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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Be Aware of Michigan Fishing Proposals, and a Poll on Littering

A queen snake (large) and western lesser siren (inset). Via Michigan DNR/Jim Harding.

As heard on the April 13, 2012, Environment Report,

part of Friday Edition at 9 a.m. Fridays on Delta College radio, Q-90.1 FM

Trout, Pike and Queen Snakes

What do you think of fishing regulation proposals?

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to know. The DNR is planning a public meeting and comment session on Monday, April 23.

The meeting is from 7-9 p.m., at the Bay City State Recreation Area in Bangor Township.

DNR officials plan to discuss several statewide fishing regulation proposals.

Those include:

• Brook trout daily possession limits for Upper Peninsula streams
• Northern pike size and possession limits
• Size and possession limits for muskellunge
• And, prohibiting the recreational take of a newly listed species of special concern. Those are, the queen snake and a long, eel-like salamander called the western lesser siren.

More specific information on the proposals will be available at the meeting, to be held in the park’s Visitor Center.

You also can study up at the DNR web site at michigan.gov/fishing.

The meeting, again, is from 7-9 p.m. on Monday, April 23, at the Bay City state park in Bangor Township.

Green Becoming the ‘New Normal’ 

Earth Day is coming up, on April 22, and people are finally starting to get the drift of sustainability.

A new survey by the Shelton Group says being eco-friendly is becoming more common among Americans.

Those surveyed say getting caught throwing trash out of the car window is more embarrassing to them than getting caught cheating on their taxes.

The national poll also found that unfriendly behaviors, like driving a gas guzzler, are becoming socially unacceptable these days.

Other things that people surveyed said they would more embarrassed to be caught doing than littering include:

• Smoking cigarettes
• Not using a seatbelt
• Not recycling plastic bottles
• and, letting the water run while brushing their teeth.

The researchers say they think being green will eventually become the new normal, because the percentages have reached a tipping point.

One more item worth mentioning: Those surveyed were asked what would encourage them adopt eco-friendly behaviors.

The top responses included penalties, fees, rewards, incentives, and education.

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What’s in Your Water? & How Wetlands Help (Video)

As heard on Friday Edition, Jan. 27, 2012, at @9 AM Eastern. A radio transcript with video? Yes!

Screen capture

Glass Half Full?

What’s in your drinking water?

If you live in this region, your tap water most likely comes from Saginaw Bay, via a water treatment plant.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has just released a tool with information about pollutants that are released into local waterways.

The Discharge Monitoring tool allows you to search and map water pollution by local area, watershed, company, industry sector, and pollutant.

Searches using the tool result in “Top Ten” lists that identify facilities and industries that are discharging the most pollution, and what water bodies are impacted.

So to answer the question, top pollutants discharged to the waters in Bay City include ammonia, chlorine and phosphorus.

You can search your city at epa.gov/pollutantdischarges.

WaterLogged Wetland

Michigan researchers are the subject of an environmental documentary.

Film crews recently followed scientists from Central Michigan University and the University of Notre Dame as part of a documentary on efforts to preserve and restore Great Lakes coastal wetlands.

Wetlands serve as a filter for pollution before it enters the Great Lakes.

They also provide breeding and migratory habitat for wildlife, and can be crucial for flood control.

About half of the historic coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes have been lost, according to CMU’s Institute for Great Lakes Research.

The university is leading a $10 million federal research project to protect coastal wetlands in the lakes.

CMU and other universities involved are measuring the ecosystem health of every coastal wetland in the Great Lakes basin, and searching for trends in health and water quality.

Researchers from a total of 10 universities have been collecting samples of water, vegetation, invertebrates, fish, amphibians and birds.

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Mich Enviro Report: Check BeachGuard & That Water Compact Deadline

As heard July 1, 2011, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM

1.

Before you go to the beach, check the internet.

The sun may be shining, but not all Michigan beaches may be ready, or safe, for swimming this summer.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality reminds beachgoers to check an online database to ensure that their favorite beach will be open for swimming.

The DEQ works with local health departments to monitor water quality at 1,210 of Michigan’s public beaches. Water quality at certain beaches can be impacted by runoff and sewer overflows during extended rain events.

As of Thursday morning, contamination advisories were posted for eight beaches in Michigan, including two in Roscommon County and one in Arenac County.

Beach results are reported on a daily basis on the DEQ’s BeachGuard Web site.

Michigan’s 2010 annual beach monitoring report also is available online.

Beach monitoring work is paid for with federal and state funds.

2.

December is the deadline for Great Lakes states to fully implement conservation and efficiency programs and measures under an international Compact.

According to a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Great Lakes states have some catching up to do after missing deadlines from last year.

Great Lakes Echo reports that Wisconsin came close, and states like New York have recently passed legislation. But no states are in full compliance with the compact timeline.

It’s not too late to come into compliance. The NRDC report suggests ways states can meet requirements of the agreement, such as setting conservation water rates, requiring meters on homes and apartments and fixing leaks or breaks in water systems.

Michigan has developed an online screening tool for water use, according to the report, but the state didn’t follow recommendations from its own advisory committee while drafting goals and objectives.

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Mich Enviro Report: Saginaw Kids Hunt for Shipwreck & Two on Lake Michigan

As heard on Friday Edition, May 20, 2011, Delta College Q-90.1 FM:

1.

Students from the Saginaw area are hunting for a shipwreck near Alpena. 

The students are part of Project Shiphunt, which is taking place in the waters of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron.

Earlier this week, the students embarked on a research vessel. Their mission is to discover a sunken ship in the lake, and learn about science and math.

There are five students aboard, all from Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw.

The students will locate a shipwreck in the national sanctuary, investigate its identity, then document it in 3D.

They’ll be working with scientists and historians on the project, which is co-sponsored by Sony and Intel.

The scientists and historians are from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The students will work directly with a NOAA nautical archaeologist and researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

A reception to kick off the project was held at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, which is the visitor center for the underwater sanctuary.

2.

A few years ago, the company known as BP proposed to increase its pollution discharges to Lake Michigan as part of an expansion of its Whiting, Ind., refinery.

The plan was delayed, but research that grew out of a public outcry over the proposal may have some benefits for reducing industrial pollution to the Great Lakes, according to the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Researchers at Purdue University and Argonne National Laboratory have released the results of an investigation of several proposed treatment options for removing heavy metals from wastewater.

The research was funded by a $5 million grant from BP. It determined that methods involving reactive filtration, ultra-filtration and adsorption are the most promising.

Purdue University and Argonne National Laboratory researchers plan to test ultra-filtration at BP’s Whiting refinery to determine if their results can be replicated on a larger scale.

The startup of BP’s expansion has been delayed until 2013.

3.

A Great Lakes restoration project in Muskegon is expected to generate a six-to-one return on investment.

The project is on Muskegon Lake, located in West Michigan on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

The federal government is spending $10 million to remove 180,000 tons of unnatural fill from the lake bottom and rehabilitate about a mile of shoreline.

That work is expected to generate more than $66 million in economic benefits over ten years
and attract nearly 65,000 new visitors. This is according to an analysis released by the Great Lakes Commission, a government agency.

Commission officials say the project will create habitat for fish and wildlife resources and improve recreational opportunities for local residents and tourists.

The study, conducted by Grand Valley State University, also includes economic gains from increased property values.

Muskegon Lake was designated as Area of Concern in 1987 under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement due to historic filling of open water and wetlands, along with pollution discharges that contaminated the lake bottom.

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Photo Credit: NOAA

Mich Enviro Report: Dirty School Air, Dirty Sewer Systems & Consumers Energy Efficiency

As heard on Friday Edition, May 13, 2011, Delta College Q-90.1 FM …

1.

The air your kids breath could be hurting their grades in school.

Air pollution concentrations from industrial sources, with school locations.

A new study by University of Michigan researchers links air pollution near Michigan schools to poorer academic performance, and poorer student health.

The report says that schools located in areas with high industrial air pollution levels had the lowest attendance rates and the highest amounts of students who failed to meet state educational testing standards.

Out of almost 3,700 public schools in Michigan, 62.5 percent of them are located in places with high levels of air pollution from industrial sources, according to the research.

The majority of the most-polluted sites in Michigan are in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula. The most-polluted locations form a horseshoe-shaped band stretching from the Thumb region south to the Ohio border, then west to Lake Michigan and north to Grand Rapids and Muskegon.

The researchers say Michigan and other states should require an environmental-quality analysis when officials are considering sites for new schools.

Half of all states, including Michigan, do not require any evaluation of the environmental quality of areas under consideration as sites for new schools, nor do they prohibit building new industrial facilities and highways near existing schools.

The research was published in a peer-reviewed journal called Health Affairs.

2.

A ‘Dirty Dozen’ list of Michigan sewer systems includes Bay and Saginaw counties.

The list, from the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, points to almost 15 billion gallons of raw or partially treated sewage that’s been discharged to Michigan rivers, lake and streams in the first four months of 2011.

Included in that 15 billion gallon figure, taken from state records, is more than 88 million gallons of sewage from Bay County, the third-highest discharger in Michigan, below Wayne and Macomb counties. Bay County sewage goes to the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay.

Saginaw County came in at No. 5 on the list, with 63 million gallons.

A total of 86 percent of the Dirty Dozen sewage came from Wayne County, with 13.4 billion gallons.

Sewer discharges occur when overloaded and aging sewer systems are overwhelmed by heavy rains or snow melt.

In Bay and Saginaw counties, sewage typically receives partial treatment before a discharge. But partially treated sewage still contains bacteria that can lead to beach closures and river contamination advisories.

The association says the state needs to take long-overdue steps to repair or replace Michigan’s aging underground sewer systems.

3.

Last week, we talked about DTE Energy. This week, it’s Consumers Energy.

The Jackson-based utility says its customers saved about $38 million last year through an energy efficiency program.

One of the most popular aspects was the sale of discounted light bulbs.

Last year, 1.2 million compact fluorescent light bulbs were sold at a lower price at several retailers as part of the Consumers Energy program.

Payments for recycling old refrigerators and freezers also were popular, the company says.

Customers can receive $30 for offering up old fridges and freezers to Consumers Energy. The company picks up the old appliances, and people save an average of $150 a year on their electric bills by unplugging an energy hog.

Consumers Energy says 2010 energy efficiency efforts saved enough energy to supply electricity to about 30,000 homes.

Consumers Energy customers pay a total of about $3 a month in surcharges on their electric and natural gas bills to fund the energy efficiency program.

Mich Enviro Report: Riverview Natural Area, DTE Efficiency & Au Sable Makes the List

As heard on Q-90.1 FM, Friday Edition, Delta College, May 6, 2011:

1.

The Little Forks Conservancy is readying the Riverview Natural Area for a public opening.

The conservancy, based in Midland, recently closed on the purchase of 419 acres of natural land on the Tittabawassee River in Midland County.

The Riverview Natural Area is home to frogs, bald eagles and wildflowers, and contains mature woods and farmland.

The conservancy recently acquired the property for a total of $1.5 million. The conservancy launched a fundraising campaign back in 2008 to purchase, protect and manage the land.

Funding came from The Conservation Fund, individual donors, foundations, corporations and government sources. The conservancy’s staff and board kicked in more than $100,000.

At the beginning of this year, there was still $350,000 to be raised. The last hurdle was cleared when the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation agreed to provide the rest of the funding to complete the purchase.

The conservancy is now working to lay out trails for public use, and is offering guided visits for the public. 

A parking lot has been constructed with additional funding from the Dow Foundation. A formal dedication is planned for the fall.

2.

It pays to be energy efficient.

DTE Energy customers who participated in the company’s energy efficiency programs saved $31 million in 2010.

The utility estimates that those customers will see a lifetime savings of $520 million.

The DTE program is funded by a surcharge on bills, under energy legislation passed in Lansing in 2008.

The DTE program includes appliance recycling, in-home energy audits, low-income weatherization assistance, and rebates and discounts on energy efficient light bulbs, programmable thermostats and clothes washers.

Other highlights of 2010 participation include the recycling of almost 23,000 old refrigerators, freezers, room air conditioners and dehumidifiers; and the purchase of more than 3 million, discounted compact fluorescent light bulbs

More information on DTE Energy’s energy efficiency programs is available online at YourEnergySavings.com.

3

The Au Sable River has been named to a national Waters to Watch list.

And that’s a good thing.

The 2011 list was recently unveiled by the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

It’s a collection of 10 rivers and watershed systems across the country that are due to benefit from conservation efforts to protect, restore or enhance their current condition over the next year.

The group says the waters represent a snapshot of voluntary habitat conservation efforts in progress throughout the U.S. The projects, including one on the North Branch of the Au Sable, are being implemented by regional partnerships under a National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

The plan, funded in part by government agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, aims to conserve freshwater and others habitats that are essential to fish and wildlife species.

Other rivers and watershed systems on the list are located in New York, Louisiana, Alaska, Utah, Texas, Idaho and Hawaii. The Manistee River in Michigan also is listed.

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Mich Enviro Report: Great Lakes grant $, Levin back on task & Don’t flush your drugs

From the Friday, April 8, Environment Report on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College …

1.

New funding is available for Great Lakes restoration.

Photo by Minimalist Photography / Steve Johnson

Getting a shot at it is a task for many area environmental and conservation organizations.

That’s why the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition is making funding available to help local groups in the region obtain and use funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The HOW grants program will be providing $115,000 to help jump-start projects.

The HOW program has identified five focus areas in the Great Lakes.

Those areas include spots in Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay.

HOW is making the grant preparation funding available with help from a group called Freshwater Future.

A Saginaw Bay Priority Area Meeting is planned for Friday, April 15 from 9 to noon at the Sage Branch Library in Bay City.

For more information, see  freshwaterfuture.org. (or this pdf meeting announcement)

2.

A federal Great Lakes task force will continue to be led by a Michigan senator.

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, a Democrat, will serve as co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force for the 112th Congress. The other co-chair is Republican Mark Kirk of Illinois.

According to Levin, the task force has led the way to passage of legislation to clean up contaminated sediments, fight invasive species and prevent the diversion of precious fresh water from the Great Lakes basin.

Recently, co-chair Kirk has worked with Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin to crack down on raw sewage dumping into the lakes.

The Great Lakes Task Force is a group that works to enhance the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes.

Members have worked to pass programs supporting the lakes, including the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Levin has served as the Democratic co-chair of the task force since 1999.

3.

Don’t flush your old drugs, plan for National Take Back day.

This year’s National Take Back Initiative Drug Disposal Drive is planned for April 30th.

In Bay County, drives will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30th.

People will be able to turn in old, expired and unneeded medications at …

• the Bay County Sheriff Department
• the Bay City Police Department
• the Michigan State Police Post on Euclid Avenue
• and Delta College Department of Public Safety.

The National Take Back Initiative is aimed at properly disposing of unwanted prescription and over the counter drugs, so they don’t contaminate the water supply, or end up in the hands of people who might abuse them.

Drop offs are anonymous and people who use the program will not be questioned, according to Bay County Executive Tom Hickner.

Last year, the collection day netted 54 pounds of medicine, which was transferred to an undisclosed location and incinerated.

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Mich Enviro Report: BaySail Scholarships, Used Car Mileage & Great Lakes Benefits

As heard on Friday Edition, Q-90.1 FM, Delta College …

Audio Link

1.

The BaySail program is gearing up for the spring 2011 season, and offering nine fully funded scholarships.

The Appledore schooners. Via BaySailBayCity.org

The scholarships will go to fund environmental education programs for seventh grade classrooms in Bay, Saginaw and Midland counties.

The program is called Science Under Sail. It features hands-on science lessons aboard two Appledore schooners operated by BaySail, a nonprofit located in Bay City.

Scholarship applications are being taken through March 25th.

The trips will be paid for by the Dow Corning Donor Advised Fund.

Interested teachers need to submit a short scholarship application and a letter of support from a school administrator.

The Science Under Sail program focuses on water quality and ecosystem health. Students aboard the schooners analyze water, sediment and plankton samples that they collect while the ships are underway.

You can find out more information on the program online at baysailbaycity.org.

2.

Car shoppers and car dealers, take note.

If you’re shopping for, or selling a used car, you need to know about an EPA program for window stickers.

Usually, fuel economy stickers only appear on new cars or trucks.

But the EPA is now offering fuel information for used vehicles, in a window sticker format.

The fuel economy ratings for older cars go back to 1984.

The EPA is encouraging car dealers to use the new labels.

The fuel economy numbers are for older model vehicles, but the EPA has applied updates to the numbers based on a new estimating method from 2008.

You find the used car fuel economy labels online at fueleconomy. gov.

3.

There’s a new study out on the economic benefits of restoring the Great Lakes in Michigan.

The bottom line: The benefits far exceed the costs.

The study, done by economists at Grand Valley State University, looked at a $10 million federal project to restore the shoreline of Muskegon Lake.

They concluded that $10 million spent to restore fish and wildlife habitat along several miles of the lake increased the collective value of nearby homes by $12 million.

That same $10 million investment also upped the lake’s recreational value by $2.5 million.

Added together, that’s $15 million of value for $10 million. Not a bad investment, the economists say.

The cost-benefit analysis also doesn’t include other positives, like jobs created by restoration projects.

Funding for Great Lakes restoration is due to drop this year. A total of $475 million was provided last year, under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This year’s funding could drop to $225 million. The measure is still being debated in Congress.

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2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 3,800 times in 2010. That’s about 9 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 32 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 43 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 4mb. That’s about 4 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was June 21st with 209 views. The most popular post that day was Welcome — I am Mr. Great Lakes.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were mlive.com, facebook.com, freefromeditors.blogspot.com, jeffkart.wordpress.com, and twitter.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for used syringes, syringes, black flies, fried egg, and gypsy with crystal ball.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Welcome — I am Mr. Great Lakes June 2010
9 comments

2

A Year Since Copenhagen, And No Great Lakes Wind October 2010
1 comment

3

Buy a Dolphin, Help Clean the Gulf, Give Props to Larry King June 2010
1 Like on WordPress.com,

4

About June 2010

5

Were government flies released to combat caterpillars? June 2010
2 comments