River and Stream Restoration Featured in ISEA Great Lakes Seminar on Wednesday

Dr. Ashley Moerke, Associate Professor of Biology and Co-Director of the Aquatic Research Laboratory at Lake Superior State University, Sault Sainte Marie, MI., will be speaking about the potential benefits and ramifications of restoring stream connectivity. Dr. Moerke will introduce the extent of stream and river fragmentation and the more recent trends towards the restoration of connectivity of flow, nutrients, and aquatic organisms. She will then discuss the possible benefits, such as returning free-flowing conditions, and ecological costs, including allowing non-natives to colonize upstream habitat, of restoring stream connectivity. Finally, Dr. Moerke will highlight her research investigating the effects of non-native salmon on Great Lakes tributaries during their spawning runs.

The seminar will be held at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay on Wednesday November 7th at 7pm. This event is free and open to the public. For information call 231-271-3077.

By the way, LSSU's Aquatic Research Laboratory has a great "fish cam" in the St. Mary's River. 

Sault Edison Powerhouse, home of the LSSU Aquatic Research Laboratory
St. Marys River in background.

LSSU Oceanography Days 4 & 5

On July 26th we sailed from Beaver Island to St. Helena Island.  At one point in the trip we could see 5 lighthouses: Gray's Reef, White Shoal, Isle aux Galets, Waugoshance Point and St. Helena.  We had a nice tour of the St. Helena Light station and smores on the beach at night.  The students had to take their final exam on the Island (how many students can say they took an Oceanography exam on an island?).

Coring tube coming aboard

Gray's Reef Light

St. Helena Light

Approaching Big Mac

LSSU Oceanography Class at St. Ignace.  ISEA crew is to the left.

On Friday we tacked against an east wind up the Straits of Mackinac, passed under the bridge and sailed into St. Ignace.  We had a great time with the students and Dr. Derek Wright of Lake Superior State University. 

--Capt. Tom

LSSU Oceanography - Day 3 Continued

After lunch we walked to the Maritime Museum, and later were picked up by CMU Biological Station van and taken to the Station for a tour.  Thanks to Dr. Don Uzarski and John Gordan and the other CMU staff for the great tour. We also got to tour the CMU Boat House (former USCG boat station at Whiskey Point).  Really cool place.  I want one just like it.

Rain and thunderstorms all day.  Many Mackinac racers came in during the afternoon.  It was really nasty outside. 





Maritime Museum

Kahlemberg Crude Oil engine in fish tug Bob S

In pilot house of Bob S

Better left un-titled

Making friends with a green snake at CMU Biological Station

New Meso-cosm at CMU Boat House

CMU Boat House

Boat House

--Capt. Tom

LSSU Oceanography, Day 3 - Beaver Island

Studenets counting & measuring fish.  Prof. Wright to left.

We are in port today, avoiding some nasty weather on the lake.  Students are working up yesterday's data and examining our fish trap catch (above).  Later today we will go to the Marine Museum. 
--Capt. Tom

Sail This Summer & Get College Credit!

Last summer's LSSU Native Cultures students just after sailing under the Big Mac bridge.

ISEA is partnerning with Lake Superior State University on two classes this summer.  Island Biology and Oceanography will both involve shore-side class work and a week aboard Inland Seas.  For details click here. 

More Photos of the LSSU Oceanography Trip

Prof. Derek approaching the Bridge

Tyler

Tom Kastle under the the "Big Mac"

Good Sailing! (Kathy K. in her new Beaver Island hat)

Capt. Tom with the ill-fated core sampler - we never did get it to work.

This Week Aboard Inland Seas...

This week aboard Inland Seas we hosted the Lake Superior State Univesity Oceanography classs taught by Prof. Derek Wright.  We sailed from St. Ignace on Monday and after trawling and doing a limnology station off St. Ignace,we headed under the Mackinac Bridge for Beaver Island.  We spent two days a St. James, sampling on the east side of the island and at the harbor mouth. 

We waited out a blow (as usual) and left on Wednesday afternoon. We had smooth downwind sailing until we got out of the lee of the island.  Then big swells refracting around the island met us on the beam, producing a lot of rolling.  This lasted about an hour until we got clear of the island's effects and the waves were coming up on our quarter, which made life aboard much easier.  We arrived at Northport at sunset.  Everyone was ready for a shower and a walk ashore.

Today was our big sampling day, with trawls at Hall Bay and Omena, and limnoloy stations at Northport Point, Omeana,  and Lee Point (405 ft.).  We arrived at Power Island in time for a cook out ashore, followed by a hike up to the Eagle's Nest overlook. 

We are anchored tonight at Bowers Harbor.  On my 4 - 5 am watch I heard owls hooting, saw several meteors, satellites, the moons of Jupiter, and millions of stars.

Gray's Reef Light

Eric and Tom Kastle at the helm

Alex and PONAR Dredge

Dr. Wright

Anchored at Power Island

Titrations continued late into the evening

Comment from Prof. Wright: "My students learned more in the first morning aboard than in a semester of class work".

-Capt. Tom

LSSU Great Lakes Ecology & Sustainability, Day Four

After breakfast at anchor, we motored out to the head of Old Mission harbor and did a trawl tow along the northeast shore. We did a limnology station and then headed out into East Bay to sample the "deep hole", at a depth of 608 feet.  Our dredge brought up a mud sample with amphipods, a Mysis, an oligichaete worm and a midge larve. We also sent down some foam cups which returned to the surface much reduced in size (from the water pressure).

Benthos from the Deep Hole.  Mysis is the large specimen near bottom of dish. 

Recording Shore Development Data

Lunch is served.  Thanks, Greg.

This is for Jerry Dennis.  Students with their copies of "The Living Great Lakes"

We sailed from Elk Rapids to Omena where we did more sampling.  Only 2ppm dissolved oxygen found in the bottom waters.  Then home to Suttons Bay with more shoreline analysis underway.  This was a great trip, and we are looking forward to sailing with LSSU again next season.  --Capt. Tom

Inland Seas at St. James, Beaver Island

Inland Seas docked at Fogg Towing in St. James last week. We were on a 4-day trip with Lake Superior State University (Archeology Field Studies). Thanks to Matt Fogg for hosting us at his facility. His beautiful tug Wendy Anne is in the foreground. More photos of this trip to come. --Capt. Tom