Researchers Breed Arctic Cod, for the First Time, As Sea Ice Melts

This one’s a little beyond the Great Lakes, but interesting nonetheless …

Photos and video courtesy Vancouver Aquarium.

Biologists at the Vancouver Aquarium have announced a milestone: They’ve successfully hatched and reared Arctic cod, in a lab. It’s the first time in North America, and probably the world.

This one is important for many reasons, the Canadian researchers say:

Not only are Arctic cod a keystone species, playing a big part in the food chain, but sea ice is melting faster in the Arctic than scientists had predicted (and those predictions were pretty grim).

Arctic cod, termed as “at risk” by Environment Canada, live nine months of the year under the ice. Less ice, possibly less time to live, so it’s important to study how climate changes will impact these creatures.

But since these cod live most of their lives under the ice, they’re not the easiest species to study, from the cost of accessing their remote natural habitats to the challenging weather conditions under which they have to be studied. See some b-roll below.

How many hatchlings? The biologists say they’ve reared several hundred cod to the juvenile stage, working over six months. The process has all been documented and promises to have beneficial research implications.

“Rearing Arctic cod is a delicate and intensive process, and the early development stages are critical to the livelihood of the cod,” says Danny Kent, curator at the Vancouver Aquarium.“The Arctic cod larvae and eggs are extremely fragile and require meticulous and constant expert care to thrive. Successfully bringing the larvae to the juvenile stage could be a stepping stone to future research on this very important species.”

Arctic cod live in parts of Northern Canada, including the Beaufort Sea, the Arctic Archipelago, Hudson Bay, Baffin Bay, and along the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland. They’re called a key species because they’re a primary food source for narwhals, belugas and ringed seals — which polar bears, and Inuit communities, depend upon for sustenance.

Arctic cod are kind of a “canary in the cold mine” for the Arctic ecosystem, you might say.

“Scientists are seeing increasing ocean temperatures, even in the Arctic,” according to John Nightingale, president and CEO of the Vancouver Aquarium.

“What we don’t know today is how this change will impact key species like the Arctic cod. Successfully rearing Arctic cod at the Aquarium means scientists can study aspects of their lives that previously were difficult, if not, impossible to study.”

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Happy Fish, Environmental Citizenship & the Michigan Envirothon

The Michigan Environment Report, as heard @ 9 a.m. Eastern on Fridays @ Q-90.1 FM …

Photo by Jon Evans

Fish Passage

Fish are moving again in a Northeast Michigan trout stream.

Ten road-stream crossings over Silver Creek, a stream that flows into a tributary of Lake Huron, were recently improved by the Huron Pines conservation group.

The new culverts allow fish and other aquatic critters to move throughout the creek.

The old crossings either blocked the natural movement of fish or contributed to sediment runoff, and covered prime fish spawning areas.

The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition calls the Silver Creek Project a success story.

The $600,000 project was also involved state, federal and private agencies. Huron Pines is headquartered in Grayling.

Patience is a Virtue

Are you a good environmental citizen?

If you’re patient, persistent and confident, the answer is yes.

Michigan State University researchers have been studying the character traits of good problem solves and deliberators.

They say that when people are talking about tough issues, like climate change and sustainability, certain virtues help discussions go more smoothly.

To be a good environmental citizen, then, you should possess virtues that make people feel included and engaged, while producing results.

That includes 14 traits, such as friendliness, empathy, courage, temperance, sincerity, humility, self-confidence, and patience.

The problem, say the researchers, is that educational system isn’t preparing people to deal with environmental issues that are sure to be increasingly discussed in years to come.

Teams Needed

The Envirothon is on.

The 2012 Canon Envirothon competition is looking for participants from Great Lakes states.

According to Great Lakes Echo, teams will compete in outdoor challenges that test their understanding of soils, land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and current environmental issues.

Students also can conduct volunteer projects and give presentations about their experiences.

The Michigan Envirothon program is planning regional competitions during March throughout the state, including one in Grayling and another in Lapeer.

A state competition is planned for May at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie.
The national competition is held in Pennsylvania in July.

For more information, see the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts website at macd.org

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Mich Enviro Report: Coal in your Life, Heat Wave Tips & Lake Management Plans

As heard on Delta College Q-90.1 FM, July 22, 2011:

1.

How much coal is in your life? 

If you live in Bay County, you may be at a greater risk for respiratory illness or mercury exposure due to emissions from coal-fired power plants.

The information comes from the Sierra Club, which has designed a tool to localize the impact of coal in people’s lives.

Most electricity in the Saginaw Bay area, and nationwide, is generated by coal-fired power plants.

The tool uses information on your ZIP code and fish consumption habits, along with data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The tool gives each user a 1 out of 10 score. The higher the score, the higher the potential threat to your health from coal pollution.

For more information, see coalinyourlife.org.

2.

You’ve probably noticed that it’s been hot outside.

Here are a number of ways to cut your air conditioning and electric bill, or cool off your house if you don’t have air conditioning. The tips come from Earth 911, an environmental services company.

No. 1: Use two fans, one to pull outside air into your home, and another at an opposite window to blow interior air outside.

Other tips: Cook outside on the grill to keep the heat from a stove or oven outside of your house.

You also can pull the shades, and consider getting insulated blinds that can help keep out the summer heat.

According to Energy Star, up to half of the energy used in a home goes to heating and cooling.

3.

Lakewide Management Plan reports have been released for the five Great Lakes.

The annual reports highlight accomplishments in restoring and protecting the lakes, and current management challenges that U.S. and Canadian agencies say they are trying to address.

According to the report for Lake Huron, the lake’s biodiversity is in “fair” condition.

Critical threats include non-native species; incompatible housing development and shoreline alteration; climate change; dams;
and pollution from non-point sources due to agriculture,
forestry and urban land uses.

Another concern: A Type E botulism outbreak in Southern Georgian Bay.

The latest occurred in the fall of 2010, and killed lake sturgeon, gulls and loons.

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Photo by Señor Codo

Mich Enviro Report: EPA Regs, Native Plants & a Ballast Water Deal

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As heard on the March 11, 2011, broadcast of Friday Edition on Delta College Q-90.1 FM

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Friday Edition recently won a merit award from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, so you might say this is the latest broadcast from “the award-winning” Mr. Great Lakes …

1.

Scientists from Michigan universities are part of a statewide effort to oppose what they say are attacks on the authority of the EPA.

More than 150 scientists, including professors from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, have signed a letter to Congress, calling on Michigan lawmakers to resist attempts to weaken the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

The letter asks lawmakers to reject any measure to block or delay the EPA from protecting people from air pollution and human-induced climate change. The scientists assert that efforts to dilute the EPA’s authority will put health, agriculture, the environment and the economy at risk.

According to Stephen Hamilton, a professor from Michigan State University, each year of delay on greenhouse gas regulation commits the US to years worth of severe effects on the climate.

A recent statewide poll showed that Michigan voters support the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from large industrial sources.

2.

Spring officially starts on March 20. It’s time to round up your gardening supplies and ideas.

Using native plants in your yard and gardens can help conserve water. And natives also attract beneficial insects, according to the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy.

Experts at Michigan State University have created a website on native plants, which explains which ones to choose.

The site lists 26 of the best Michigan native perennials for attracting beneficial insects.

What are beneficial insects? Bug that eat other insects, and provide natural pest control in your garden. These natural enemies are attracted to flowering plants, like many native Michigan varieties.

3.

There’s a new development in the fight against invasive species in the Great Lakes.

A settlement has been announced between the EPA and conservation organizations including the National Wildlife Federation and the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The bottom line: the EPA will be required to create a new permit system that regulates ballast water discharges from commercial vessels based on numeric limits.

Invasive species introduced to the lakes via ballast water include the zebra mussel and spiny water flea.

The settlement requires the EPA to complete scientific reviews of steps that ships should take to prevent the introduction of more invasives to the lakes.

The hope is that the agreement will prompt the EPA to treat so-called living pollution as aggressively as oil spills and toxic releases. Ships will be required to adopt technologies to treat their ballast water.

A draft of the new permit is due by November 2011. Ship owners will have until December 2013 to comply with the new standards.

The NRDC has more info.

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Michigan Enviro Report: Christmas Bird Count, Solar in Bay City, Asian Carp Comments

From the Dec. 17, 2010, Friday Edition Environment Report on Delta College Q-90.1 FM:

1.

Photo Credit: Steve Ryan, Flickr

Citizen scientists are out and about in Michigan for the annual Christmas Bird Count.

The count began this week and lasts until Jan. 5.

According to Michigan Audubon, data gathered by volunteers during the count is used to assess the health of bird populations, and to guide conservation action.

This year’s count will be held in spots including Oscoda, Bay City, Higgins and Houghton lakes, Huron County and Tawas City.

Some history: In the 1980′s Christmas Bird Count data documented the decline of wintering populations of the American Black Duck. After that, conservation measures were put in place to reduce hunting pressure on this species.

Last year, the count was instrumental in documenting range shifts of birds due to climate change.

Anyone from experienced birders to parents and kids can participate in the count. For more information, see michiganaudubon.org.

2.

A new solar array is gathering energy from the sun at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality office in Bay City.

State officials say the 10-kilowatt array will help make the office more energy efficient.

The array includes a total of 44 panels, which sit atop a structure at the north end of the property.

The building already generates power from 50-kilowatt wind turbine, visible from the Independence Bridge.

The latest improvements may earn a building an upgraded Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, under a program known as LEED. The solar panels will not only gather energy from the sun, but also pull power from parking lot lighting at night, officials say.

The solar array was funded by federal stimulus money. It came from a vendor in Novi and was installed by a contractor from Flint.

3.

If you’re concerned about Asian carp in the Great Lakes, listen up.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking comments until March 31 on the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study.

In other words, the Corps is studying ways to prevent invasive species like Asian carp from swimming between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.

That includes exploring a physical separation of the two basins.

Public meetings on the study are planned for Jan. 27 in Traverse City and Feb. 3 in Ann Arbor.

But you also can make comments online.

Friday Edition: Offshore Wind, PB&J and Smog

Flickr via RVWithTito

From Nov. 19 Environment Report on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College.

1.

Michigan legislators including Jeff Mayes of Bay City have unveiled a plan to guide wind energy development in the Great Lakes.

The bipartisan legislation, introduced in the House and Senate, would offer greater community control in the development of offshore wind energy projects.

According to Dan Scripps of Leland, the plan would put a framework in place to attract beneficial wind projects to MIchigan.

Under the legislation, at least four public hearings would be required before an offshore wind project is approved.

The law also would prohibit wind projects from being built within six miles of the Michigan shoreline, unless communities agree to an exemption.

Lawmakers say time is of the essence. They say Michigan needs to pass the guidelines before the end of the year, or risk losing out on development opportunities for offshore wind, and associated jobs.

The legislation is based on recommendations from the Michigan Great Lakes Wind Council, or GLOW.

The council includes Bay County Executive Thomas L. Hickner, and held a public input meeting earlier this year at Saginaw Valley State University.

2.
Are you concerned about climate change?

Try eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Seriously.

According to the PB&J campaign, an online nonprofit, a plant-based lunch like peanut butter and jelly will reduced your carbon footprint by 2.5 pounds of emissions compared to an animal-based lunch like a hamburger or chicken nuggets.

Those 2.5 pounds of emissions at lunch are about 40 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions you’d save driving around for the day in a hybrid instead of a standard sedan.

The PB&J campaign is supported by a registered charity called Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs and can be found at pbjcampaign.org.

Sure, it’s a goofy way of discussing climate change. But the Great Lakes could benefit from more PB&Js, based on predictions from government scientists.

The potential effects of climate change on human health in the Great Lakes region are of concern, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Weather disturbances, drought, and changes in temperature and growing season brought on by climate change could affect crops and food production in the basin. Changes in air pollution patterns as a result of climate change also could affect respiratory health, causing asthma, and new disease vectors and agents could migrate into the region.

— Photo Credit: RVWithTito

3.

The American Lung Association of Michigan is one of a handful of groups in the state to endorse pending EPA pollution limits for smog.

A national coalition of more than 200 public health, advocacy and faith-based groups is endorsing the limits, which they say would save 12,000 lives and prevent tens of thousands of asthma and heart attacks each year.

The groups cite research that shows stronger limits on ozone would do more to protect public health.

Smog, also called ground-level ozone, is connected to emissions from factories, power plants and motor vehicle exhaust, when chemicals react in the presence of sunlight.

Ozone burns lungs and airways, and cause everything from chest pain and coughing to premature death. Children and seniors are particularly vulnerable.

The EPA plans to release a new smog standard by the end of the year. Stricter standards would require businesses to spend billions of dollars on new pollution controls.

Great Lakes Lessons & Michigan’s First Net Zero Home

Mr. Great Lakes writes more than this blog, by the way. Which explains why it isn’t updated as much as it should be. With that in mind, I offer a couple of items from the Mr. Great Lakes Grab Bag, written by me, about Michigan:

From OnEarth Magazine: Great Lakes Lessons for Students and Teachers

“School has never been so cool, now that teachers in Michigan (and anywhere else there’s a connection to the Internet) are tapping into the power of a living, breathing ecosystem: the Great Lakes. Using data from these freshwater seas, Michigan Sea Grant is assisting educators and engaging students in real-deal science.”

From TreeHugger.com: America’s Oldest & Michigan’s First Net Zero Energy Home (Photos)

If you want a super, energy-efficient home, you have to build new, right? Not necessarily. A 110-year-old Victorian home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is being touted as America’s oldest net-zero energy house, and the first of its kind in the state.

Thanks for visiting.

Wild and Scenic Enviro Film Fest in Marquette

Soak up some environmental entertainment. Yes, climate change, food security and water quality can be entertaining, if they’re presented with popcorn.

I’m talking about the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, which is on a national tour and hits Marquette, Michigan, on Nov. 4. I had never heard of it either — just one more reason to spotlight the event here.

This year’s Marquette stop is the second annual, and will be held at 6 p.m. in Jamrich Hall on the campus of Northern Michigan University. The hosts are the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, Downwind Sports and Students for Sustainable Living. There will be food, displays, speakers, and films.

Ducats are $8 for civilians, $2 for students and free for kids 18 and under.

The fest is headquarted in Nevada City, California. See the video below. It’s worth checking out.

Films to be shown in Marquette include:

Planting Hope

Every Day at School and

Watershed Revolution.

Recycle This: Shut Down the U.S. Postal Service

The U.S. Postal Service wants you to know about a new, cheery feature: More recycling opportunities at its offices. Uh huh. Since people go there so often. This stinks of an antiquated government agency grasping at straws to stay alive.

Every time I turn around they raise the prices of stamps. Hint: Because people don’t use the mail as much anymore. E-mail, social networking, cell phones, have replaced the need for shipping paper across long distances.

As CNN reports, the Postal Service projects a $7 billion deficit next fiscal year. Last year, the amount of mail sent declined 12.7%.

My point: We don’t need more recycling bins at post offices. We need fewer post offices, or no postal service at all. If the U.S. Postal Service wanted to help the environment, it would take more of its trucks off the road and keep less offices cooled, heated, electrified.

I don’t want to put people out of work, but I also don’t think it’s wise to keep funding this dying beast. I used to work at a newspaper, fer God sakes.

If I want to receive or send mail let me contract with a service like UPS or FedEx. They’re going to be in my neighborhood sooner or later anyway. Maybe not every day, but I can live with that.

Most mail I receive from the USPS is junk mail, which goes straight to the recycle bin. The important mail that I need to receive can in most cases be delivered electronically. If I must have the mail delivered in paper form, I can pay for it. I don’t have all the answers, but I tell you what, my pay-as-you-go mail bill would be very small.

Back to the press release:

“From Dallas to Detroit, Nome to San Juan, and 115 national parks, memorials and historical sites in between, recycling mail at Post Offices has just gotten more convenient. With more than 10,000 locations across the country, nearly 50 percent more than last year, it’s even easier to be green by recycling Post Office Box mail …

“‘Last year, the Postal Service recycled more than 220,000 tons of paper, plastics and other waste, which avoided more than 700,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions,’ said Deborah Giannoni-Jackson, vice president, Employee Resource Management. ‘Lobby recycling is an important part of the Postal Service’s conservation efforts, because it helps divert paper waste from landfills and helps our bottom line, making us greener and smarter.’”

It drags on from there.

Explore the Great Lakes, Before It’s Too Late

How many times have you planned to do something, but never followed through? Think about it. “Oh, I have to go there some day.” Some day may never come if you don’t make real plans, dangit. The Great Lakes are worth exploring, for the memories, the pictures, the awe factor. Which reminds me of a recent trip to Oscoda, Michigan.

I took the family Up North last weekend to hang out with the in-laws. We do it every summer. The weather that weekend was lousy, hot as hell when it wasn’t raining. We managed to grab one great afternoon visiting Iargo Springs and Lumberman’s Monument.

If you’ve never been to either place, you should go. And not just plan to go, but actually go. Each site features a long wooden stairway that descends to the Au Sable River. It’s breathtaking in more ways than one.

And I was out of breath after going up and down the 300 steps at Iargo Springs. That’s 600 steps total. In humid Michigan. And I didn’t really want to go to Lumberman’s Monument and climb down another 280 steps. I’ve been down (and up) both stairways a couple times.

So we went to Lumberman’s, and I didn’t take the stairs. But I did take a path to the dunes. Yep. There are sand dunes there. A short path, less than a mile, all flat, took us to the sands. The kids and I, and their cousins and parents, were treated to a spectacular, one-of-a-kind view of the Au Sable River Valley.

Glad I did it. That’s my story for today. I also could relate this to climate change, and vanishing places, but I won’t.