For half a century, the Great Lakes Center at SUNY Buffalo State has been contributing to scientific understanding of the Great Lakes and its watersheds. Research scientists and faculty members have focused investigations on the plants, animals and water quality of the Niagara River, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and their tributaries.
From the three-inch emerald shiner to the legendary six-foot lake sturgeon, researchers have studied many kinds of fish. “The emerald shiner, a native fish that’s about three to four inches long, is eaten by many of the sport fish and the fish-eating birds that nest or migrate along the Upper Niagara,” said Alicia Pérez-Fuentetaja, biology professor and research scientist with the center at SUNY (State University of New York). Pérez-Fuentetaja led a team of collaborators who investigated the fish’s habitat needs and migratory patterns. As she visited observation sites along the Niagara River, she met people fishing, paddling, or bird-watching. “These people love this river,” she said, “and it’s an important part of their lives.”
Invasive species—such as zebra and quagga mussels—have played a major role in changes to the benthic (bottom-dwelling) community in Lake Erie, according to Lyubov Burlakova, senior research scientist at the center. “The story of Lake Erie shows how profoundly human activity can affect an ecosystem,” Burlakova said.
Alexander Karatayev, director of the center and one of the world’s experts on freshwater mollusks, has promoted international cooperation in understanding this critical and threatened group of aquatic animals. “They are, in their way, like the giant sequoia,” he said. “They can live for 100 years. They are the largest and most beautiful of the aquatic invertebrates.”
The Great Lakes Center Field Station, located where Lake Erie flows into the Niagara River, houses offices, laboratories and a fleet of research vessels that includes the John J. Freidhoff and the Seiche. Mark Clapsadl, research scientist and manager of the field station, has been participating in the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) since 2012 by positioning a buoy located near Dunkirk, New York. The GLOS collects and provides data relating to water quality for scientists and lake managers. It’s also popular with the local fishing community, to help them find fish and decide if conditions are right for heading out on the lake, according to Clapsadl.
Many Buffalo State faculty members are affiliated with the Great Lakes Center. Their research has included using drones to seek out water chestnuts, an invasive aquatic plant; contributing to fishery management by monitoring populations of specific species; and evaluating stretches of stream to identify promising areas for habitat restoration.
Such efforts benefit public policy and the next generation of scientists, because faculty members routinely involve undergraduate and graduate students in field and lab work. The Great Lakes Center has developed two graduate programs in Great Lakes Ecosystem Science, with certain common courses but different objectives.
The Great Lakes Center also houses and administers the Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) of Western New York. Under coordinator Andrea Locke, PRISM has at least 45 primary and collaborating partners. Individuals are invited to get involved with PRISM to stop the spread and reverse the damage that invasive species are causing.
From citizen scientists to world-renowned researchers, the Great Lakes Center at Buffalo State is deeply and demonstrably active in maintaining and improving the quality of Western New York’s waterways for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Editor’s Note: An IJC public meeting on Great Lakes progress is planned for March 28 in Buffalo, New York. You may register and comment at ParticipateIJC.org.
Mary Durlak is a senior writer at SUNY Buffalo State who covers the Great Lakes Center for the college’s news site.
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