Why is the Ecosystem important?

The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem is the largest body of freshwater in the world. It holds 18 percent of the world’s supply of fresh water; covers 95,000 square miles with 9,000 miles of shoreline; includes 5,000 tributaries; and has a drainage area of 288,000 square miles. More than 35 million people live in the Basin and depend upon its natural resources. Map of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem and USFWS field stations within the basin Courtesy of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team website The extensive natural resources of the Basin provide numerous opportunities for varied of migratory birds. Specifically, 31 species of stocks, development and implementation of fish and wildlife related activities, drinking migratory non-game birds of management recovery plans, and development of fish water, recreation, production of concern to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service passage technology. Identify, coordinate, and hydroelectricity, industrial water supply, (Service) occur in this ecosystem. undertake activities with appropriate internal waste disposal, and commercial navigation. and external partners. Water-related outdoor recreational activities are valued at $15 billion annually, of which What is the Great Lakes Basin Successes sport fishing activities contribute $4 billion. Ecosystem Team? Through the Ecosystem Team, the Lake Sturgeon Committee has taken a leadership The Great Lakes Basin supports a variety of The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team is role in trying to coordinate and standardize fish and wildlife species of concern. Fish composed of 43 U. S. Fish and Wildlife lake sturgeon genetics activities in the Great species of special interest include lake trout, Service field stations in the Great Lakes Lakes Basin. The genetics workshop lake sturgeon, lake whitefish, walleye, ecosystem that represent a range provided a forum for biologists, managers, landlocked Atlantic salmon, and associated of Service programs including forage fish species. Native mussels are being Fisheries, National Wildlife seriously impacted by the exotic zebra mussel Refuges, and Law Enforcement. and are in danger of extirpation. The Basin Through the Team and its provides critical breeding, feeding, and partners in the ecosystem, the resting areas, as well as migration corridors, Service addresses landscape- for waterfowl, colonial nesting birds, scale resource objectives using neotropical migrants, and many other species an ecosystem approach.

Lake sturgeon tagging efforts in the Great Lakes basin The Great Lakes Basin Photo Credit: USFWS Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Office Ecosystem Team is focusing much of its efforts on the basin-wide issues of and geneticists to discuss the current state-of- lake sturgeon restoration and island the-art knowledge, identify information conservation. Although there are a myriad of needs, and standardize further collection and critical issues in the Great Lakes basin, the analysis of genetic samples. Team decided on these issues in order to make strides in the areas of lake sturgeon and In September 2000, 25,000 copies of the islands over and above the work that the brochure Lake Sturgeon: Giant of the Great Service was already doing in the basin. Lakes were distributed to Service field stations across the Great Lakes basin. The Restoration of Lake Sturgeon brochure will serve as an effective tool to educate the public about the biology, fishing

Objectives history, status, and conservation of lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes. Restore the lake sturgeon throughout the Picture of streambank restoration site Photo Credit: USFWS Lower Great Lakes Fishery Great Lakes through population assessment, Resources Office assessment of the genetic make-up of various The Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon web page acquisition, environmental review, and Goals (midwest.fws.gov/sturgeon) consolidates management planning, and provide a valuable • The GLBET GIS/DSS will be expanded in information from numerous Service field tool for communication and outreach. the future to include the remaining Great stations, resource agencies, and universities Lakes basins. Each individual lake basin will conducting lake sturgeon projects in the Great Goals Lakes Basin. The web page also serves to • Collaborate with the educate the public and scientific community GIS/DSS committee to about the Service roles, responsibilities, and gather pre-existing activities regarding depleted native species information on the Great such as lake sturgeon. Lakes islands. • Begin to use the Goals Decision Support System • Develop an inventory of Great Lakes to develop strategies for tributaries that currently and historically conservation of Great provided lake sturgeon populations and Lakes islands. habitat. Explore opportunities to provide the • Develop a brochure for inventory in a GIS format. This effort will outreach and public help to identify and prioritize restoration and education efforts. fish passage opportunities and needs. • Construct kiosks that • Develop an inter-agency database for lake will be strategically sturgeon tagging information collected by the located at high public use Service and its partners to assist in planning areas to provide and conducting restoration efforts. information on the importance of islands and Screen shot of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team GIS Decision Support System for Lake Islands Pilot Conservation of Great Lakes Islands the Service’s efforts in conserving them. have its own application, which the user can Objectives install on his/her computer. Recognize the importance of island to Geographic Information Systems and • Migration of the current GIS/DSS to more wildlife - particularly migratory birds, fish, Decision Support Systems advanced software and applications can and endangered species - and the need to increase the functionality and ability of the complete an overall assessment of the islands Objectives system for better resource management and for protection and restoration efforts. Geo-spatial data can assist management decision making. efforts in the Great Lakes basin at many scales ranging from small, site-specific projects to basin-wide examinations. Contacts Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Team Leader Decision Support Systems (DSS) are Rich Greenwood ([email protected]) mechanisms that can be used to provide managers with geo-spatial information Lake Sturgeon Committee needed to make sound resource management Tracy Hill ([email protected]) decisions. Islands Committee Successes Leslie Tewinkel ([email protected])

The Great Lakes GIS/DSS committee GIS/DSS Committee determined existing GIS capabilities of the Chris Castiglione ([email protected]) programs and field stations within Region 3 Aerial picture of Strawberry Island, , Buffalo, NY and 5 of the USFWS. This analysis has lead Photo Credit: USFWS Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Office Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team Website to the development of the Draft Great Lakes http://greatlakes.fws.gov Successes Basin Ecosystem GIS/DSS Implementation The Great Lakes Islands Committee has Strategic Plan. Information on this fact sheet was gathered from the collaborated with a group of team members USFWS – Region 3 Great Lakes FY2000 Accomplishments Report, Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem with expertise in Geographic Information With the collaboration from the USGS Upper Team Website, and the GIS/DSS Pilot Systems (GIS) and Decision Support Midwest Environmental Sciences Center and Project factsheet. Systems (DSS) to create an inventory of the USGS Great Lakes Science Center , the Great Lakes Islands. A computerized pilot GIS/DSS committee completed the GLBET DSS has been developed for islands in Lake Pilot GIS/DSS for Lake Michigan Islands. Michigan, incorporating GIS databases and a This system provides the Island committee, variety of non-spatial information. The DSS refuge personnel, and other interested parties will be made accessible from the desktop of the ability to answer questions related to all Service field stations that manage islands within the Great Lakes basin using resources within the Basin. The DSS will spatial and non-spatial data. facilitate decision-making for land