History, Natural History & the Arts
When did homo sapiens arise? Maybe 2 million years ago?
Nobody really knows exactly when we became “human,” but most of the rocks on our Lake Ontario beaches are at least a hundred times older than our species.
This is what the geologists mean by “deep time.” [Read more…] about Deep Time: Lake Ontario’s Lucky Stones & Fossils
Fall’s cooling temperatures signal many changes. Among the least visible, but most incredible, is the migration of the American eel.
Somewhere right now, at the bottom of a lake, pond, or river, an American eel is preparing to leave the home she has known for 3, 13, or maybe even 30 years. Her yellowish skin has turned to silver, her eyes and nostrils expanded to take in more sights and smells, her body become strong with muscle and fat. She is ready to go. [Read more…] about American Eel Migration
As the bright yellow tops of goldenrod begin to fade in fields, and the foliage of the red maple increasingly begins its change to a bright reddish-orange, gulls engage in a nomadic phase of their life and can often be seen visiting a variety of settings in Northern New York.
Two species of “seagulls” are notable seasonal components of upstate fauna; however, the slightly smaller ring-billed gull is far more common and likely to be observed than the nearly identically colored herring gull. [Read more…] about Ring-Billed Gulls In Northern New York
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced a significant milestone for lake trout rehabilitation efforts in Lake Erie following the confirmed identification of wild fry collected by DEC’s Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit this spring.
The discovery of wild lake trout fry is a historic restoration indicator for a population that was once plentiful, but collapsed due to overfishing, habitat degradation, and invasive species. [Read more…] about Lake Trout Breeding in Lake Erie After More Than 60 Years
Cladophora is a type of stringy (filamentous) algae that grows on rocks, wood, logs, and other hard underwater surfaces in freshwater ecosystems, including the Great Lakes basin.
If you spot this type of stringy algae along New York’s Great Lakes beaches and shorelines, including Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River or the St. Lawrence River, DEC wants to know. [Read more…] about Report Cladophora Along Great Lakes Shorelines
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released a draft proposal for a national marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. The proposed sanctuary designation celebrates Upstate New York’s unique maritime heritage and provides a national stage for promoting the region’s tourism and recreational opportunities. [Read more…] about Proposed National Marine Sanctuary Highlights Lake Ontario Maritime History
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Syracuse-based Great Lakes Research Consortium (GLRC) has announced $121,741 in grant awards for five research projects to help restore and protect the health of New York’s Great Lakes and surrounding communities. [Read more…] about Great Lakes Consortium Awards $121K in Research Grants
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is deploying two new pen-rearing projects for Atlantic salmon to begin this spring. In an effort to improve post-stocking survival and imprinting to the stocked water, experimental Atlantic salmon pen-rearing projects will be conducted in the Saranac River estuary in Lake Champlain and in the Salmon River in Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about Salmon Net Pen-Rearing Projects set for Lake Champlain, Ontario
New York Sea Grant, in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), has announced funding is now available for projects that engage youth under the age of 21 and address local watershed challenges and New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda priorities.
A total of $200,000, up to $25,000 per project, in New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants is expected to be awarded. [Read more…] about Grants Available For Great Lakes Youth Projects
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released the 2018-2020 progress report on the restoration and protection of New York’s Great Lakes resources.
Prepared every two years, the report highlights partnerships and achievements completed during the prior two years, including improving resilience to coastal and tributary flooding impacts, protecting source waters, and accelerating restoration initiatives in communities that have been historically and disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution, called Environmental Justice communities. [Read more…] about Great Lakes Restoration and Protection Report Issued