GLEC designed and implemented a study to compliment past and ongoing water quality studies performed in Grand Traverse Bay (Lake Michigan) and to supplement an inventory of Grand Traverse Bay near-shore habitats and water quality. The purpose of this project was to characterize the state of the Grand Traverse Bay with regards to chemical and biological indicators, by conducting habitat and water quality inventories of the near-shore waters. The study encompassed all of Grand Traverse Bay, specifically targeting six areas of high ecological interest and importance. The areas were chosen to coincide with near-shore and offshore critical spawning areas, coastal wetlands, and tributaries. The study objectives were to assemble existing information and collect additional data describing near-shore critical habitats (spawning and nursery areas) and functional wetlands; inventory near-shore forage fish assemblages, benthos, and plankton; document water and sediment quality (primarily dissolved oxygen, nutrients, total organic carbon and temperature); and produce digital maps of the study areas which incorporate historical and current data. The importance of the study was that it provided a substantial baseline of defensible physical, chemical, and biological data for comparison to either historical or future data collection activities. The data also provide a comprehensive description of the state of the Bay and outline several significant findings that further the understanding of the water quality and ecology of Grand Traverse Bay. This study was the first bay-wide investigation to provide a GIS linkage between the field and laboratory data.
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