Assessing Lake Whitefish Spawning Assessing Lake Whitefish Spawning and Nursery Habitat in the Detroit and Nursery Habitat in the Detroit River International Wildlife RefugeRiver International Wildlife Refuge

Ed Roseman, Greg Kennedy, Bruce Manny, Ed Roseman, Greg Kennedy, Bruce Manny, JerriJerri Nichols Nichols U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, MU.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, MII

&&

Jim Jim BoaseBoaseU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alpena Fishery Resource Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alpena Fishery Resource Office, Alpena, MIAlpena, MI

Historic Detroit River Fish HabitatHistoric Detroit River Fish Habitat

Goodyear et al. (1982) list > 40 species to Goodyear et al. (1982) list > 40 species to spawn in riverspawn in river

Extensive wetlands and riparian nursery Extensive wetlands and riparian nursery habitatshabitats

Connection between spawning areas and Connection between spawning areas and suitable nursery areassuitable nursery areas

Major fish movement corridorMajor fish movement corridor

Grassy Island Pond FisheryGrassy Island Pond Fisherycirca: 1874circa: 1874

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1860

1880

1900

1920

1940

1960

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

0

1 00

2 00

3 00

4 00

5 00

6 00

Detroit RiverLake Erie

Baldwin et al. 1979. Commercial fish production in the Great Lakes. GLFC Tech Rep. No. 3, Ann Arbor, MI.

Markham et al. 2005. Report of the Lake Erie Coldwater Task Group. Lake Erie Committee, Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, Ann Arbor, MI.

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

6

5

4

3

2

1

Thou

sand

s of

Pou

nds M

illions of Pounds

Construction of Livingstone Construction of Livingstone Channel 1907Channel 1907--19161916

BeforeBefore AfterAfter

19071907 19421942

Research GoalsResearch Goals

Identify, quantify, and characterize fish Identify, quantify, and characterize fish reproductive habitat in the Detroit River.reproductive habitat in the Detroit River.

Quantify and characterize larval fish Quantify and characterize larval fish habitat in the Detroit River.habitat in the Detroit River.

Broad Research HypothesesBroad Research Hypotheses

Events in early life history control abundance Events in early life history control abundance at later life stagesat later life stages

Production of fish in the Detroit River is Production of fish in the Detroit River is related to recruitment in Lake Erierelated to recruitment in Lake Erie

Habitat dysfunction limits production of native Habitat dysfunction limits production of native fishesfishes

Spawning Area

Nursery Habitat

CONNECTIVITy

Density

Plankton

Predators

PhysiologyVelocityDirection

DepthLight

BathymetryWater Clarity

Barriers

TimingTemperature

BioticAbiotic

Contaminants

Recruitment

Invasive Species

Identify spawning sites of multiple fish species

Describe physical characteristics of spawning areas

Quantify relative egg abundance and survival

Assess egg viability and physiological condition

Assess predation of fish eggs by fishes

Assess spawning stock characteristics

Objectives of Spawning ResearchObjectives of Spawning Research

Photo CopyrightCy Decosse Inc.

12

3

5

67 8

9

10

1 Upper AmherstburgChannel

2 Elizabeth Park

3 Humbug Island

4 Hole in the Wall

5 Fort Mauldron

6 Sugar Island Cut

7 Celeron Island

8 East Livingston Channel

9 West Livingston Channel

10 Sturgeon Bar

45

2

Spawning Survey Spawning Survey Sample SitesSample Sites

Pilot study in Pilot study in 2005/062005/06

Spring and Fall Spring and Fall Sampling Through Sampling Through

Spring 2008Spring 2008

2005Collection of the first lake whitefish in the river since

early 20th century

Spermiating male

583 mm, 2 kg

1990 Year-class

05

101520253035404550

Abundance Index

AmherstbergCh.

Hole in Wall Trenton Ch.

Collection of several dozen viable fertilized lake whitefish eggs*

Ichthyoplankton Ichthyoplankton

Transit systemTransit systemConnectivity?Connectivity?

InstreamInstream habitathabitatForageForageThermal refugeThermal refugePredatorsPredatorsExotic speciesExotic species

Historic Historic –– diffusediffuse

Connected to nearshoreConnected to nearshore

Larval Fish Larval Fish DispersalDispersal

Present day Present day –– linearlinear

DisconnectedDisconnected

Objectives of Ichthyoplankton ResearchObjectives of Ichthyoplankton Research

Quantify abundance, distribution, and temporal successiondownstream transportplankton physiology

Explore in-river nursery habitat

Evaluate interactions between physical and biological processes

Photo CopyrightCy Decosse Inc.

Ichthyoplankton Ichthyoplankton SurveySurvey

Weekly collectionsWeekly collections

MidMid--March through March through JuneJune

20062006--20082008

ConclusionConclusionMultiMulti--disciplinarydisciplinaryMultiple spatial and temporal scalesMultiple spatial and temporal scalesInteractions between fish and habitatInteractions between fish and habitat

Physical processesPhysical processesExotic speciesExotic speciesPopulation dynamicsPopulation dynamicsSpatial attributesSpatial attributes