GBA - Summer 2019

6 ≥ www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Summer 2019 By Mary Muter, Chair, Georgian Bay Great Lakes Foundation T hanks to research supported by Georgian Bay Great Lakes Foundation (GBGLF), for the first time ever Environment Canada and Climate Change (ECCC) and the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) will be visiting Georgian Bay to directly assess the state of our wetlands in the face of climate change. Until recently, these agencies had assumed that Lake Ontario and Lake Erie wetlands could be used to model all of the Great Lakes wetlands. ≥ The CHS will launch its assessment of the Georgian Bay wetlands by using an interesting technology called LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to collect water depth data. Flying overhead in a special airplane, LiDAR uses a laser, a scanner and a specialized GPS receiver to map the shoreline as well as the topography beneath the water. ≥ With the help of GBGLF, ECCC will be studying Georgian Bay’s wetlands as part of its Great Lakes wetland climate change vulnerability assessment. It is thanks to the extensive research by Dr. Pat Chow-Fraser from McMaster University that these government agencies have recognized the importance of conducting primary research on Georgian Bay in order to protect its wetlands. Dr. Chow-Fraser and her team of students have been making annual research excursions in Georgian Bay since 2003 to study the unique features of Georgian Bay wetlands and GBGLF has been proud to support her work. Dr. Chow- Fraser’s numerous publications clearly demonstrate that our wetlands are the highest quality, most diverse and most extensive wetlands found anywhere in the Great Lakes. Always wanting to better understand the Georgian Bay wetlands ecosystem, Dr. Chow-Fraser will be continuing her research in the Bay this summer. Her team’s priorities include studying vernal pools, the shallow wetlands that form in the spring from snow melt and rain. Vernal pools provide an early habitat for frogs, salamanders and turtles to lay their eggs in spring, but dry up later in the summer. The team will be tracking the threatened Blanding’s turtles to see where they travel and how they use vernal pools in order to identify pinch point locations requiring habitat enhancement and/ or creation. This will lead to improved management of Blanding’s turtles and other freshwater turtles, along with a better understanding of how this and other wetland species may adapt to changing climate conditions. ENVIRONMENT Significant Wetlands Research Planned this Summer Our wetlands are the highest quality wetlands found anywhere in the Great Lakes “ “ McMaster University researchers installing fyke nets for overnight fish assessments.