Project Idea: McGregor Bay Fishing

I.                   Introduction

a.       The problem and hypothesis. (due to cormorants and zebra mussels)

For a couple weeks every summer, I live north of the Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron with my family.  Specifically, I go to McGregor Bay, Canada for weeks of fishing, water skiing, hiking, canoeing and overall relaxation. Fishing is generally what consumes most of our time and in these waters, northern pike and large and small mouth bass are most commonly caught, with the occasional walleye, trout, musky, salmon, and rainbow trout.         

    My father and his family have owned property in McGregor Bay since the 1960s and have consistently reeled in numerous fish for years. Starting around 1995, my family, along with many other residents, has noticed a huge decrease in fish seen or caught in the bay. It began with an increase of both cormorants and zebra mussels, taking away small fish and algae from the bay.

This project would explore the changes in the Great Lakes, with an emphasis on Lake Huron, in the past 30-20 year. It would examine the climate, industrial/pollutant, animal life and population changes throughout this time. Why has there been a drastic change in the fishing in this bay? How have humans affected this and how has nature affected this change? How are humans changing the bay in other ways? (ie: fish hatcheries)

 II.                History of the bay

III.             Lake Huron / Manitoulin Island  

IV.             Preview of fish: brief description of most fish and change in fish that I have noticed (if any). http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/LakeHuron.html

a.       www.thefishinguide.com

b.      http://www.ontariobassfishing.net/                                                    

          i.      These are for information on different kinds of fish and their natural habitat.

 c.       http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_18958—,00.html

d.      Bass -

e.       Pike

f.       Musky

g.      Walleye

 h.      Rock bass

i.        Trout

j.        salmon

k.      Perch

V.                Zebra Mussels

a.       Where do they come from – problems in other bodies of water

b.      “Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are small, fingernail-sized mussels native to the Caspian Sea region of Asia. They are believed to have been transported to the Great Lakes via ballast water from a transoceanic vessel. The ballast water, taken on in a freshwater European port was subsequently discharged into Lake St. Clair, near Detroit, where the mussel was discovered in 1988. Since that time, they have spread rapidly to all of the Great Lakes and waterways in many states, as well as Ontario and Quebec.”- http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/flora-fauna/invasive/zebra.html (for the effects of zebra Mussels)

c.       How to help.

VI.             Cormorants

a.       Where do they come from – problems in other bodies of water

b.      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormorant

 c.       http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/cormorant/greatlakes_facts.htm                                             

                  i.      Articles about cormorants and their effects

VII.          Water level changes (climate)

a.       Does this have any effect on wildlife?

b.      Superior at record low; Huron could be next                                     

                         i.      http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1191424612184180.xml&coll=4 – Article about the water level changes in the Great Lakes.                                                      

       ii.      http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/09/30/obrien.great.lakes.cnn?iref=videosearch – CNN video of the same topic.  

VIII.       Pollutants

a.       Have people affected this?                         

                                      i.      http://www.great-lakes.net/lakes/huron.html

 1.      Many articles of recent Huron news.

 2.      Ex: Cleanup of polluted Upper Peninsula bay completed, officials say http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/business-13/1190326442136230.xml&storylist=newsmichigan                                      

                      ii.      The Great Lakes
An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/images/photo405.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/glat-ch4.html&h=300&w=294&sz=75&tbnid=-LSLwcMqqvYZqM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dzebra%2Bmussels%26um%3D1&start=2&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=2  

 1.      Source about the recent effects on the Great Lakes in general.  

IX.             Other changes in the bay

a.       New fish: Rainbow trout                                            

                   i.      Downside to Breeding Fish in Captivity Shows Up Early

1.      http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/science/09obbree.html?ref=science – Problems with hatcheries may have a negative impact on the fish as well as changing the environment.                     

                                        ii.      Lake stocked to improve fishing odds

1.      http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=51&cat=23&id=1080090&more=0 – Examples of News Articles of new rainbow trout hatcheries in lakes. 

 b.      Hatcheries

c.       http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/nfhs/offices.htm – information on the effect of hatcheries in Lakes, including the changes they may cause.

 d.      Scientists seek deadly fish virus in Saginaw Bay                  

                                            i.      http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1191944722158620.xml&coll=4 – Article about other potential causes of the death of fish in Lake Huron.

X.                How to make a change

a.       http://www.greatlakes.org/Field_Guide/tableofcontents.asp – How people can make a difference to preserve the Great Lakes. 

 Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2006 : report (to accompan
[Washington, D.C. : U.S. G.P.O., 2006]
14 p. ; 24 cm

An Act to Amend the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990 t
[Washington, D.C. : U.S. G.P.O. : Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., distributor, 2006]
[6] p. ; 24 cm

The Great Lakes water wars / Peter Annin
Washington : Island Press, c2006
xv, 303 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm

Protecting our Great Lakes : ballast water and the impact of invasive speci
Washington : U.S. G.P.O. : For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 2005
iii, 133 p. ; 23 cm

Zebra mussels : biology, impacts, and control / edited by Thomas F. Nalepa,
Boca Raton, Fla. : Lewis Publishers, c1993
810 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 25 cm

9 website sources; 11 books and articles; 1 Video.

-Julia Fouts