U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office's
Research Vessel	La

2016 Annual Report
Monitoring and Protecting the Health of the Great Lakes
EPA 905-R-17-002

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m
R/V LAKE GUARDIAN
United States Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office	January 2017
The Great Lakes
The North American Great Lakes are an international resource. With
more than 40 million American and Canadian people depending
on the lakes for drinking water and recreational opportunities, the
health of the lakes is a top priority. United States and Canadian
governments have recognized the importance of the lakes and
put efforts into monitoring their health. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) relies on the research vessel the R/V Lake
Guardian to help carry out this monitoring.
R/V Lake Guardian
The R/V Lake Guardian is the largest research vessel in the U.S
EPA fleet, and is currently the largest research vessel on the Great
Lakes. The R/V Lake Guardian is owned and operated by EPA's
Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) The purpose of
this report is to provide a brief overview of the research, monitoring
and education activities conducted onboard the R/V Lake Guardian
during the 2016 field season.
GLNPO will provide annual updates on the work supported by the
R/V Lake Guardian. Annual reports detailing the latest data and
trends for many of the long-term programs covered in this report will
also be available soon.
In This Report
- R/V Lake Guardian's Mission
-	2016 Annual Survey
Highlights
-Additional 2016 Survey
Highlights
-	2017 Survey Plans
guardian
The R/V Lake Guardian helps U.S. EPA and other partners monitor the health of the Great Lakes (Image Credit: Michael Milligan)

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Lake Huron sunset from aboard R/V Lake Guardian during the Summer Survey 2016
What is the GLRI?
The Great Lakes
Restoration initiative, or
the GLRI, was launched in
2010 to accelerate efforts
to protect and restore the
largest system of fresh
surface water in the world,
the Great Lakes. The
GLRI is critical to address
the most persistent and
challenging environmental
problems facing this
important ecosystem.
Mission of the R/V Lake Guardian
U.S. EPAGLNPO is responsible for restoring and
protecting the health of the Great Lakes under the Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). GLNPO is also
responsible for monitoring and reporting on the status
and trends of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The RA/ Lake
Guardian operates on all five lakes (Superior, Michigan,
Huron, Erie and Ontario) to conduct monitoring and
research and provide educational opportunities.
Lake Guardian Ship Facts
Length
Gross Tonnage
Cruising Speed
Berthing Capacity
180 feet
959 tons
11 knots
41 people
-	14 crew members
-	27 visiting scientists

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Onboard Research Facilities and Equipment
R/V Lake Guardian has three dedicated laboratories: a general purpose or "wet" laboratory,
chemistry laboratory and biology laboratory. The wet lab, serving as the main collection space, is
where all samples are first brought onboard. Raw water samples are processed and filtered in the
wet lab; while other samples pass through to the chemistry lab for nutrient analysis, or the biology
lab for zooplankton, phytoplankton, and chlorophyll-a processing and analysis.
The ship is equipped with state-of-the-art sampling equipment to aid in monitoring the health of the
lakes. The Rosette water sampler, outfitted with a Sea-Bird multi-parameter profiler (conductivity,
temperature and depth) and other probes, serves as the main device for water sample collection.
The Rosette collects water column data and raw water samples at designated depths at each
sampling station.
Samples are collected from lake sediment using a PONAR sampler, a box corer or a multicorer.
A benthic sled can also be deployed for video analysis of the lake bottom and collection of lake
benthos in large quantities. Zooplankton and Mysis samples are collected by pulling nets up through
the water.

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2016 Annual
Spring
Survey Quick
Facts*
360
Sampling Locations
650
PONAR Grabs
*Approximate values
GLNPO's Long-term Water Quality
and Biology Annual Surveys
GLNPO is responsible for monitoring the offshore water quality of the Great
Lakes to evaluate trends and identify emerging problems from chemicals
entering the lakes. GLNPO also established a long-term biology program
to monitor phytoplankton, zooplankton, Mysis, benthic communities and
chlorophyll-a across the lakes. The biology program tracks the ecological
health of the lakes, specifically the lower food web. Understanding the link
between the lower food web and fish survival and growth aids in managing
the fisheries and fishery stocking programs. GLNPO provides the long-term
data necessary for that understanding. Both the long-term water quality and
biology programs began in 1983.
The following chemical, physical and biological properties are assessed
during the water quality survey in all five Great Lakes:
Chemical/Nutrient Parameters: phosphorus (total phosphorus, total
dissolved phosphorus, dissolved reactive phosphorus, particulate
phosphorus), nitrogen (nitrate, nitrite, total nitrogen, particulate nitrogen),
particulate organic carbon, reactive silica and chloride
Physical and Water Quality Parameters: water temperature, conductivity,
total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity, transmissivity,
incident light, secchi depth, air temperature, wind speed, wave height and
barometric pressure
The Rosette water sampler is lowered off of the starboard side of the R/V Lake Guardian into
Lake Superior to collect water samples at different depths for chemical and biological analyses
Biological Parameters phytoplankton, zooplankton, Mysis, benthic
invertebrates and chlorophyll-a

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Legend
Benthos Stations
CANADA
• Open Lake Stations
MINNESOTA
MICHIGAN
WISCONSIN
NEW
YORK
MICHIGAN
PENNSYLVANIA
ILLINOIS
OHIO
INDIANA
A map of GLNPO's annua! spring and summer survey sampling site locations on the Great Lakes.
Spring Survey
Depending on the timing of ice break-up in the lakes, Spring Survey begins in late-March when the lakes
are isothermal with iow biological activity. The spring survey focuses on water quality, zooplankton, and
Mysis. GLNPO has cooperative agreements with University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD) and Cornell
University to analyze the biological samples that support the long-term biology monitoring program.
Spring Survey 2016
In 2016, the spring survey began March 25 and finished on April 22. Over the course of the spring survey,
eight EPA scientists and research fellows were onboard to collect, preserve and analyze water samples
for nutrients and other water quality parameters. Ten additional researchers, technicians and students
from UMD and Cornell were onboard the R/V Lake Guardian. UMD collected and preserved samples
for phytopiankton analysis as part of the long-term biology monitoring program. Additional samples were
collected in nearshore locations of Lake Superior to look at the variability of phytopiankton communities
and the impact of local sources of nutrients entering the lake. The changing phytopiankton community
has indicated water quality changes in the lakes, as well as changes due to global climate change. Some
samples will also be analyzed for stable isotopes, which indicate where nutrients originate and how they
pass through the food web, helping to evaluate changes in lake food web structure. Cornell collected
zooplankton and chlorophyll-a samples for the long-term monitoring program.
The resulting data and trends from Spring Survey 2016 will be shared in separate annual reports in 2018.

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(LEFT) Scientists collect water samples from the Rosette water sampler after a cast in Lake Superior; (RIGHT) After a tow, a scientist
rinses a zooplankton net to wash the catch into the collection bottle.
Summer Survey
Summer Survey begins in August when the lakes are at their peak biological activity, so benthos samples are
collected in addition to water quality, phytoplankton, zooplankton and My sis. Collectively, these samples help
determine the status and trends of water quality and the lower food web in the Great Lakes, which is important
information used by lake and fisheries managers. Under a sub-agreement with Cornell, Buffalo State University also
participates in the implementation of the benthos component of GLNPO's long-term biology monitoring program.
Summer Survey 2016
In 2016, the summer survey began August 1 and finished on August 27. Over the course of Summer Survey, twelve
EPA scientists and research fellows were onboard to collect, preserve and analyze water samples for nutrients
and other water quality parameters. Twelve additional researchers, technicians and students from Buffalo State,
Cornell, and UMD were onboard the R/V Lake Guardian to collect and presea'e samples for zooplankton, Mysis,
phytoplankton, benthic invertebrate communities and chlorophyll-a.
UMD collected additional water and sediment samples in Lake Superior as part of their ongoing study to track
phytoplankton dynamics in response to natural and human influences in the Great Lakes. The results will be used to
look at historical changes in the lower food web, which cannot be detected through regular water sampling.
Buffalo State collected additional benthos samples to help identify and prioritize future sampling locations. Additional
PONAR samples were also collected to characterize benthic meiofauna (benthic invertebrates smaller than
macrofauna but larger than microfauna) as part of Buffalo State's research collaboration with Texas A&M University
at Galveston. The benthic meiofauna data will be used to better understand the lower food web structure of the lakes,
filling in a part of the food web about which very little is known.
The resulting data and trends from Summer Survey 2016 will be shared in separate annual reports in 2018.

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Cooperative Science & Monitoring Initiative
(CSMI)
What is CSMI?
The Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) is a joint United States and Canadian effort to
provide environmental managers with needed information on each Great Lake.
In addition to the annual spring and summer sampling surveys, one lake is revisited each year in a five-year
rotation. In 2016, CSMI was focused on Lake Superior. In subsequent years, CSMI will focus on Lake Huron
(2017), Lake Ontario (2018), Lake Erie (2019) and Lake Michigan (2020).
Lake Superior 2016
Focusing on Lake Superior, the 2016 CSMI Survey took place following Summer Survey at the end of
August. The Lake Superior Binational Program Partnership identified lower-trophic food web health and
energy transfer as one of their priorities for the 2016 CSMI in order to better understand the food web
structure as it relates to fisheries management and overall lake health.
in response to this priority, an intensive assessment of the lower food web in the nearshore and offshore
zones of Lake Superior was conducted to supplement the long-term annual monitoring programs. U.S.
EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) and Buffalo State University sampled for water chemistry,
phytoplankton, zooplankton, Mysis, sediment and benthic invertebrates. An important focus of the 2016
CSMI Survey was Diporeia - small, shrimp-like crustaceans that are a major food web component in the
Great Lakes. Diporeia populations have declined dramatically since the 1990s in every Great Lake except for
Lake Superior, so monitoring their populations in Lake Superior is important for understanding lake health.
The results from this survey will provide lakewide estimates of the status and condition of Lake Superior's
lower food web. These results will be compared with similar Lake Superior CSMI surveys conducted in 2005-
2006 and 2011 to provide a baseline of ecosystem changes observed over the past decade in the nearshore
and offshore zones of the lake.
O Lower Food Web Station
A Benthos Station
Om O
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A map of the 2016 CSMI Survey sampling stations on Lake Superior.

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Contaminants in the Food Web Survey
Lake Superior 2016
The core objective of the long-term Great Lakes Fish
Monitoring and Surveillance Program (GLFMSP) is to
assess and track trends of chemicals in Great Lakes
top predator fish.
In 2016, to supplement this long-term monitoring
program, researchers and students from Clarkson
University, SUNY Fredonia, and SUNY Oswego
collected water, phytoplankton, zoopiankton, benthos
and sediment samples from the R/V Lake Guardian at
two locations in Lake Superior. These two locations,
offshore of the Apostle Islands and Keweenaw
Peninsula, are where lake trout are collected as part
of the GLFMSP. The samples will be analyzed for a
suite of persistent and bioaccumulative chemicals.
The samples will also be analyzed for omega-3 fatty
acids and stable isotopes to better identify energy
transfer through the food web.
The resulting data and trends will be shared in a
GLFMSP annual report in 2018.
Sample, collected from a benthic sled tow, full of Diporeia and
larval fish.

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Lake Erie Dissolved Oxygen Survey sampling stations in Lake Erie's central basin
Lake Erie Dissolved Oxygen Survey
GLNPO has been monitoring hypoxia in the central basin of Lake
Erie since 1983. This long-term program measures dissolved oxygen
(DO) and temperature profiles at ten locations in the central basin of
Lake Erie throughout the summer season when the lake is stratified.
The program assesses the status and trends of hypoxic conditions to
inform management decisions, including those being made under the
Nutrients Annex of the GLWQA.
In 2016, six separate surveys were done to support the long-term DO
program. The R/V Lake Guardian collected data and samples for four
of these surveys in early-June, July, August and late-September. The
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a partner agency, collected data in
late-June and early-September using the R/V Muskie when the R/V
Lake Guardian was supporting other survey work.
The resulting data and trends from the Lake Erie DO Survey will be
shared in a separate annual report in 2018.
What is the
GLWQA?
The Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement (GLWQA) is a
commitment between the United
States and Canada to restore
and protect the waters of the
Great Lakes.
The Agreement provides
a framework for identifying
binational priorities and
implementing actions that
improve water quality. U.S. EPA
coordinates U.S. activities that
fulfill the Agreement.
The Agreement was amended in
2012 to better address threats
to Great Lakes water quality
and strengthen measures to
anticipate and prevent ecological
harm.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Data Loggers
Since 2014, GLNPO has partnered with USGS, Illinois-Indiana Sea
Grant and Ohio Department of Natural Resources to supplement
the long-term DO monitoring program with moored DO data
loggers. The data loggers provide more detailed data on the day-to-
day variability of DO concentrations at their given location. The data
may ultimately help resource agencies assess the extent of hypoxia
to support efforts under the Nutrients Annex of the GLWQA.
In 2016, GLNPO deployed 26 DO loggers (two at each of ten
long-term GLNPO stations, plus duplicate sensors at three of the
stations) in early-June. These loggers were deployed 0.5 meter
and 1.5 meters off the bottom of the lake to track changes in DO
concentrations over the entire season The loggers were retrieved
in late-September. The data are currently being compared to the
profile data collected from the research vessels.

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Center for Great Lakes
Literacy Educator Cruise
The R/V Lake Guardian is also a floating classroom every
summer for a group of educators from around the Great
Lakes basin as part of the Center for Great Lakes Literacy
(CGGL) Shipboard Science Workshop, Participants work
side-by-side with scientists for a week doing real Great Lakes
research and gaining valuable hands-on experience collecting
and processing samples. The educators are expected to
incorporate their new Great Lakes science knowledge back in
their classrooms, and also share it with their colleagues. The
cruise is a collaboration between the Great Lakes Sea Grant
Network and GLNPO.
15 educators from across the Great Lakes states participated
in this week-long immersive workshop with EPA and UMD
scientists in 2016. While traversing Lake Superior, the
educators collected and processed samples of water,
zooplankton and benthos. At the end of the week, they
analyzed the resulting data, which addressed different research
questions, and presented their findings to the group.
A post-cruise evaluation indicated that all 15 participants
gained new knowledge and the confidence to explain Great
Lakes concepts, and all plan to integrate these concepts
into lessons back in the classroom. An 8-month follow-up
survey will be conducted in April to see how they incorporated
their RA/ Lake Guardian experience in their educational
programming over the school year.
BEFORE

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2017 R/V	Lake Guar Schedule
March
Training and Survey Preparation;
Spring Survey (All 5 Lakes)
April
Spring Survey (All 5 Lakes)
May
IAGLR Annual Meeting, Detroit, Ml;
Lake Huron CSMI Survey
June
Lake Erie DO Survey; Contaminants
in the Food Web Survey (GLFMSP)
July
Lake Huron CGLL Educator Cruise;
Lake Erie DO Survey;
Lake Huron CSMI Survey
August
Summer Survey (All 5 Lakes)
September
Lake Erie DO Survey;
Lake Huron CSMI Survey
October
Lake Erie DO Survey
November-February
Ship Maintenance and
Preparation
U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office
77 W Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60604
312-353-2117
www. epa. gov/greatlakes

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