Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy: Measures of Nearshore Biodiversity Status Lake Michigan NEMO July 23, 2013 Douglas R. Pearsall, The Nature Conservancy From upper left – going around clockwise: Green Bay (Mark Godfrey, TNC); Green Bay (Mark Godfrey,TNC), Ice Shoves, Lake Michigan (TNC); Rocky Island (Chris Cantway); Wilderness State Park (Ron Leonetti); Green Bay shore (Mark Godfrey, TNC). Center: Saugatuck Dunes (Melissa Soule)

Outline Introduction Developing Biodiversity Conservation Strategies: Project Overview Measuring Biodiversity What is the biodiversity of Lake Michigan? How do we assess its status? –Nearshore Key Ecological Attributes and Indicators Questions

Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy: “primary output… biodiversity conservation strategies that will complement and be incorporated into the Lakewide Action and Management Plans (LAMPS) “…working with a broad network…developing strategies for the restoration and conservation of the native biodiversity and ecosystem function… ”

Biodiversity of Lake Michigan Second largest by volume Dramatic N-S variability  wide range of natural communities and species Major continental migration corridor World’s most extensive freshwater dunes Unique embayments (Green Bay, Grand Traverse Bay)

Project Goal Develop multi-partner Biodiversity Conservation Strategies for Lakes Michigan and Erie that: highlight the conservation features (e.g., species, systems, processes, functions) represent the biodiversity of the lakes, identify the key threats to these features, and articulate long-term actions to conserve them as functioning systems.

Conservation Action Planning (CAP) Conservation Action Planning

Project Scope

Lake Michigan Stratification Units Reasons to Stratify: Reduce complexity Regional familiarity 5 Reporting Units 17 Assessment Units

Aquatic Biodiversity Targets –Open Water Benthic and Pelagic Ecosystem –Nearshore Zone –Native Migratory Fish –Coastal Wetlands

Terrestrial Biodiversity Targets –Islands –Coastal Terrestrial Systems –Aerial Migrants

Aquatic Biodiversity Targets Nearshore Zone: –Submerged lands and water column of Lake Michigan starting at 0 meters (shoreline) and extending to 30 meters in depth, including nearshore zones of islands, freshwater estuaries and excluding areas upstream from river mouths and riverine coastal wetlands. Image credit: grahamowengallery.comImage credit: NOAA GLERL Image credit: Engbretson Underwater Photography

Conservation Targets in the Northern Basin

What is our best estimate of how the biodiversity we care about is doing? Burbot photo © Engbretson Underwater Photography

Assessing Viability: Key Ecological Attributes and Indicators KEA: an aspect of a target's biology or ecology that, if missing or altered, would lead to the loss of that target over time. Landscape Context Condition Size Nearshore KEAs: Community Architecture Food Web Linkages

Assessing Viability: Key Ecological Attributes and Indicators Indicators: specific measures to keep track of the status of a KEA Indicator Ratings:

Assessing Viability: Aggregating KEAs and Indicators

Overall Viability Status of Lake Michigan Target Northern Basin Central Basin Green Bay Mid-Lake Plateau Southern Basin Lakewide Nearshore Zone Fair Aerial Migrants Fair Coastal Terrestrial Systems Fair Coastal Wetlands Good Fair Good Islands Good Native Migratory Fish Fair Poor Fair Offshore Benthic and Pelagic Ecosystem Fair Overall Biodiversity Health Fair

Overall Viability Status of the Nearshore Zone

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Condition Community architecture Mean Dreissena density >1000 m m m -2 <50 m -2 ER NB 111 (IA) 112 (IA) 113 (IA) CB 211 (IA) 212 (IA) 213 (IA) GB311 (IA) MLP 411 (IA) 412 (IA) SB 511 (IA) 512 (IA) Condition Community architecture Native fish species richness <40% of fish spp anticipated are collected w/in 5-year window 40-60% of fish spp anticipated are collected w/in 5-year window >60-80% of fish spp anticipated are collected w/in 5-year window >80% of fish spp anticipated are collected w/in 5-year window RG NB 111NA 112NA 113NA CB 211NA 212NA 213NA GB311NA MLP 411NA 412NA SB 511NA 512NA

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Condition Community architecture Smallmouth bass population relative abundance Less than ½ of representative populations meeting goals for relative abundance/ CPUE ½ to ¾ of representative populations meet goals for relative abundance/ CPUE At least ¾ of representative populations meeting goals for relative abundance/ CPUE & remaining populations at >80% of goal Each representative population meeting goals for relative abundance/ CPUE EK NB 111 (EK) 112 (EK) 113 (EK) CB 212 (RG) 213 (EK) GB311 (RG) Condition Food web linkages Hexagenia mean density in fine sediments (3 yr average) < ERGB311<40 (RA) Condition Soil / sediment stability & movement Bed load traps and groins (number of structures per 100 km of shoreline) >100> > EK NB (IA) (IA) (IA) CB (IA) (IA) (IA) GB (IA) MLP (IA) (IA) SB (IA) (IA)

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Condition Spawning habitat quality and accessibility Percentage of historic spawning reefs available as quality spawning habitat <25% available and high quality 25-50% available and high quality 50-75% available and high quality >75% available and high quality RG NB 111NA 112NA 113NA CB 211NA 212NA 213NA GB311NA MLP 411NA 412NA SB 511NA 512NA Landscape Context Coastal and watershed contribution Artificial Shoreline Hardening Index >40%> % %<20%EK NB (IA) (IA) (IA) CB (IA) (IA) (IA) GB (IA) MLP (IA) (IA) SB (IA) (IA)

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Landscape Context Coastal and watershed contribution Percent natural land cover in watershed < <60 -80>80EK NB (IA) (IA) (IA) CB (IA) (IA) (IA) GB (IA) MLP (IA) (IA) SB (IA) (NS) Landscape Context Coastal and watershed contribution Percent natural land cover within 2 km of shoreline < > >75EK NB (IA) (IA) (IA) CB (IA) (IA) (IA) GB (IA) MLP (IA) (NS) SB (IA) (IA)

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Landscape Context Water chemistry Soluble Reactive Phosphorus >0.7 μgP/l> μgP/l μgP/l<0.2 μgP/lER NB 111NA 112NA 113NA CB 211 (NS) 212NA 213NA GB311NA MLP 411NA 412 ~.260 (NS) SB 511NA 512NA Landscape Context Water quality 5-year Average Spring isothermal Chlorophyll- a concentration (µg/L) or or ER NB 111NA 112NA 113NA CB 211NA 212NA 213NA or or GB311NA or or MLP 411NA 412NA SB 511NA 512NA

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Landscape Context Water quality Cladophora standing crop (gDW/m2)during late Summer (Aug-Sept) >80> <15 ER NB 111NA 112NA 113NA CB 21180% (IA) 212NA 213>80% (IA) >75%50-75%25-50%<25%GB311NA >80> <15 MLP 411NA 412>80% (IA) SB (IA) 512 >80 around Milwaukee; to the South in IL (IA) Landscape Context Water quality Total Phosphorus concentrations (µg/L) > <5ER NB 111 (IA) 112 (IA) 113 (IA) CB 211 (IA) 212 (IA) 213 (IA) GB311NA MLP 411 (IA) 412 (IA) SB 511 (IA) 512 (IA)

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Landscape Context Water quality Upland Sediment Contributions (tons/ac/yr) > <0.025ER NB (IA) NB (IA) NB (IA) CB (IA) CB (IA) CB (IA) GB (IA) MLP (IA) MLP (IA) SB (IA) SB (IA) Size Population size & dynamics Average Diporeia densities number/m 2 < – 1500> >3500ER NB 111<<500 (IA) 112<<500 (IA) 113<<500 (IA) CB 211<<500 (IA) 212<<500 (IA) 213<<500 (IA) GB311<<500 (IA) MLP 411<<500 (IA) 412<<500 (IA) SB 511<<500 (IA) 512<<500 (IA)

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Size Population size & dynamics Average Native mussels richness per site < >9EK NB 111NA 112NA 113NA CB 211NA 212NA 213NA GB311NA MLP 411NA 412NA SB 511NA 512NA Size Population size & dynamics Biomass of crustacean zooplankton in early summer (mg/L) TBD NB 111NA 112NA 113NA CB 211NA 212NA 213NA GB311NA MLP 411NA 412NA SB 511NA 512NA

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Size Population size & dynamics Native mussel abundance TBD NB 111NA 112NA 113NA CB 211NA 212NA 213NA GB311NA MLP 411NA 412NA SB 511NA 512NA Size Population size & dynamics Yellow perch (annual biomass) Lakewide annual yield <0.5 M kg Lakewide annual yield of M kg Lakewide annual yield of M kg Lakewide annual yield of >1.8 M kg ER NB 111NA 112NA 113NA CB 211NA 212NA 213NA GB311NA MLP 411NA 412NA SB 511NA 512NA

Detailed Status of Nearshore Zone Indicators KEA TypeKEAIndicatorPoorFairGoodVery GoodRSRUAU Current value (Source) Size Population size & dynamics Yellow perch population status Yellow perch populations well-below historical average, with little recruitment Yellow perch populations below historical average Yellow perch populations at or above historical average Yellow perch populations well above historical average NB 111 (NS) 112 (NS) 113 (NS) CB 211 (NS) 212 (NS) 213 (NS) GB311 (NS) MLP 411 (NS) 412 (NS) SB 511 (NS) 512 (NS)

Questions/Discussion