfully passed her qualifying exam on April 28.

John Koches attended the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds 14^th annual Grand River Spring Forum in Grand Rapids on April 13.

Rick Rediske coordinated an invasive species removal event with West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission on April 23 at the Muskegon Nature Preserve.

Al Steinman was interviewed by Jon Mills, WZZM 13, about water transfers out of the Great Lakes basin on April 12.

Al Steinman attended the Outstanding Intern Luncheon with his intern from last summer, Nicole Hahn on April 18.

AWRI staff are bolded, undergraduate students are denoted with a single asterisk*, graduate students are denoted with two asterisks**, and post-doc researchers are donated with three asterisks ***.

Publications

Jim McNair was a co-author of a manuscript accepted to Journal of Aquatic Plant Management:
Thum, R.A., S.R. Parks**, J.N. McNair, P. Tyning, P. Hausler, L. Chadderton, A. Tucker, and A. Monfils. In Press. Survival and vegetative regrowth of Eurasian and hybrid watermilfoil following operational treatment with auxinic herbicides in Gun Lake, Michigan, USA. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management.

Michael Snider, former graduate student who worked with Bopi Biddanda, had an article accepted to Aquatic Microbial Ecology:
Snider, M. J.**, B.A. Biddanda, M. Lindback*, S. Grim, and G. Digck. 2017. Versatile photophysiology of compositionally similar cyanobacterial communities inhabiting submerged sinkholes of Lake Huron. Aquatic Microbial Ecology 79: 63-78.  https://www.int-res.com/articles/ame_oa/a079p063.pdf

Al Steinman is a co-author of a manuscript accepted to Limnology & Oceanography:
Sterner, R.W., P. Ostrom, N.E. Ostrom, J.V. Klump, A.D. Steinman, E.A. Dreelin, M.J. Vander Zanden, and A. Fisk. In Press. Grand challenges for research in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Limnology & Oceanography.

Presentations

(Presenter listed first)

AWRI was represented at the annual Student Scholarship Day held on the GVSU Allendale campus on April 12.
O’Brien, Z.* and B. Biddanda.  Poster.  Exploring the changing thermal structure and primary production of a Great Lakes estuary.
Pavisich, H.**  Poster.  Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for invasive Baby’s Breath Gypsophila paniculata.
Rice, E.**  Poster.  Phenology of seed maturation in invasive Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) and its importance for restoring coastal sand dune communities in Michigan.
Weirowski, S. and C. Hren.  Poster.  A Statistical consulting experience: Analysis of Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan water conditions. (Janet Vail was a mentor on this research vessel W. G. Jackson data.)

Emily Kindervater gave a poster presentation at the GVSU Graduate Showcase in Grand Rapids on April 18.

Mark Luttenton gave a presentation about global water issues at an Earth Day event in Ludington on April 22.

Rick Rediske presented a class on Solid Waste Management for the National Garden Club’s “Living Earth Environmental Studies School” in Holland on April 17.

Al Steinman gave a presentation to the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at a meeting in Grand Rapids on April 1.

Al Steinman gave a presentation on Muskegon Lake monitoring at the Lakeshore Museum Center on April 25.

Al Steinman presented at a Project Clarity update meeting in Holland on April 26.

Al Steinman gave an invited presentation titled “Lake and wetland restoration: a tale of three systems” at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at the University of Illinois on April 27.

Janet Vail presented a Population Education session at the Michigan Social Studies conference in Grand Rapids on April 29.

Charlyn Partridge was a chosen CILER (Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research) representative at the national “March for Science” held in Washington, D.C. on April 22.

Rick Rediske was recognized as a “Sustainability Champion” at the 9^th annual Sustainability Champion awards event held on March 31.  This event is sponsored by the GVSU Office of Sustainability Practices.

There were no new grants or contracts for this issue.  Check again next month!

AWRI In the News

“Restoring our coastal dunes”
The Nature Conservancy, 2016 results report
AWRI (Charlyn Partridge Lab) was a partner in a project to remove the invasive plant species Baby’s Breath from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

“2016 Lake Macatawa water quality monitoring”
Discovery News, page 3, April – May 2017
The work the Steinman Lab is doing for Lake Macatawa/Project Clarity was discussed.

“Volunteer anglers help monitor rivers for invasive mudsnail”
Washington Times Online, April 11, 2017
Thanks to the work of Mark Luttenton, GVSU was mentioned as a partner in the monitoring of several Michigan streams for the invasive New Zealand mudsnail.
This article was also carried by:
Midland Daily News Online 4/11/17;
S F Gate 4/11/17;
Huron Daily Tribune online 4/11/17;
WTOL-TV 4/11/17;
San Antonio Express online 4/11/17;
Associated Press 4/11/17;
Republic online 4/11/17;
The Eagle online 4/12/17;
Ocean’s Herald-Journal 4/11/17;
Clay Center (Kansas) The Dispatch 4/11/17;
WWTV-TV online 4/12/17;
wlio.com 4/12/17;
Connect Mid-Michigan 4/12/17;
WOOD – AM 4/12/17;
WOOD – TV 4/12/17;
The Daily Journal online 4/12/17;
WLNS – TV online 4/12/17;
My information.com 4/12/17;
WJRT – TV online 4/12/17;
WZZM – TV online 4/12/17

“Small snail, big problem: Researchers track invasive New Zealand mudsnail in Michigan rivers”
The Outdoor Wire, 4/12/17
GVSU is mentioned as a partner in the monitoring of several Michigan streams for the invasive New Zealand mudsnail.

“New Zealand mudsnail invades Michigan Rivers”
The Fishing Wire, 4/18/17
GVSU is mentioned as a partner in the monitoring of several Michigan streams for the invasive New Zealand mudsnail.
Also carried by:
The Outdoor Wire 4/18/17

LMC Events

April 4
The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership held a public meeting at the LMC.

April 11, 13 & 17
Students from Godfrey Lee Elementary (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities.

April 14
Seminar Speaker: Dr. Timothy Mihuc, Director of Lake Champlain Research Institute at SUNY Plattsburgh, presented: “Long-term Patterns in Lake Champlain’s Plankton: the role of Invasive Species and Climate Change”.

April 17
Staff from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services and Little River Band of Ottawa Indians held a collaborative meeting at the LMC.

April 18
Students from Grant Christian Elementary (Newago County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

April 20
Students from Ross Park Elementary (Muskegon County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities.

April 24
Mark Schaub, director of GVSU's Padnos International Center, presented on their “study abroad programs and opportunities” to AWRI faculty and staff.

April 24 & 25
Students from Ada Vista Elementary (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

April 28
Students from Holmes Elementary (Ottawa County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.