Lake Erie Millennium Network (LEMN) Binational Network - formed November 1998 Convening Organizations: F.T. Stone Lab - Ohio State University (Jeff Reutter) NWRI - Environment Canada (Chris Marvin) Large Lakes Research lab - US EPA (Russ Kreis) GLIER - University of Windsor (Jan Ciborowski) Sponsors: Federal, State, Provincial, Regional organizations Collaborators: Groups active in research/information exchange

What Originally Prompted the Network? Researchers:Limited research funding sources (lake-wide questions need collaborative, multidisciplinary expertise) Agencies:LaMPs mandated to ask questions, but poor link between mandates & research knowledge base. (recent research findings & tools) Public:uninformed lobbying for changes in management strategies to resolve ‘crises’ Goal: Develop an open, inclusive, binational framework to a) address management needs b) understand the ecosystem c) communicate research findings/needs

Coordination Advisory Committee (representatives of Sponsoring Agencies) CoChairs (2 in US; 2 in Canada) at 4 nodal institutions: (2 univ.; 2 gov’t research labs) Agency working personnel Univ. & lab researchers (issues/problems) (processes/unknowns) Larger Lake Erie Community (conferences; reports; proposals)

Coordination CoChairs Agency working personnel Univ. & lab researchers Suite of prevailing issues Suite of research issues LEMN Biennial Conferences Lake status; Suite of combined needs Research Definition workshops Status of issues; Coordinated research proposals

Strategy 1. document research & management needs of users and agencies Prevailing Issues Workshop 1.0 – November identify major questions and management issues Outcome: list and classification of needs: - 48 separate topics in 7 subject areas  workshop themes Prevailing Issues Review Workshop – June topics reduced in priority (+ ‘Y2K’ problem solved) - 17 additional topics; 2 new subject areas (communication) - higher priority theme: watershed impacts on lake condition Prevailing Issues Review Workshop – Spring evaluate current priorities; identify emerging priorities - continue focus on indicators of priorities

LEMN Prevailing Issues Workshop June 2006 Tasks 1. Review priorities assigned by preliminary assessment. 2. Breakout group discussions (major concern/minor concern) to summarize a) what would be an appropriate indicator of the status of the issue? [acceptable amount/extent; unacceptable amount/extent] b) what information do we need to adequately monitor the issue (needs/frequency)? c) what information would we need to properly understand the issue? d) what information would we need to solve the issue? e) what new tools approaches do we need to address the issue? Group Contaminants Eutrophication & Production Habitat & Land use/land change Invasive species Ecosystem processes All others (Communication; Human Health; Policy)

Strategy 2. Binational Conferences (1999; 2001; 2003; 2006; 2008; 2010; 2013) invited speakers + contributed posters; 175 attendees - no concurrent sessions - compile current knowledge of Lake Erie processes - forecast trends for the next 3-5 years - identify critical research gaps - take stock: - what do we know? - what do we understand? - what do we need to know/understand? Outcomes: - “Research Needs” workshops --> summarize consensus on the 7 subject areas - status reports & proposals - collaborative research teams

Transport Questions (Dynamics) movement “from”......”to” Agricultural lands to tributaries Urban Rural lands to tributaries Tributaries to lake Coastal margin to offshore West to Central to East basin Export to Niagara River Sediments to water (int. loading) Materials of interest: - Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) - ‘Biomass’ (Cyanobacteria, Cladophora, fish) - Water (hydrology) - Contaminants (legacy, emerging) - Aquatic Invasive species - ‘heat’ [timing and amount of warming]

Transport Questions (Dynamics) movement “from”......”to” Active Groups Agricultural lands to tributaries (GLRI projects) Urban Rural lands to tributaries Tributaries to lake (GLNI, Heidelberg) Coastal margin to offshore (Nearshore framework) West to Central to East basin Export to Niagara River Sediments to water (int. loading) (GLRI projects) Materials of interest: - Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) - ‘Biomass’ (Cyanobacteria, Cladophora, fish) - Water (hydrology) - Contaminants (legacy, emerging) - Aquatic Invasive species - ‘heat’ [timing and amount of warming]

Activities Projects Planned/Recommended GLRI/LEMC-funded Project (Nutrient transport & internal cycling GLNI & Nearshore Framework hydrology, nutrients, water quality, biomass ECCS 2014?? Sediments, zoobenthos, water quality

Plans for 2013/ binational meeting (Oct 29-31) Release & implement new 5-year plan: planning for 2014 L. Erie collaborative year nearshore/land-water interaction emphasis (new monitoring data) (in-lake nutrient processing) (help formulate nearshore framework 5-y plan approval by Advisory Committee workshops reflecting needs identified by updated Priority Needs list

Monitoring Modeling Hypothesis testing Research QuestionsStatus of the Lake Management Needs Relationship among management, research, & monitoring needs within LEMP. 3. forming collaborative groups (open to all) Policy

AN INTEGRATED HABITAT CLASSIFICATION AND MAP OF THE LAKE ERIE BASIN (Lake Erie Binational Map Project) Lucinda B. Johnson Jan J.H. Ciborowski Scudder D. Mackey Ric Lawson Nicholas E. Mandrak Daniel T. Button Funded by the U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office

Proposed Land Zones. Terrestrial (watersheds) Tributaries & inland waters Coastal wetlands Proposed Lake Zones. coastal margin (watersheds) nearshore open lake open water – offshore

LaMP Indicators Workgroup The Lake Erie Indicators Matrix

The “System”: St. Clair River St. Clair Delta Lake St. Clair Detroit River Western Basin, Lake Erie Jeffrey Reutter Scudder Mackey Jan Ciborowski Robert Haas Phil Ryan Murray Charlton Russell Kreis USFWS & GLFC HURON-ERIE CORRIDOR SYSTEM HABITAT ASSESSMENT – CHANGING WATER LEVELS & EFFECTS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

The Lake Erie Collaborative Comprehensive Study (ECCS) (2004) Sampling design to estimate distribution, abundance & biomass of Dreissenidae and other zoobenthos Jan J.H. Ciborowski 1, David R. Barton 2, Kenneth A. Krieger 3, Timothy B. Johnson 4, Stephen Lozano 4 1 Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor 2 Department of Biology, University of Waterloo 3 Water Quality Laboratory, Heidelberg College 4 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 5 Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, NOAA

Vessels, Agencies, & Captains (2004) VesselAgencyCaptain/SupervisorNo. Sites LimnosEnv. CanadaBruce Gray & David Gilroy 103 CyclopsNOAADavid Fanslow 36 ParrotEnv. CanadaBruce Gray & David Gilroy 30 Erie ExplorerON MNRKen Hill 25 KeenosayON MNRCraig McDonald 38 LoftusON MNRCraig McDonald 22 Loon RangerUniv. WindsorTodd Leadley 16 Stone Lab vesselF.T. Stone LabMatt Thomas 6 Univ. Toledo vesselUniv. ToledoTom Bridgeman 7 Total 283 ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Funding & Liaison US EPA GLNPO – David Rockwell Environment Canada – Vi Richardson Ontario Ministry of Environment – Mary Ellen Scanlon Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources – Tim Johnson NOAA – GLERL – Steve Lozano

Sampling locations for Erie Comprehensive Collaborative Study, Open circles, offshore stations; closed circles, nearshore stations. Stations are numbered consecutively from east-to-west and north-to-south. Map courtesy of Jeffrey Zhu, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Erie Comprehensive Collaborative Study (ECCS)

Number of sampling locations visited by research vessels. Triplicate zoobenthic and (where appropriate) other samples were collected at each location VesselAgencyCaptain/SupervisorNo. Sites LimnosEnv. CanadaBruce Gray & David Gilroy 103 CyclopsNOAADavid Fanslow 36 ParrotEnv. CanadaBruce Gray & David Gilroy 30 Erie ExplorerON MNRKen Hill 25 KeenosayON MNRCraig McDonald 38 LoftusON MNRCraig McDonald 22 Loon RangerUniv. WindsorTodd Leadley 16 Stone Lab vesselF.T. Stone LabMatt Thomas 6 Univ. Toledo vesselUniv. ToledoTom Bridgeman 7 Total 283 ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Summary of nearshore and offshore collections by basin Locationwesterncentraleastern Total Nearshore Offshore Total )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Distribution of Biomass (2004)

Erie Comprehensive Collaborative Study (ECCS)

Relative sum of land cover loss, population, & road density stresses (ArcHydro sheds) – T. Hollenhorst (NRRI) Land-Based stress (delivered Through Tributaries)

Cumulative Stress in the Great Lakes

Atmospheric Deposition (Nitrate)

Nitrogen Stressor Map (Atmospheric & Tributary Loads Propagated by currents & wind)

Summary 1. The LEMN is an open network of interested participants working to develop a binational research framework 2. Nearshore water quality & habitat reflect timing, amount & quality of materials transported from the watersheds – opportunity for closer ties with RAPs in AOCs & associated funding for research 3. Maintaining a balance of university & agency/institutional researchers ensures that research initiatives combine fundamental knowledge with agency needs.

Supporting Groups Sponsors Collaborators__ (funds for meetings, publications, etc.) (contribute to data needs, etc.) Essex Region Conservation AuthorityCitizens Environment Alliance Great Lakes Fishery CommissionCornell University Biological Station International Joint Commission Ducks Unlimited Lake Erie Lakewide Area Management Plan Essex County Stewardship Network through Environment Canada & US EPA Great Lakes Commission Michigan Sea GrantGreat Lakes Environ. Res. Lab - NOAA Lake Erie Protection FundGreat Lakes Research Consortium New York Sea Grant Great Lakes Lab Fisheries & Aquatic Ontario Ministry of the Environment Sci. - Fisheries & Oceans Canada Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Ontario Commercial Fishery Assoc. Pennsylvania Dept. Environmental Protection Ontario Fed. of Hunters & Anglers Pennsylvania Sea Grant Ohio Dept. Natural Resources US Geological Survey - Gt. Lakes Sci. Ctr. Ohio Environ. Protection Agency Ontario Ministry Agriculture & Food Campbell Scientific Water Environment Federation DTE Energy, Inc. Hoskin Scientific

LEMN Habitat-related Projects 1.Huron-Erie Corridor System Habitat Assessment – Changing water levels & effects of global climate change [Current & future aquatic habitat restoration opportunities] 2. An integrated habitat classification and map of the Lake Erie basin Response to L. Erie LAMP requests for habitat-related research needs & strategies Participants: 1/3 university; 2/3 agency & institute scientists & technical experts 3. From Land to Lake: Nutrient effects at the coastal margin & nearshore

Charge to the LEMN Conference – Oct/13 Nutrients & Trophic Structure Open lake nutrient dynamics & trophic structure seem to be regulated by regional processes. Weather likely plays a significant role Assess at basin-scale, with integrative sampling & observing systems? Nearshore nutrient dynamics & trophic structure are regulated by local coupling & feedback loops. Local nutrient sources & dreissenids are likely important. Assess at contributing watershed scale? What are the key research questions? What key variables/processes should we measure? Where? How often? For how long? Is the proposed habitat zone system suitable for these studies?