Author:
Michigan Geographic Alliance
Subject:
Environmental Science
Material Type:
Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
Level:
Middle School
Tags:
  • Envrionment
  • Envrionmental
  • MEECS
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
    Language:
    English

    Education Standards

    Water Quality Lesson 9 : Bioaccumulations & the Great Lakes Ecosystem

    Overview

     Students reflect on what is “great” about the Great Lakes.
    Next they investigate aquatic food chains in the Great
    Lakes and how some contaminants can bioaccumulate in
    Great Lakes and inland lake fish, resulting in state fish
    consumption advisories.

    Lesson Overview

    Students reflect on what is “great” about the Great Lakes.
    Next they investigate aquatic food chains in the Great
    Lakes and how some contaminants can bioaccumulate in
    Great Lakes and inland lake fish, resulting in state fish
    consumption advisories. In an extension lesson, students
    select a Great Lakes issue to investigate and develop a
    PowerPoint presentation.


    Focus Questions
    Students answer the following essential questions: What
    makes the Great Lakes great? How do I know if it’s safe to
    eat fish from the Great Lakes? What types of contaminants
    are found in the Great Lakes? How can I help protect the
    Great Lakes?

    Subject/Target Grade
    Science and Social Studies/
    Middle School (6-8)
    Duration
    Two 50-minute class periods –
    Classroom setting
    Materials
    per class
    A Lake Trout Food Web in the Upper
    Great Lakes
    (transparency master)
    Bioaccumulation of Contaminants in the
    Great Lakes Food Chain
    (transparency
    master)
    • computer projector
    Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes
    PowerPoint (on MEECS Water Quality CD)
    • 5 small squares of paper per student, mark
    1/3 of squares with an X to designate toxic
    chemicals
    Toxic Tag (transparency master)
    Contamination in the Great Lakes (answer
    key)
    Maximum Contaminant Level in Drinking
    Water
    (transparency master from Lesson 6)
    • Great Lakes Watershed and Political
    Boundaries (transparency master from
    Lesson 3)
    • Small resealable plastic sandwich bags for
    minnows (1/3 of class)


    per small group
    • Michigan highway map
    Michigan Water World poster (laminated)
    Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide
    • washable markers or dot stickers
    (4 colors: orange, purple, brown, green)
    • Optional student resources (see Advanced
    Preparation)


    per student
    • student journals or notebooks
    Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes
    PowerPoint Study Guide

    Contaminants of Concern in Fish of the Great
    Lakes
    (student resource)
    Contamination in the Great Lakes (student
    activity)

     

    Objectives

    Students will be able to:
    1. Describe a typical Great Lakes food web.
    2. Explain bioaccumulation and why it is a concern in the
    Great Lakes.
    3. Describe the various pathways for toxic chemicals
    reaching the Great Lakes.
    4. Give examples of ways that citizen involvement,
    including student-led activities, can help protect the
    Great Lakes.

    Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations
    Science Grades 6-7:
    • Explain how human activities change the surface of the
    earth and affect the survival of organisms. E.ES.07.41
    • Analyze the flow of water between components of a
    watershed, including surface features (lakes, streams,
    rivers, wetlands) and groundwater. E.ES.07.82


    HS Earth Science:
    • Explain why small amounts of some chemicals may be
    beneficial for life but are poisonous in large quantities.
    E2.3b
    • Explain how the impact of human activities on the
    environment can be understood through the analysis of
    interactions between the four major Earth systems. E2.4B
    • Explain how water quality in both groundwater and
    surface systems is impacted by land use decisions. E4.1C
    • Draw the flow of energy through an ecosystem. Predict
    changes in the food web when one or more organisms are
    removed. B3.2C
    • Examine the negative impact of human activities. B3.4C


    Social Studies Grades 6-8:
    • Conduct research on contemporary global topics and
    issues, compose persuasive essays, and develop a plan for
    action. 6 - G6.1.1
    • Clearly state an issue as a question or public policy, trace
    the origins of the issue, analyze various perspectives, and
    generate and evaluate alternate resolutions. 6 - P3.1.1
    • Demonstrate knowledge of how, when, and where
    individuals would plan and conduct activities intended
    to advance views in matters of public policy, report the
    results, and evaluate effectiveness. 6 - P4.2.1
    • Engage in activities intended to contribute to solving a
    national or international problem. 6 - P4.2.2
    • Participate in projects to help or inform others. 6 - P4.2.3
    • Identify and explain factors that contribute to conflict and
    cooperation between and among cultural groups.
    7 - G4.4.1
    • Describe the environmental effects of human action on the
    atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere..
    7 - G5.1.1
    • Identify the ways in which human-induced changes in
    the physical environment in one place can cause changes
    in other places (e.g. cutting forests upstream can cause
    flooding downstream). 7 - G5.1.3
    • Describe the effects that a change in the physical
    environment could have on human activities and the
    choices people would have to make in adjusting to the
    change. 7 - G5.2.1
    • Contemporary investigations – Conduct research
    on contemporary global topics and issues, compose
    persuasive essays, and develop a plan for action 7 - G6.1.1
    • Clearly state an issue as a question of public policy, trace
    the origins of the issue, analyze various perspectives, and
    generate and evaluate alternate resolutions. 7 - P3.1.1

    Advance Preparation

    1. Write “What’s so great about the Great Lakes?”
    on the board. (If time is limited, have students
    prepare for this lesson by doing “hook” for
    homework.) Draw a bar graph with 5 columns
    and write the name of one Great Lake in each
    column.


    2. Prepare for the Toxic Tag game, by gathering
    five small squares of paper (or use poker chips)
    per student to represent food; mark 1/3 with
    an X to designate toxic chemicals. Mark the
    boundaries of the playing area for Toxic Tag: 25
    x 20 meters.


    3. Download one copy of the most recent
    Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide
    by the Michigan Department of Community
    Health at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/
    FishAdvisory03_67354_7.pdf (on MEECS CD).
    Make enough copies of the contaminant data
    for individual Great Lake watersheds (Huron,
    Michigan, Erie, Superior) contained in the Guide
    so that each student group has one Great Lake
    watershed.


    4. Reserve the computer lab if students will
    be getting additional information online to
    complete Contamination in the Great Lakes
    student activity.

    Background Information

    Students’ understanding of the important role of
    water in Michigan’s economy and environment,
    gained from earlier lessons, is woven together
    into this final lesson on the bioaccumulation of
    contaminants in the Great Lakes food web and
    stewardship of Michigan’s water resources. Here is
    a brief summary of what has been presented in each
    lesson.


    • Lesson 1 – Water moves around the Earth via
    the water cycle. Less than 1% of the water
    available on Earth is freshwater. The Great
    Lakes contain 95% of the United States’
    surface freshwater and 18% of the world’s
    surface freshwater.


    • Lesson 2 – Water plays an essential role in
    our daily lives. In the U.S., each day we use
    80-100 gallons of water directly for toilet
    flushing, showers, laundry, drinking, cleaning,
    watering lawns and gardens, and other
    household uses. In addition, we use more than
    one thousand gallons of water indirectly for
    all of the products we enjoy—making water
    an essential part of Michigan’s economy for
    manufacturing, agriculture, forest products, and
    tourism.


    • Lesson 3 – Watersheds are the land area from
    which water runs off into each of Michigan’s
    lakes, rivers, and streams. Almost all Michigan
    watersheds empty into the Great Lakes.
    • Lesson 4 – Land uses affect the amount and
    quality of runoff that reaches Michigan’s inland
    lakes, rivers, streams, and the Great Lakes.
    Every land use has the potential to contribute
    pollutants, such as sediment, nutrients, bacteria,
    and toxins, to Michigan waterways. Best
    management practices are recommended to
    reduce potential pollution from each land use.

    • Lesson 5 – One-third of U.S. residents and
    one-half of Michigan’s residents get their
    drinking water from groundwater. The speed of
    groundwater movement (permeability) depends
    upon the type of earth material the groundwater
    is moving through. Many human activities
    contribute to groundwater contamination, which
    is very difficult to clean up.


    • Lesson 6 – Water quality standards are
    established to protect water used by people
    for drinking, swimming, and boating, and to
    maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems. Very tiny
    amounts of some contaminants can be harmful
    to human and other organisms’ health.


    • Lesson 7 – The ecological health of Michigan’s
    streams and rivers is evaluated using
    bioindicators, water chemistry, physical channel
    measurements, and habitat assessment.


    • Lesson 8 – The quality and quantity of storm
    water runoff is determined by land cover
    type, soil type, rainfall amount, and land use
    practices. Best management practices are
    recommended to reduce the quantity and
    improve the quality of storm water runoff.


    Great Lakes Fish
    The Great Lakes, along with 11,000 inland lakes
    (greater than 5 acres in surface area) and 35,000
    miles of rivers and streams, make Michigan a fish

    and wildlife paradise. Sport fishing is a $2 billion-
    dollar industry in Michigan, while commercial

    fisheries net $10.5 million annually. Michigan’s
    lakes and streams support a variety of native
    game fish species
    including brook trout, chubs,

    pike, perch, bluegill, walleye, and bass, and non-
    native game fish species
    including rainbow smelt

    and rainbow trout (“steelhead”). Likewise, the
    Great Lakes support native lake trout, lake herring
    (“cisco”), lake sturgeon, whitefish, and non-native
    salmon species (http://www.fishweb.com/recreation/
    fishing/fishfacts/). Some of the non-native salmon
    and trout were intentionally introduced to create

    a sport fishery. While many enjoy the tug of a fish
    biting on the end of their line, are all of these fish
    safe to eat? If yes, how do we know they are safe?
    And if they are not safe, why not?


    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great
    Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) conducts
    annual surveys of all five Great Lakes to sample the
    phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, water chemistry,
    sediments, and air quality in order to assess the
    health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Much of
    their research is conducted using the Great Lakes
    research vessel R/V Lake Guardian (http://www.epa.
    gov/glnpo/monitoring/guard/ship.html). Research
    scientists from many universities also use the R/V
    Lake Guardian
    and other smaller vessels to conduct
    research on many aspects of the Great Lakes
    ecosystem, to help provide the most accurate picture
    of the overall condition of the five Great Lakes.


    The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
    (MDEQ) oversees the Fish Contaminant Monitoring
    Program as part of this comprehensive water quality
    monitoring strategy. The Michigan Department of
    Community Health (MDCH) analyzes the edible
    portion of the fish to determine the presence of
    contaminants; these results are then used to develop
    the Michigan Fish Advisory Guide, which is updated
    annually and posted online. Whole fish data are used
    to track contaminant trends and caged fish data are
    used to identify sources of pollutants and evaluate
    spatial trends of contaminant concentrations. The
    MDEQ produces annual reports describing the
    results of fish contaminant monitoring conducted in
    the waters of the state (https://www.michigan.gov/
    deq/0,4561,7-135-3313_3681_3686_3728-32393--,0
    0.html ).


    Bioaccumulation of Contaminants in
    Great Lakes Fish

    The U.S. Geological Survey defines
    bioaccumulation as the process by which organisms
    (including humans) can take up contaminants more
    rapidly than their bodies can eliminate them, thus the
    amount of mercury in their body accumulates over
    time. If for a period of time an organism does

    not ingest mercury, its body burden of mercury will
    decline. If, however, an organism continually ingests
    mercury, its body burden can reach toxic levels.
    The rate of increase or decline in body burden is
    specific to each organism. For humans, about half
    the body burden of mercury can be eliminated in
    70 days if no mercury is ingested during that time.
    Biomagnification is the incremental increase in
    concentration of a contaminant at each level of a
    food chain. http://water.usgs.gov/wid/FS_216-95/
    FS_216-95.html
    Chemical contaminants enter the Great Lakes
    through direct discharge from pipes (industry),
    from natural geology, and from atmospheric
    deposition (i.e., pollutants that are washed out of
    the air and into the lake when it rains). While these
    contaminants may be at very low concentrations in
    the water and not harmful for humans to drink, they
    can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms, becoming
    more concentrated at each higher level of the
    food chain, until the amount in large fish and top
    predators (like lake trout, large salmon, and humans)
    can be millions of times higher than the original
    concentration in the water. This is especially true
    for substances that do not break down readily in the
    environment, such as mercury, chlordane, dioxins,
    PCBs, and pesticides DDT and toxaphene.
    A typical Lake Trout food web showing the five
    trophic levels where bioaccumulation occurs in the
    Great Lakes aquatic ecosystem is:

    Water --> Phytoplankton (algae) -->
    Zooplankton --> Forage fish -->
    Lake Trout g Humans, etc.

    Bioaccumulation of chemicals in fish is much greater
    than in other types of food, due to the greater number
    of steps in the aquatic food chain. The continuing
    presence of contaminated sediments, along with a
    continuing supply of toxic contaminants from the air
    being deposited on the surface of the Great Lakes
    keeps contaminant levels elevated above safe levels
    for wildlife, fish, and humans.

    People most at risk are those who eat a lot of Great
    Lakes fish (i.e., eat one fish meal more than once
    per month), eat the older, larger fish at the top of the
    food chain, eat fish from highly contaminated waters,
    eat a large amount of fish over a short period of time,
    or are very sensitive. Because developing fetuses
    inside the mother and young children are at an even
    greater risk from these chemical contaminants,
    the Michigan Department of Community Health
    recommends that children and pregnant women
    not eat any fish from Michigan waters. Michigan
    Department of Community Health has issued a
    Fish Advisory for many of Michigan’s inland lakes,
    streams, rivers, and the Great Lakes primarily
    due to unsafe levels of mercury and/or PCBs,
    recommending a limit on the consumption of fish to
    one meal per week or month, depending upon the

    fish species and body of water. View the most recent
    Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory by visiting the
    Michigan Department of Community Health website
    and searching “Fish Consumption Advisory” and
    reviewing Contaminants of Concern in Fish of the
    Great Lakes
    (student resource) included with
    Lesson 9 on the MEECS Water Quality CD.

     

    Procedure

    1. Hook Your Students: What’s so great about
    the Great Lakes?

    As students enter the classroom, have the
    question “What’s so great about the Great
    Lakes?”
    posted on the white board with lots of
    markers available. Tell students that it’s OK to
    write graffiti!! Students should draw a picture
    of their response to ‘what is so great about the
    Great Lakes.’
    Make a bar graph on the board, and label
    each column with one of the Great Lakes. Tell
    students to place a self-adhesive note in the
    column for each lake that they have visited
    (HOMES): Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie,
    Superior. Which lake have most students visited?
    Which has had the least visits by students?
    Admire students’ drawings about the Great
    Lakes. Encourage them to share their thoughts
    and experiences related to the Great Lakes.

    Recap for students what has been covered in the
    water unit to date (see Background).
    Ask students:
    What role do the Great Lakes play in our
    personal lives?
    What role do the Great Lakes play in Michigan’s
    economy and quality of life?
    Does the health of the Great Lakes matter for
    future generations?


    Note: If time is short, have students
    respond to these questions in their
    science journals.

    2. What is the food web in the Great Lakes?
    Display the overhead transparency of A Lake
    Trout Food Web
    in the Upper Great Lakes.
    Note the five trophic levels of the food chain:
    Phytoplankton (algae) -->
    Zooplankton --> Forage fish -->
    Lake Trout --> Humans

    Phytoplankton and zooplankton are
    microscopic plants and animals, respectively.
    Ask students for examples of typical terrestrial
    food chains found in a field or forest and write
    on the board:

    Grass --> deer --> wolf
    Nuts --> squirrels --> coyote
    Seeds --> mouse --> fox
    Compare the number of trophic levels in the
    terrestrial food chain to the number in the Great
    Lakes food chain.
    [There are more trophic levels
    in an aquatic food chain.]


    3. What is bioaccumulation?
    Contaminants can enter the Great Lakes from
    many different sources: atmospheric deposition,
    polluted streams, contaminated groundwater,
    contaminated sediments in the water that become
    resuspended, and runoff from various land uses.


    While people may be able to drink, swim, or
    boat in the water with little or no ill effects,
    these contaminants bioaccumulate in aquatic
    organisms higher in the food chain, becoming
    concentrated at levels that are much greater than
    in the water itself. This is especially true for
    contaminants that do not break down readily in
    the environment, such as mercury, chlordane,
    dioxins, and PCBs.


    Display the overhead transparency
    Bioaccumulation of Contaminants in the
    Great Lakes Food Chain. Discuss how the
    toxic chemicals in the water accumulate in the
    phytoplankton at the base of the food chain.
    They are then further concentrated in the
    bodies of the zooplankton and small fish that
    consume large quantities of phytoplankton. This
    is repeated at each step in the food chain. The
    concentration of some chemicals in the tissues
    of top predators, such as lake trout and large salmon, can be millions of times higher than the concentration in the water. Bioaccumulation is
    more common in aquatic food chains because
    of the greater number of steps in the aquatic
    food chain. Contaminated sediments and air
    deposition continue to keep contaminant levels
    elevated above safe levels for wildlife in the
    Great Lakes ecosystem.


    4. Explore bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes.
    Show the 10-minute PowerPoint
    Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes found on
    the MEECS Water Quality CD.


    At the end of the presentation, have
    students write responses on the study guide
    Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes or discuss
    the questions aloud:
    • explain bioaccumulation,
    • list pathways for pollution entering the Great
    Lakes,
    • describe a typical Great Lakes food chain,
    • list several pollutants and their sources, and
    • describe possible impacts of contaminants on
    the Great Lakes food chain and human health


    5. Play a game of life and death: “Toxic Tag.”
    (Outdoor Connection)

    Tell students that they will become a part of
    an aquatic food chain on a mission to gather
    their necessary food in order to stay alive.
    Separate students into three groups: one-half
    of the class becomes zooplankton, one-third
    becomes minnows, and one-sixth of the class
    becomes fish-eating birds (i.e., an eagle or loon).
    Show students the phytoplankton food squares.
    Distribute “stomachs” or small plastic bags, to
    zooplankton.


    Show students the boundaries of the playing
    area: 25 x 20 meters. Remind students that they
    are not to go outside the playing area to avoid
    predation. Scatter the phytoplankton squares
    inside the marked playing area.

    Tell zooplankton that they have 60 seconds to
    gather as many phytoplankton as they can into
    their “stomach” (a small plastic bag in which
    they will store their food). Next send in the
    minnows. Minnows have 60 seconds to try to
    catch the zooplankton by tagging them and then
    taking their food. If a zooplankton is caught, it
    must give all of its food to the small fish and
    leave the playing field. Lastly, the loons have 60
    seconds to gather their food by tagging minnows
    and taking their entire stomachs.


    Gather everyone together to examine the
    results. Any zooplankton, minnow, or loon
    without three food pieces does not survive.
    Next, have survivors count the number of
    toxic food particles (marked with an “X”) they
    have and compare that number to the overhead
    transparency Toxic Tag that shows the chart of
    consequences due to consuming contaminated
    prey.


    How many organisms did not survive? How
    might this alter the aquatic food chain? What
    happens when animals cannot reproduce?
    What happens if an entire population declines
    or disappears?


    6. Would you eat the fish in Michigan’s rivers
    and lakes?

    Ask students for a show of hands on how
    many students have been fishing in Michigan’s
    streams, rivers, inland lakes, or in the Great
    Lakes. Fishing is fun to do, and eating fish
    is a good source of protein. The Michigan
    Department of Community Health analyzes
    numerous species of sport fish each year for
    mercury, PCBs, chlordane, and dioxin to
    determine their safety for consumption by
    Michigan residents. Fish consumption advisories
    are issued for fish species high in contaminants.
    Michigan began its fish advisory program in the
    1970s. Since then, fish have become much less
    contaminated. PCBs have steadily declined in

    fish since Michigan became the first state to ban
    the use of these chemicals.


    Where is the most contamination in Michigan
    lakes and rivers?

    Assign each student group one Great Lake
    watershed in which to investigate fish
    contamination. Give each group a copy of
    the pages from the Michigan Family Fish
    Consumption Guide
    for one of the Great Lake
    watersheds (Erie, Huron, Michigan, or Superior),
    a Michigan Highway Map and a Michigan’s
    Water World
    laminated poster. Instruct students
    to use a washable marker to highlight rivers and
    lakes within their assigned Great Lake watershed
    that are contaminated and therefore have a fish
    consumption advisory. Put the following key
    on the board for students to use, showing which
    color corresponds to each contaminant. Have
    all students follow the same color key so that it
    is easier to compare fish advisories in different
    Great Lake watersheds.
    • Mercury – orange
    • PCB – purple
    • Dioxin – brown
    • Chlordane – green


    7. Which Great Lake is the cleanest?
    Have students complete Contamination in
    the Great Lakes
    student activity pages.
    Provide students with Contaminants of
    Concern in Fish of the Great Lakes
    student
    resource for information on each of the
    common contaminants in Great Lakes fish.
    (See Additional Resources.)


    Remind students of the serial dilution they
    performed with red food coloring in Lesson 6,
    which illustrated just how tiny a part per million
    is. Look at the Maximum Contaminant Level in
    Drinking Water
    table from Lesson 6 to see the
    amount, potential health effect, and possible
    sources of the most common contaminants in
    the Great Lakes as indicated in the Michigan 

    Family Fish Consumption Guide (chlordane,
    dioxin, mercury, PCBs). Other useful sites are
    The Effects of Great Lakes Contaminants on
    Human Health
    (http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/
    health/report.htm) and Toxics in Top Predator
    Fish
    (http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/glindicators/
    fishtoxics/topfishb.html).


    8. Tying it all together.
    Discuss the following overarching questions
    dealing with environmental issues in the Great
    Lakes basin:
    • Why is it important to be an informed citizen
    of the Great Lakes?
    [To make good personal
    decisions, vote wisely, promote appropriate
    policies for management of the Great Lakes,
    and understand consequences of different
    actions or failure to take an action.]

    Show the Great Lakes Watershed and
    Political Boundaries
    overhead transparency.
    All of the tiny squares represent different
    units of government making land use
    decisions. What are the challenges to Great
    Lakes management when there are two
    countries, eight states, two provinces, and
    thousands of counties, townships, and cities
    all making decisions that can affect the
    Great Lakes?
    • What can we do?
    Discuss the statement:
    “If you aren’t part of the solution, you’re
    part of the problem” or “Ask not what the
    Great Lakes can do for you, but what you
    can do for the Great Lakes.” Give examples
    of ways that citizen involvement, including
    student-led activities, can help protect the
    Great Lakes.

     

    Assessment Option

    Ask students to write a 25-word response to the
    following statement in their science journals or
    notebook, “The Great Lakes are important to me and
    to Michigan because...”

    Extensions

    1. Have students view the web module Aquatic
    Ecosystems: The Great Lakes
    developed by
    Michigan Technological University at
    (http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec_index.htm) to
    learn more about the Great Lakes food chain
    and see live footage of some organisms.


    2. Make a Great Lakes floor map using a 9’ x 12’
    canvas drop cloth. Hang the tarp on a blank wall
    and project the map of the Great Lakes basin,
    showing all five lakes and their watersheds, onto
    the drop cloth. With a pencil, lightly draw the
    outline of the lakes and their watersheds, noting the location of state, province, and country
    boundaries. Take the canvas cloth off the wall
    and use a heavy marker to retrace the pencil
    outline. Use fabric paint to paint the lakes blue.
    Make laminated labels for the countries, states,
    provinces, rivers (tied with blue yarn), and cities
    (optional). This makes a great geography and
    watershed lesson!


    3. Investigate a Great Lakes Issue using the extension
    lesson on the MEECS Water Quality CD.

     

    Additional Resources

    The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book is packed full of information about the Great Lakes basin. Topics include natural and human history, ecology, physical characteristics of each Great Lake, and today’s challenges. Contains fact sheets, photographs, and many colorful maps. Environment Canada. (1995). Ottawa: Canadian Government Publishing. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/atlas/


    Innovations in the Water Industry: Going Green
    By the year 2013, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that 36 states will face serious water shortages. While there are many water solutions that are green, primary among them and the focus of this paper is wastewater recycling. American Water (2011) http://www.amwater.com/files/InnovationsInTheWaterIndustryGoingGreen.pdf


    International Joint Commission (IJC), established in 1909, assists governments in finding solutions to problems facing the rivers and lakes (including the Great Lakes) that lie along, or flow across, the border between the United States and Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.ijc.org


    Mercury is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website with links to information about mercury, its health and environmental effects, how to protect yourself from it, and what government and industry are
    doing to reduce emissions. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/mercury/index.html


    Mercury Pollution Prevention is a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality website with links to information and brochures. Retrieved July 10, 2018, from https://www.michigan.gov/documents/M2P2_141687_7.pdf


    Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide: Important Facts to Know if You Eat Michigan Fish (2011-2012) is a 25-page comprehensive guide to eating fish caught in Michigan lakes and rivers. Includes sections on consumption risks for the general population and for women and children; guidelines for cleaning
    and cooking fish, and specific advisories organized by watershed, species of fish, size of fish, and risk category. From the Michigan Department of Community Health. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from
    http://www.michigan.gov/documents/FishAdvisory03_67354_7.pdf


    Michigan Fish Advisory: A Family Guide to Eating Michigan Fish (2011-2012) is prepared by the Michigan Department of Community Health to provide recommendations for anglers, young children, pregnant women,
    fetuses, and the public about which fish species caught in Michigan’s lakes and rivers may have too many chemicals in them to be considered safe to eat by everyone. Michigan’s lakes and rivers and the species of
    fish that have been tested for contaminants, such as mercury, dioxin, and PCBs. These chemicals have been connected to liver damage, cancer, birth defects, and could harm brain development Retrieved April 16, 2012
    from: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-54783_54784_54785---,00.html


    On the Brink: The Great Lakes in the 21st Century is a book that presents the natural and cultural history of the Great Lakes and highlights both the ordinary people who have helped preserve this reservoir of 20% of
    the world’s freshwater supply and the continuing threats facing the Lakes. The Library of Michigan selected the book for inclusion on its 2005 list of Michigan Notable Books. Dempsey, Dave. (2004). East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.


    Our Great Lakes is a 28-page report describing what is happening to the Great Lakes, what the changes mean, and what area residents can do. Topics include how the Lakes are doing; how safe they are for drinking water,
    swimming, and fishing; how fish and wildlife are doing; and how exotic species affect the Lakes. Appropriate as a student reading. From the State of the Great Lakes 2003 Report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
    Environment Canada. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://binational.net/ourgreatlakes/ourgreatlakes.pdf

    Ruin and Recovery is a book describing how Michigan has faced two turning points in its conservation history. One came at the end of the 19th century when its logging era ended, and the second turning point came in the late
    1960s, when rampant and extensive water and air pollution prompted public outrage and galvanized efforts to pass environmental protection laws in Michigan. Dempsey, Dave. (2001) Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.


    State of Michigan’s Environment Triennial Report (2011) is prepared by the Michigan Department of
    Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to report on the quality
    of the state’s environment based on scientifically supportable environmental indicators and using sound scientific
    methodologies. Retrieved April 16, 2012 from: http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3308-266777--,00.html


    Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (TRI) data are reported annually to the state under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986. The data include air releases, discharges to surface
    waters, disposal to land and to underground injection wells at the facility, and transfers off site for disposal. The Toxic Chemical Release Inventory is a valuable tool for citizens who want to know about toxic and hazardous
    chemicals used, stored, and released in their community. Michigan’s TRI data, trends, and summary reports are available online (retrieved July 25, 2011, from http://www.michigan.gov/deqsara). The U.S. Environmental
    Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory Program website contains TRI data for all states searchable by zip code. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from http://www.epa.gov/tri


    United States Department of Agriculture, National Invasive Species Information Center is a gateway to invasive species information; covering federal, state, local, and international sources. Retrieved July 6, 2011
    from www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/


    USGS Science for a Changing World. Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Database, central repository for spatially referenced biogeographic accounts of introduced aquatic species. The program provides scientific reports, online/realtime queries, spatial data sets, regional contact lists, and general information. The data is made available for use by biologists, interagency groups, and the general public. Retrieved July 7, 2011 from http://nas.er.usgs.gov/


    Understanding Lake Data is a 20-page booklet written to help the public understand lake water quality, the physical and chemical compositions of different types of lakes, trophic condition, and the susceptibility of some lakes to acid rain. Shaw, Byron et al. (2004). Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Extension. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/G3582.PDF


    Waterborne Contaminants in the Great Lakes, a 2-page flyer, describes why they are a problem. (2005) Retrieved April 15, 2012 from www.glerl.noaa.gov. By the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab.


    Wisconsin Sea Grant Fish of the Great Lakes website contains photographs and descriptions of most fish species found in the Great Lakes. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/sitemap.html

    Literature Connections

    The Day the Great Lakes Drained Away describes what might happen if the Great Lakes drained away. This unique and thought-provoking children’s book shows the landscape that would be revealed if all the water
    of the Great Lakes were to suddenly disappear. The book taps into and unlocks a timeless mystery for both children and adults—just what is under all that water? Most importantly the book will remind us to never take this natural wonder for granted. Barker ,Charles Ferguson (2005). Mackinac Island Press, Inc.

    The Dynamic Great Lakes is a non-fiction book that highlights the importance of our freshwater seas—the five Great Lakes. In eight chapters, the history, impacts and future challenges are described. Appropriate reading for middle/high school students. Spring, Barbara (2002). Independence Books


    Life in a Lake describes Lake Superior as a complicated and dynamic ecosystem. If just one of it’s physical conditions is changed or its organisms harmed, the entire ecosystem is altered. Stewart, Melissa (2003). Minneapolis, Twenty First Century Books.


    Sooper Yooper: Undaunted Hero from the North battles Alien Sea Creatures features Billy Cooper, an ex-Navy Seal who lives in the U.P. with his scuba-diving bulldog, Mighty Mac. In the book, Cooper and Mighty Mac discover the Lakes are being invaded by blood-sucking sea lamprey and destructive zebra mussels, and a host of other invasive organisms. Newman, Mark and Mark Heckman. (2010). Thunder Bay Press. Stevens Point, WI.

    Curriculum Connections

    Fisheries Learning On the Web or Project FLOW presents 15 lessons about the Great Lakes food web, water, fisheries, and stewardship. From the Michigan Sea Grant. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/flow/index.html


    Fresh and Salt: A Curriculum Integrating Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy Principles contains a collection of 14 activities for teachers in grades 5-10 that connect Great Lakes and ocean science topics taught using a comprehensive range of instructional modes including, data interpretation; experimentation; simulation; interactive mapping; and investigation/decision-making. Goettel, Robin, and Terri Hallesy, Rosanne Fortner. (2011). Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) 213 pages available online. Retrieved July 27, 2011 from http://www.iiseagrant.org/catalog/downlds_09/FreshSaltCurriculum.pdf


    Great Lakes Literacy Principles establishes an expectation for understanding of the Great Lakes’ influences on us and our influence on the Great Lakes. (2010). Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) for the Great Lakes. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://greatlakesliteracy.net/


    Great Lakes in My World is a K-8 curriculum that contains 80 activities on the Great Lakes, sand dunes, wetlands, urban areas, geology, history, and more; 60 Great Lakes creature cards, and a CD with supplemental materials. Alliance for the Great Lakes. (2005). Grand Haven, MI: Alliance for the Great Lakes. To order: www.greatlakes.org


    Great Lakes CoastWatch displays temperature maps for each of the Great Lakes. This reporting system is a cooperative effort between the NOAA CoastWatch, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, and Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. Retrieved July 27, 2011 from
    http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu or http://www.miseagrant.com/


    Project Fish is an educational program that works with local organizations to encourage interest in fishing and maintaining healthy fisheries by providing fishing education and fishing skills to interested adults and youth from Michigan’s many diverse populations. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from http://www.projectfish.org/