Subject Oriented Session: Utilization of GIS Technology for Sturgeon Rehabilitation

Introductions:
The session began with a round of self-introductions and identification of topics for discussion.

Topics covered:
- What are others doing to develop management strategies for their watersheds.
- Significant software changes/useability issues- who has the experience and expertise?
- Issues converting point data to grid surface with discrete coded variables
- Need working relationship between biologists and GIS researchers
- Who are the GIS experts
- What attributes are needed by biologists/researchers
- Is there a need/benefit to field data standardization for GIS
- Types of spatial data being collected

Participant List:
Dan Daugherty, Greg Kennedy, Gary Pritchard, Kregg Smith, Emily Zollweg (facilitator)

Discussion Summary:
Who are the GIS experts?

We discussed the fact that GIS experts may specialize into various types such as warehouse, use/research, and data collection.

We generated a list of organizations/agencies and individuals with known expertise.
Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN)
Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team (GLBET)- Islands DSS, Sturgeon DSS
Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab-NOAA (GLERL)
USGS- Ann Arbor: Greg Kennedy, Kurt Kowalski
Midwest: Jason Rohweder et al
MIDNR- Matt Tonello, Troy Zorn- LAS habitat index
OMNR GIS office in Peterborough, Tim Haxton
Purdue- Larry Theller, Bryan Pijanowski
USFWS- Chris Castiglione, regional coordinators

What are the most important system specific attributes needed by biologists and researchers (i.e. Population Status)

Quantification, Availability, Relative Availability, and Accessibility of habitat types by life stage for whole life cycle. Includes Physical and Chemical habitat factors, food resources and carrying capacity, Flow Characteristics, Thermal Regime, Land Use, Changes, Geomorphological factors

How would we, could we, standardize field collected data?

Needed- yes- Moving toward warehouses for data, for bigger analyses with contributors only working on small part
Such as CPUE, and especially habitat info- study design, protocols, sampling scheme- can all affect useability of final data product
How? Prioritize variables, get consensus for method or consensus for reportable unit/format

What types of spatial data do you or your agency currently collect? What kinds of spatial data are relevant to lake sturgeon assessment/research?

Everything, everything- everything affordable

Would you be interested in all GIS data for your lake, all lakes or specific areas?

Depends on scale of project, all impt, including “extirpated” systems as potential restoration areas
Format- Use GAP as template
Project format- appropriate to scale of project (projections)

Action Items:
List of GIS projects for GL Basin Sturgeon
Interest in a sturgeon working group or network of GIS interested biologists and researchers

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