THE STATE OF LAKE SUPERIOR IN 2011
Pratt TC, Gorman OT, Mattes WP, Myers JT, Quinlan HR, Schreiner DR, Seider MJ, Sitar SP, Yule DL, Yurista PM. 2016. THE STATE OF LAKE SUPERIOR IN 2011
This report describes for 2006-2011 the status of the Lake Superior ecosystem, especially of its fish communities and the progress made toward meeting Fish Community Objectives (FCOs) established by the Lake Superior Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The FCOs associated with inshore, tributary, and embayment fish populations, those most disturbed by settlement, are not being met, although progress has been made. Nearshore and offshore fish populations remain healthy, and the FCOs associated with these species are generally being met, although poor recruitment of cisco (Coregonus artedi) is a concern. Declining prey-fish biomass and declines in lean lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) abundance and growth are indicative of a lake trout-dominated ecosystem where even further reductions in prey fishes are possible if equilibrium has not yet established. Renewed interest in the development of a commercial siscowet (S. n. siscowet) lake trout fishery is putting more focus on the offshore community. The FCO for sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) will remain unachieved unless the population is reduced markedly. Nearshore and offshore habitats require continuing protection, and inshore, tributary, and embayment habitats require further restoration. Efforts to ensure that potentially invasive aquatic species are not introduced should continue. How Lake Superior will be affected by a changing climate remains uncertain. Changes in water temperature, ice cover, and wind speed are portenteous making further collaboration between fisheries and climate scientists necessary. Ultimately, agencies must continue to ensure that their surveys are effective and capable of addressing the requirements of today while being robust enough to anticipate future changes in the fisheries and the ecosystems on which they depend.