Sturgeon Information Infrastructure:
Background
Through a cooperative agreement, a Michigan State University (MSU) graduate student developed a prototype model for tracking status and trends of a species across its range. The species chosen to demonstrate the proof of concept for the prototype was lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). The prototype system, the Sturgeon Information Infrastructure, will help guide future developments of the National Fisheries Data Infrastructure.
Sturgeon Information Infrastructure Coverage Area (click for larger version in new window)
Coverage Area
Researchers at federal and state agencies were systematically surveyed to collect available information and data on lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes basin. Data were also collected by interviewing lake sturgeon scientists with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, United States Geological Survey and the United States Fisheries and Wildlife Service. Additional data were gathered from peer-reviewed literature, government reports, online databases and unpublished datasets. Sources included the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, the federal governments of Canada and the United States, Michigan State, Michigan Technical, Central Michigan, State University of New York, Cornell, Wisconsin, St. Mary’s, and Purdue Universities, as well as various Great Lakes tribal authorities and private entities.
Incorporating the SII data into the NFDI framework
The SII reports 25 different Lake Sturgeon status parameters at the NHD reach level. The parameters are:
- Present
- Extirpated
- Status Unknown
- Reintroduced
- Remnant Population
- Recovering Population
- Supplemented Population
- Healthy Population
- Reproduction Successful
- Presumed Endemic
- Spawning Observed
- Eggs Observed
- Larvae Observed
- Juveniles Observed
|
- Subadults Observed
- Adults Observed
- Stocked
- Telemetry
- Tagging
- Tribal Harvest
- Commercial Harvest
- Recreational Harvest
- Genetic Samples Taken
- Contaminant Samples Taken
- Other Scientific Studies Done
- Population Estimate
- Basic Biological Data Collected
|
These status parameters were summarized at the HUC8 level. Note that in a few instances, the summarization process has created seemingly contradictory results. For instance, for a particular HUC8 watershed, the NFDI may return results of “Present” and also “Extirpated.” Since the native resolution of the SII is the NHD reach level, this means that Lake Sturegeon are present in one portion of the waters within that HUC, and extirpated within another.