Get Habitattitude . . .

Habitattide

It’s a mouthful, but a very important concept for our aquatic natural resources. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are one of the biggest issues plaguing our waterways, altering ecosystems and costing billions of dollars annually across the globe. (Learn more about AIS by reading my previous blog Alien Invaders, and check out our fact sheet Aquatic Invasive Species in the Great Lakes.) They get to new locations in a variety of ways, but one major pathway is the pet and aquarium trade, including ponds and water gardens. If you have a hobby that involves aquatic animals or plants, be a responsible owner! Never release or allow these organisms to escape into our aquatic habitats.

Some real life examples from right here Ohio include:

-Goldfish- One of the world’s most popular pets, and one of the world’s most widespread invasives. Originally from eastern Asia, these attractive fish are cheap, hardy, and easy to find (or win at fairs). They often outlive their welcome, and unknowing owners may release them instead of disposing responsibly. In the wild they can grow to the size of a two-liter bottle, and are responsible for declines in many native fish, invertebrate, and plant species. They are found throughout North America, including all of Ohio.

Goldfish

This large specimen was caught in Cooley Canal near the new Howard Marsh Metropark in Lucas County during a wetland sampling project.

-Hydrilla- Animals aren’t the only thing that can be spread via release. Many plants used in aquaria are non-native, and some can be incredibly aggressive and easy to spread in a new environment. Hydrilla is one of those. It can reproduce vegetatively, meaning small fragments can be carried to new places and start new infestations. It forms thick mats that interfere with water intakes, clogs waterways used for recreation, and blocks sunlight from getting down into the water column. It likely established through aquarium release, but recreational activities have spread it through much of the U.S. In Ohio it is currently found in the Ohio River, Pymatuning Reservoir, and some Cleveland Metroparks waters.

Hydrilla

Hydrilla on outboard boat motor. (http://www.auburn.edu/~webbeec/limnology/hydrilla.htm) 

-Red swamp crayfish- This rather large crayfish native to the southern U.S. has been popular in the pet trade, for classroom study specimens, and as a food item. Each of these pathways has resulted in released animals, and the red swamp crayfish can cover relatively long distances over ground to invade new areas. They eat just about everything they can find, competing with native crayfish and many other wetland species. It’s now throughout much of the U.S. and has a patchy range throughout Ohio, unfortunately including my backyard.

Red swamp crayfish

A red swamp crayfish from my backyard, and it just wants a hug.

-Purple loosestrife- Water gardens are another potential AIS pathway, and this plant is a good example of a bad choice. It was brought to North America in the 1800s because of its brilliant purple flowers, but it soon took over wetland areas (again, including my backyard.) It’s prolific, and can reproduce vegetatively as well as producing millions of seeds each year. Like other AIS, it outcompetes native species and alters the ecosystems that it invades. If you have a water garden, wetland area, or similar, plant native species! We have some native plants that are just as attractive, and a natural part of the ecosystem. You can find some options from the Ohio Invasive Plants Council, or our fact sheet.

Purple loosestrife

A wetland amidst a purple loosestrife invasion. (By liz west (Flickr: loosestrife close) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Ohio Field Guide to AISThose are just a few examples of the many AIS we are dealing with in Ohio. If you’d like to learn more, you’re in luck! I recently partnered with John Navarro from the ODNR Division of Wildlife and our OSU Extension colleague Eugene Braig to develop the Ohio Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species. It provides in-depth descriptions and range maps of 61 species of AIS of concern in Ohio, and tells you how to report them if necessary. If you find yourself in the field often, or know someone who is, please check it out. It can be a great tool to help us protect our aquatic resources.

And remember to get Habitattitude: Never release pets, plants, or bait into the environment!


Tory GabrielTory Gabriel is the Extension Program Leader & Fisheries Outreach Coordinator for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program.

Go Fish (And Earn Two OSU Semester Hours!): Lake Erie Sport Fishing Course at Stone Lab

Western basin walleye

Western basin walleye

Spring is just around the corner, and for many of us that means it’s time to get our fishing rods, reels, and lures in order (and buy a few more, just in case.) Lake Erie is widely known as the Walleye Capital of the World, and the upcoming season looks like it’s going to add to that reputation. At the recent Ohio Charter Captains Conference hosted by Ohio Sea Grant, the Ohio Division of Wildlife told captains that 2018 would be excellent for the tasty fish, both for numbers caught and potential trophies.

Yellow perch

Yellow perch caught on a hand-made lure from the Lake Erie Sport Fishing Course

Smallmouth bass

Smallmouth bass in Put-in-Bay

But walleyes are just one slice of the greater than $1 billion Lake Erie sport fishery. Yellow perch fishing also looks to be great in the western basin and steady in the central basin, while smallmouth bass continue to be the best fighting fish in the lake with plenty to be caught around rocky habitats all over Lake Erie. There’s also plenty of opportunities for white bass, largemouth bass, white and black crappie, bluegill, rock bass, several species of catfish… the list goes on and on.

Channel catfish

Triple header channel catfish

Evening assignment

Evening assignment

For most of those species there is no place better in late spring-early summer than the western basin of Lake Erie. To take advantage of that, Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab are offering the week long Lake Erie Sport Fishing Course June 10-16, 2018. If you know a college student that’s interested in fishing, send them our way. Based on Gibraltar Island, Stone Lab is nestled in one of the greatest fishing hotspots in the entire world. Students will learn about the Lake Erie ecosystem from a sport fishing perspective, along with how to use fishing technology, make their own lures, techniques to target specific species, and much more. These lessons will be put to the test during the daily six-hour fishing excursions aboard a Stone Lab vessel, and it’s suggested you bring a cooler to take home your catch from the week. (Fresh fish, anyone?)

Evening assignment

Evening assignment

Catching bait

Catching bait

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But wait, there’s more! You’ll earn two physical education credits from OSU for your troubles! No need to be an OSU student, as these credits are transferable to most colleges and universities. Know a high schooler preparing for college? They may be eligible too! Check out the Stone Lab application website for more details.

If you’re interested in Lake Erie Sport Fishing but are not a student, check out our three day Sport Fishing Workshop May 18-20. It’s an abbreviated version of the course, but still covers Lake Erie fishing basics and includes daily fishing excursions. Be sure to check out what else is available while you’re on the Stone Lab course website, as there are many other courses and workshops available throughout the summer that might also appeal to you or your students. Come for the sport fishing, stay for the biology.

Class size is limited due to boat space, so sign up now! I hope to see you or your student at Stone Lab this summer. Tight lines.


Tory GabrielTory Gabriel is the Extension Program Leader & Fisheries Outreach Coordinator for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program.

What the HACCP?

The title says it all. Most people probably haven’t heard of the HACCP process before, and those that have are likely familiar with it in the food service industry. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, and it was developed in the 1960’s as a way to prevent astronauts from being exposed to food borne illness. The process was since adopted by the FDA thanks to its effectiveness in preventing the spread of disease via processing and packaging of food.

So why is this Sea Grant fish guy talking about astronaut food?

In a dramatic turn of events, folks from the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network adopted this process years ago and used it to prevent the spread of invasive species and diseases and ensure quality control in the Great Lakes seafood and bait fish industries. Other thoughtful Sea Grant and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees morphed the process even more to address the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in natural resource management activities. (If you’re not familiar with AIS, check out my previous CD blog on Alien Invaders.)

Invasive goldfish in a Lake Erie wetland- How many potential vectors of spreading AIS do you see in this picture?
(Some answers: boat, buckets, waders, net, coat)

As it turns out, this process is pretty successful in preventing the spread of AIS. So much so that there are a number of folks across the country that are certified to train natural resource managers on using the HACCP process in their work. That list includes my colleagues Jenny Roar and Eugene Braig, who along with myself will be hosting an AIS-HACCP workshop at Stone Laboratory August 28-29, 2017.

If your work finds you in the field, then you are a potential vector for spreading AIS, and you should strongly consider taking this workshop. If you know a natural resource professional, please forward along the information so they can help us protect our natural resources from the scourge of invasive species. Even if you’re not a professional in the field but enjoy outdoor recreation, remember to always take steps to prevent the spread of invasive species!

  • Learn to recognize AIS and report new sightings to the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
  • Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!Clean, Drain, Dry! When using boats or other aquatic recreational equipment, before leaving the water access: inspect and remove foreign material, drain water from all containers (bilge, livewell, etc.), clean with high pressure and/or heated water, and allow to dry for at least five days before transporting between bodies of water. Learn more at stopaquatichitchhikers.org/.
  • Dispose of unwanted bait, worms and fish parts in the trash.
  • HabitatitudeGet Habitattitude! Never dump aquarium pets, plants, other organisms, or water, including bait, from one water body into another. Learn more at www.habitattitude.net/.

For more information on AIS-HACCP, or AIS in the Great Lakes, contact me at gabriel.78@osu.edu.

Credits:

Title stolen from the creative brain of Sarah Orlando.

Photos and captions from USF&WS AIS HACCP Manual

Tory Gabriel is an Extension Specialist, Program Manager for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

non-target species

Alien Invaders

They are all around us. Many humans interact with them on a daily basis. Even if you don’t have direct contact with them personally, all of us are impacted by their mere presence. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some of them are terrifying, others falsely appear harmless, and still others are so tiny they are invisible to the naked eye.  I’m focusing on the ones that live in Lake Erie.

Aquatic Invasive Species

“Take me to your leader” (Photo by T. Lawrence, Great Lakes Fishery Commission)

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about aquatic invasive species (AIS). They go by many names: alien, introduced, exotic, non-indigenous, non-native. All of these descriptors just mean that it’s an organism that has been brought to a new environment where it doesn’t belong. If that new organism causes some harm, it is known as an invasive species. As in … it’s invading and taking over the new environment, causing harmful impacts on the aquatic natural resources and on the human use of these resources. Some of these species can cost communities millions of dollars due to pricey control efforts, damage to facilities and property, and negative impacts to local tourism opportunities.

According to the Great Lakes Aquatic Non-indigenous Species Information System, there are over 180 non-indigenous species reported to have reproducing populations in the Great Lakes basin, many of which are in Lake Erie. They’ve come from a variety of places and continue to spread, always with human help. Some major pathways include ballast water from international shipping vessels, aquarium introductions, intentional or accidental stocking, and barrier removal (such as shipping canals around Niagara Falls).

Controlling AIS

“If only controlling AIS in Lake Erie could be this much fun…” (Photo from www.gamefabrique.com)

So how can you help in the fight against these alien invaders?

  • Learn to recognize AIS and report new sightings to the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
  • Clean, Drain, Dry! When using boats or other aquatic recreational equipment, before leaving the water access: inspect and remove foreign material, drain water from all containers (bilge, livewell, etc.), clean with high pressure and/or heated water, and allow to dry for at least five days before transporting between bodies of water. Learn more at www.protectyourwaters.net.
  • Dispose of unwanted bait, worms and fish parts in the trash
  • Get Habitattitude! Never dump aquarium pets, plants, other organisms, or water, including bait, from one water body into another. Learn more at http://www.habitattitude.net/.
Independence Day movie poster

“We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight!”  (Photo from www.IMDB.com)

For more information on AIS in the Great Lakes, check out the resources below or contact me at gabriel.78@osu.edu. And good luck to you as you join us in the fight to stop these alien invaders!

Tory Gabriel is the Extension Program Leader & Fisheries Outreach Coordinator (Ohio Sea Grant College Program).

 

Summertime, and the living’s easy…

Ok, so maybe summertime doesn’t give most of us reprieve from long hours and a constant barrage of emails, but it sure seems to make those things more tolerable. And if you’re wise enough to take some time for yourself and get outside, you can almost feel the stress melt away. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to accomplish this than a trip to Lake Erie, Ohio’s greatest natural resource.

Gabriel Lake Erie 2016-06-23

The view from my temporary office at Stone Lab on Gibraltar Island near Put-in-Bay, Ohio.

I admit to some bias, as I’m writing this from beautiful Gibraltar Island while teaching the Lake Erie Sport Fishing course at Stone Lab. But there really is something for everyone up here on the north shore. How about a trip to Cedar Point, recognized as one of the best amusement parks in the world?  If adrenaline isn’t your thing, how about visiting one of the many local wineries popping up along the Lake Erie shore?

Into history? Come to Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island and check out Perry’s monument and learn how pivotal this part of Ohio was in the War of 1812. And make sure to stop by the Aquatic Visitors Center run by Ohio Sea Grant & Stone Lab. If you come on a Wednesday, make time to take the tour of Stone Lab and say hi to us. The tour runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the $10 fee supports student scholarships.

And of course there’s the fishing and boating. There’s a great resource available from our friends at Coastal Management that lets you find all the public access spots along the lake. Don’t have your own boat? Check out the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association website to find a charter captain, or call in to your destination county Visitor Bureau (like the Ottawa County Lake Erie Shores and Islands office) to see who they recommend, or get a ton of other ideas. Local bait shops are great sources of information too.

If none of these ideas suit you, don’t forget to consider the beautiful beaches, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, paddleboards, parasailing, sailing, camping, bird watching and so many other opportunities that await you here along Lake Erie’s shore. Do yourself a favor – make the quick drive north this summer. Sometimes the water is all you need to cleanse your soul.

Tory Gabriel is the Extension Program Leader & Fisheries Outreach Coordinator for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program.

What is Ohio Sea Grant?

For more than 30 years, Ohio Sea Grant (OHSG) has employed a strong combination of research, education and outreach in partnership with academia, governmental agencies and the private sector to address the most important environmental and economic issues affecting Lake Erie and the surrounding watershed.

Finding Solutions through Research

Sea Grant Research 2016-01-21

OHSG aims to solve the critical issues facing Lake Erie with research, and also funds scientists from throughout the region. Many of these scientists take advantage of research facilities at OHSG’s Stone Laboratory. Current research focuses on harmful algal blooms, phosphorus loading, and restoring native wetlands, for example.

Learn more about our research at ohioseagrant.osu.edu/research.

Training Tomorrow’s Workforce and Scientists

Sea Grant Stone Lab 2016-01-21

Stone Laboratory is the Ohio State University’s island campus and a key educational facility for OHSG. Established in 1895, it is the oldest freshwater biological field station in the United States. Stone Lab offers around 25 college courses each summer to undergraduate and graduate students, advanced high school students, and educators. In addition, as many as 6,000 students in grades 4 – 12 and other groups take part in Stone Laboratory’s Lake Erie Field Trip Program annually.

Learn more about Stone Lab by visiting stonelab.osu.edu.

Assisting Citizens, Communities, Industries, and Decision Makers

OHSG encourages better understanding, conservation, and use of Lake Erie resources. Spanning Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline, five OHSG Extension Educators apply their research and expertise to develop and deliver programs for a healthy environment and economy. Sometimes this involves one-on-one interaction such as answering questions about Lake Erie at a trade show, the Aquatic Visitors Center, or on the Lake Erie Discussion Board. Other times, it’s about training elected officials about Lake Erie issues so they can make informed decisions that impact all of us.

Sea Grant 2016-01-21

Whether you’re a resident of the Lake Erie watershed, a Lake Erie enthusiast, or just want to learn more about Ohio’s greatest natural resource, please contact us at Ohio Sea Grant! You can check out our calendar of events, or follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram). We look forward to hearing from you!

(Submitted by Tory Gabriel, Extension Program Leader and Fisheries Outreach Coordinator for Ohio Sea Grant)

All photos: Ohio Sea Grant

The Lake Erie Resource

Lake Erie Resource #1 2015-08-06

In most years there are more fish caught out of Lake Erie for human consumption than all of the other Great Lakes combined! (Photo: Ohio Sea Grant)

Lake Erie is arguably one of the most important lakes in the world. It’s the southernmost, shallowest, and warmest of all the Great Lakes, which makes it the most productive. While power generation is a major use of Lake Erie water, the most important may be that it serves as drinking water for 11 million people. It’s also an unmatched recreational resource for Ohioans as over 30 million people live within a day’s drive.

While fishing is king in the “Walleye Capital of the World,” people come from all over to enjoy boating, beaches, sailing, diving, birding and a variety of other outdoor activities. This amounts to around $11.5 billion and 117,000 jobs annually from the eight Ohio counties bordering Lake Erie. This is more than a quarter of the tourism revenue for the entire state.

In order to keep reaping the benefits of the resource, we need to keep taking care of the resource. With that in mind, Ohio Sea Grant has identified six critical issues that we’re working on to make sure we sustain a healthy Lake Erie.

  1. Sedimentation and dredging: When we get big rain events, we get a lot of dirt flowing into Lake Erie. Shipping lanes get full and need dredged, which comes at a big cost and can stir up toxins that have settled to the bottom.
  2. Phosphorus and nutrient loading: With the sediment comes the phosphorus and other nutrients. It can come from agriculture, urban runoff, combined sewer overflows, over fertilized lawns and a handful of other sources. It’s basically fertilizer for algae.
  3. Harmful algal blooms (HABs): When there’s too much phosphorus and the water gets warm in mid to late summer, we see major blooms of blue green algae, aka cyanobacteria, that can produce very powerful toxins. You shouldn’t swim in the blooms, and definitely don’t ingest it or let your pets drink it. If it gets in drinking water supplies it can be difficult to treat, which was the cause of Toledo’s issues last summer.
  4. Dead zones: As the algae and other living things die and break down at the bottom of the lake, vital oxygen gets used up. Sometimes this can cause pockets of no oxygen where fish and other aquatic life cannot survive.
  5. Aquatic Invasive Species: There are dozens of plants and animals that have been introduced to Lake Erie. They often out-compete our native species. This can cause irreparable damage to the ecosystem and cost millions of dollars to try to combat.
  6. Climate Change: We’ve seen more intense storms more frequently, and warmer temperatures more often. This can make the other issues even worse.
Lake Erie Resource #2 2015-08-06

Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island. (Photo: Ohio Sea Grant)

Despite all of these issues, Lake Erie is still Ohio’s greatest natural resource and a great place to visit no matter how you prefer to enjoy the water. So how can you help keep the critical issues in check?

  • Use phosphate-free lawn care products.
  • Regularly check your septic system. Damaged septic systems can contaminate nearby waters.
  • Reduce the amount of water you send to the water treatment plant. Install low-flow toilets and rain barrels.
  • Plant native plants along shorelines and ditches. These plants can filter out fertilizers and are essentially maintenance-free.

Check out ohioseagrant.osu.edu for more information, or contact me if you have questions. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I hope to see you up here on Lake Erie!

(Submitted by Tory Gabriel, Fisheries Outreach Coordinator, Ohio Sea Grant College Program)

A Word about Water Resources

No matter who you are or where you’re from, clean water is essential to your daily life. Always has been, always will be.  And yet it’s easy to take for granted. Most of us don’t think much about where our water is coming from or worry about its cleanliness on a daily basis. I must admit I’m biased coming from the Sea Grant world, but I was a bit surprised at how little the topic came up in the Futuring discussions at Annual Conference. Obviously things like economics and education will continue to be drivers of society. But to be able to focus on those major pillars, we need to continue to improve the management of our water resources.

Clean Water 2014-12-18

Photo credit: Ohio Sea Grant

That is precisely the mission of Sea Grant; to provide programs that lead to the responsible use of our water resources through informed decisions. That covers a lot of ground, so we break it down into four main focus areas:

  • Healthy Coastal Ecosystems
  • Resilient Communities and Economies
  • Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture
  • Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development

If you have questions on anything Lake Erie related, Ohio Sea Grant has you covered. We’ve recently been in the news for our work on things like harmful algae blooms (HABs) and phosphorus, but we’ve also been hard at work battling aquatic invasive species, creating resilient communities and engaging the next generation of environmental leaders.

OSU Extension Sea Grant Lake Erie Charter Boat Captains

Photo credit: Ken Chamberlain

Personally, I’m currently focused on the Sustainable Fisheries aspect. There are over 650 charter boat captains licensed to fish on Ohio’s Lake Erie, and for many of them fishing is a way of life. Ohio’s charter boat fleet is the largest in the Great Lakes and one of the largest in the world. That fleet is a major economic driver for Ohio’s coastal economies, and a healthy Lake Erie is essential to their success.

We partner with Lake Erie charter captains on a variety of programs throughout the year from youth fishing programs to monitoring HABs. The longest running example is the Annual Ohio Charter Captains Conference. The program covers laws and requirements, fisheries management, best business practices, new technology and equipment, and the health of Lake Erie. We typically see 25% of the licensed captains in attendance, and 74% of responding captains in 2014 stated that information from the conference will help to keep their business going or advance professionally.

The 34th Annual Ohio Charter Captains Conference is scheduled for March 7, 2015 at BGSU Firelands Campus in Huron, Ohio. Contact me (gabriel.78@osu.edu) to learn more about the conference or to ask any questions regarding Lake Erie. For information on Ohio Sea Grant visit ohioseagrant.osu.edu.

Have a happy holiday season, and enjoy the water!

(Submitted by Tory Gabriel, Fisheries Outreach Coordinator, Ohio Sea Grant Program)

Sign up now for Lake Erie Sport Fishing Class & Workshop

Go to school to learn how to fish? You bet!! Enhance your fishing skills this summer with the following credit and non-credit sport fishing courses at Stone Lab on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie:

Lake Erie Sport Fishing – June 15-21 (KNSFHP 1140.05/2.0 undergraduate credit hours)
1-week, for-credit Course at Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie

Stone LabThis one-week course is an introduction to techniques and equipment used in Lake Erie sport fishing combining Lake Erie angling trips (extensive on-water training) with lectures that include related aquatic science information. Students are required to live in Stone Laboratory housing on Gibraltar Island. Click here for complete information, including course description, syllabus and tuition/housing costs and fees. Register soon!

Lake Erie Sport Fishing Workshop – August 29-31
3-day, non-credit Workshop at Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie

Sport Fishing Workshop 2014In this non-credit workshop, you will learn technical concepts used by experienced Lake Erie anglers through personal instruction and fishing experience aboard Stone Lab’s vessel R/V Gibraltar III. Bypass empty water and increase fishing effectiveness by learning gamefish behavior and seasonal movements,  strategies using specialized gear, recognizing feeding patterns and selecting tackle and gear. Walleye fishing will be the primary activity; however, time will be allotted for smallmouth and largemouth bass, panfish and yellow perch. Deadline to apply is June 27. Workshop fee is $450. Cost includes room and meals for two nights and three days. Click here for complete information about the workshop, including description, agenda and application process.

(Submitted by Tory Gabriel, Fisheries Outreach Coordinator, Ohio Sea Grant College Program)