Phase I
Data collection
and pictures
Phase
II
Data analysis
Assessing the Health Of Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands
PHASE I OVERVIEW
Great
Lakes coastal wetlands are an integral part of the Great Lakes ecosystem.
They are indicators for progress in maintaining a healthier Great Lakes
environment. Currently there are individual data sets on well-studied
wetlands, yet few basin-wide and binational data are available for research
use and management applications. Our study addressed this need by collecting
and analyzing data in conjunction with other Great Lakes projects, including
the Lake Ontario Biocomplexity project, to form a long-term basin-wide
monitoring plan. In 2002, we selected a set of co-located, wetland-rich
study waters having very different hydrologic settings for efficient and
effective testing of environmental indicators.
These indicators included invertebrates, fish, submerged and emergent wetland plants, water chemistry, water levels, sediment flow, and landscape attributes. Information on cost, effort, and measurability were used to make recommendations on the usefulness and applicability of various methods and metrics across the basin. In year two, the data will be analyzed to determine the degree to which these techniques can be used to make basinwide comparisons and to develop a basin-wide monitoring plan. Our extensive data has been made available for additional Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Consortium indicator tests and evaluations in the context of well characterized wetland systems.
REPORTING AND PRESENTATIONS
PAPER:
Meixler, M. S., K. A. Arend and M. B. Bain. (In press). Importance of wetland habitats for fish community support within protected embayments of Lake Ontario. Journal of Great Lakes Research. In Mackey, S. D. and R. R. Goforth, eds. Great Lakes nearshore and coastal habitats: Special Issue, Journal of Great Lakes Research.
REPORT:
Meixler, M.S. 2003. A test of the variability and usefulness of SOLEC environmental indicators in the coastal wetlands of eastern Lake Ontario. Report by Cornell University, Ithaca, NY to the Great Lakes Commission. 64 pp.
PRESENTATIONS:
Meixler, M. S. 2004. Fish function in littoral and wetlands sites in Lake Ontario embayments. New York Wetlands Forum. Rochester, NY. 31 March.
Meixler, M. S. 2003. Using Lake Ontario Biocomplexity research sites for coastal environmental indicator testing. Great Lakes coastal wetlands consortium project management team meeting. Port Rowan, Ontario, Canada. 12-13 May.
Meixler, M. S. and M. B. Bain. 2003. Using Lake Ontario Biocomplexity research sites for coastal environmental indicator testing. Biocomplexity organizational meeting. Second Meeting. Dryden, NY. 9 January.
Meixler, M. S. 2002. Methods for assessing wetland health. Lake Ontario biocomplexity and wetland indicators site visit. South Colwell Pond, NY. 25-25 September.
PICTURES
Sweep netting - pic1, pic2, pic3
Activity traps - pic1, pic2, pic3, pic4, pic5, pic6, pic7, pic8
Hester dendy - pic1, pic2, pic3, pic4, pic5
Minnow traps - pic1
Fyke nets - pic1, pic2, pic3, pic4
GPS - pic1
Fish - pic1, pic2, pic3, pic4, pic5