A large lake trout. Michigan ranks second in the country for non-resident anglers and third for angler spending; USGS hydroacoustic surveys improve the information used to manage its lake trout fisheries. USGS.
Michigan's natural wealth
Michigan is rich in lakes, rivers, dunes and rocky shores, forests, fish and wildlife, and has the longest freshwater coastline in the United States — 3,224 miles. Much of its economy and heritage rests on fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation:
- more than 63 percent of residents enjoy outdoor recreation;
- it's estimated to generate $18.7 billion in consumer spending, 194,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in state and local taxes a year.
The U.S. Geological Survey's Ecosystems Mission Area, the Interior Department's biological research arm, provides science to help Michigan manage and conserve these resources and the ecosystems behind them.
A white-tailed deer. Public domain.
Sustaining the Great Lakes fishery
Commercial, sport and recreational fishing on Lakes Michigan, Huron, Superior and Erie drive the economy and way of life of coastal communities. The recreational fishery alone brings $2.2 billion a year and nearly 20,000 jobs. For decades, the USGS has surveyed deep-water prey fish in all four lakes from ocean-class research vessels, informing state, tribal and Canadian provincial decisions for sustainable fisheries.
Fighting sea lamprey
The parasitic sea lamprey invaded the Great Lakes in the mid-20th century, with devastating economic and ecological effects. The USGS works with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, state agencies, tribes and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on control technologies.
- The USGS holds the U.S. and Canadian registrations for the two pesticides used against lamprey.
- It's investing $10 million in a new sea lamprey and aquatic invasive and native species laboratory in northern Michigan.
- USGS scientists are developing pheromones to lure lampreys into traps, raising catch rates.
A sea lamprey's mouth. A. Miehls, USGS.
Bringing back lake sturgeon
Lake sturgeon — "Giants of the Great Lakes," weighing more than 200 pounds and reaching 8 feet — were once abundant, a vital food and cultural resource for Michigan's tribes, and the basis of a thriving commercial fishery. At its late-1800s peak, more than 8.6 million pounds were caught in a single year. A century of heavy fishing and habitat loss — especially dams and other barriers — left only a few remnant populations. Improving access to habitat is central to Michigan's recovery plan, and the USGS works with state biologists on fish passage strategies to boost sturgeon in Lake Michigan and beyond.
Restoring urban waters
The Detroit and St. Clair rivers and western Lake Erie are in an ecological renaissance as towns and cities turn back to their waterfronts. Redevelopment includes restoring coastal wetlands and building artificial fish spawning reefs, for cleaner water and better fishing, boating and recreation. The USGS and partners built tools to help Michigan's coastal managers prioritize wetland restoration.
Coastal wetland. USGS.
Tracking wildlife disease
The USGS runs WHISPers, an online tool giving managers current information on wildlife diseases such as chronic wasting disease, epizootic hemorrhagic disease and avian influenza that can affect Michigan's game. Michigan wildlife managers use it to monitor wildlife health, plan responses to outbreaks and share reports with other scientists — part of USGS work to protect human, wildlife and ecosystem health.
A Canada goose. In 2015, avian influenza was found in Canada geese in suburban Detroit; the USGS works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to catch this highly pathogenic poultry disease early as it circulates in wildlife. Pixabay, CC0.
Watching for invaders
Quagga mussels, zebra mussels and the New Zealand mudsnail have invaded some Michigan lakes and rivers, forcing costly surveillance, education, prevention and management. They can harm drinking-water infrastructure, recreation and native species. The USGS supports Michigan's managers with detection and monitoring tools and by developing control measures.
Sources
Based on Biological and Ecological Science for Michigan—The Great Lakes State, USGS Fact Sheet 2018–3012, U.S. Geological Survey; a work of the United States government in the public domain. The introduction, captions and photographs are taken from the fact sheet's PDF; a sturgeon photograph from an aquarium and several stock images are not reproduced.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from pubs.usgs.gov
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