The health of the Great Lakes depends on the health of the entire ecosystem: the Great Lakes themselves, plus coastline, wetlands, rivers, watersheds, and the flora and fauna that call these places home. Many opportunities exist to protect and restore critical ecosystem elements even as we strive to improve our understanding of emerging issues and their impacts. Toward this end, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has made habitat and species protection one of its five priorities.
New products
NOAA and partners completed a project to restore fast-flowing rapids on the St. Marys River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. See web story. The work has helped increase the number of juvenile fish in the area, according to a recent study published in the journal Restoration Ecology. offsite link
Responders’ Need for Accurate ESI Maps: Are We Prepared for Oil Spills at Niagara Falls and Mackinac Island?: So what would happen if there was an oil spill at Niagara Falls or Mackinac Island? This possibility is why NOAA develops Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps to prepare for potential oil spill disasters.
Habitat Restoration in the Great Lakes: By the Numbers: Check out these key numbers that help illustrate the scope of NOAA’s habitat restoration work in the region through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
GLRI Story Map offsite link: Since 2010, NOAA has worked through the GLRI to restore habitat across the Great Lakes region. NOAA projects have improved fish passage, cleaned up contaminated debris, restored coastal wetlands, and removed invasive species. Take a virtual tour of some of these major restoration projects from across the region, from the Buffalo River in New York to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Habitat Restoration in the Great Lakes: By the Numbers: Check out these key numbers that help illustrate the scope of NOAA’s habitat restoration work in the region through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Read on to learn more about NOAA’s Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration projects:
Collaborative benthic habitat mapping in the nearshore waters of the Great Lakes basin
The benthic habitat mapping project aims to provide critical data and products for habitat restoration and coastal management. NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, Office for Coast Survey, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Center for Coastal and Ocean Science, and Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab are working together with other federal and state agencies on this multiyear effort in the Great Lakes.
Contact: Brandon.Krumwiede@noaa.gov
Environmental sensitivity data update for high spill risk areas
This project will update the Environmental Sensitivity Index maps for the Straits of Mackinac, and the St. Clair-Detroit River System. When an oil spill occurs, ESI maps help responders meet one of the main response objectives: reducing the environmental consequences of the spill and the cleanup efforts.
Contact: Nicolle.R.Rutherford@noaa.gov
Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Conservation Framework
In response to the past decade of water level changes, this project will develop comprehensive estimates of wetland extent. The goal is to develop data products that help address the three objectives for the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Conservation Framework offsite link created by the Great Lakes Coastal Assembly.
Contact: Brandon.Krumwiede@noaa.gov
Habitat restoration through NOAA’s Restoration Center
With the support of the GLRI, NOAA’s Restoration Center has been able to support multiple habitat restoration projects in Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) and other targeted areas that improve fish and wildlife habitat and populations. Restoration project types include fish passage, marine debris removal, hydrologic reconnection, in-stream and nearshore habitat improvements, and invasive species removal.
Contact: Julie.Simmons@noaa.gov
Marengo River watershed: Understanding wetland ecosystem benefits and variability
This project conducted a comparative study between the impaired Marengo watershed and an unimpaired watershed in the region to create a baseline reflecting historic, functioning conditions. The study includes: 1) improved hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, including a functional assessment of the river channel and riparian corridor; 2) impact assessments related to habitat, land use and infrastructure, ecosystem service valuation, and cost-benefit analysis; and 3) stakeholder engagement.
Contact: Brandon.Krumwiede@noaa.gov
Supporting community- and state-driven nearshore habitat restoration
Restoration of Great Lakes shorelines requires an integrated systems approach to identify actions in order to regain coastal biodiversity, cultural cohesion, and ecological and community resilience. This effort identifies potential projects and data gap needs; then, the top-ranked ideas are selected for engineering and design plans. Partners, such as the Great Lakes coastal management programs, Coastal States Organization, and Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, are co-leading this work with NOAA.
Contact: Chiara.Zuccarino-Crowe@noaa.gov
Supporting the development of system resilience indicators for wild rice in Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron
Building on the last two collaborative Great Lakes wild rice projects offsite link, this third and final phase will take a more holistic look at wild rice resilience in the Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron basins. This includes additional geospatial and remote sensing support for Tribal-led monitoring and restoration efforts, opportunities for convening and knowledge sharing, and help with identifying and addressing remaining data gaps. This project also focuses on contributing to the co-development of wild rice resilience indicators to better understand the past, present, and future dynamics and stressors impacting distribution and resilience in the Great Lakes.
Contact: Chiara.Zuccarino-Crowe@noaa.gov
Sustainable nearshore management solutions to prevent critical habitat loss at Illinois Beach State Park
This project lays the foundations for planning basin-scale sediment management and understanding Lake Michigan’s nearshore physical processes. The project is focused on the 6.5 miles of Illinois Beach State Park shoreline to protect the park's dunes, wetlands, and nearshore aquatic habitats from erosion. Partners will work toward long-term resilience strategies aimed at mitigation and protection of shoreline sites vulnerable to lake level changes and storms.
Contact: Brandon.Krumwiede@noaa.gov
See also: Habitat: Completed projects