New York Sea Grant's Launch Steward Program: STOP AQUATIC HITCHHIKERS!



New York Sea Grant's Launch Steward Program: STOP AQUATIC HITCHHIKERS!

The New York Sea Grant (NYSG) managed Launch Steward Program teaches boaters how to look for, remove and properly dispose of aquatic hitchhikers to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. NYSG Launch Stewards are stationed at select boat launches along Lake Ontario from Wayne County to Jefferson County and inland on Oneida Lake and the Salmon River Reservoir.

This blog will provide a glimpse into steward activities while providing boaters with tips to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A Glance at the Aquatic Profile of Sodus Bay (By: NYSG Launch Steward Sophia Oliveira)

The New York Sea Grant Launch Steward Program has expanded to include Sodus Bay, the largest sheltered bay on Lake Ontario. A popular recreational and tourism area, Sodus Bay is an excellent place for the New York Sea Grant Launch Steward Program to be educating the public about the importance of preventing and slowing the spread of harmful aquatic hitchhikers.

Boaters enjoying a day on the water at Sodus Bay.
Photo by: 2013 NYSG Launch Steward, Sophia Oliveria
With an average depth of 18 feet and a maximum depth of about 48 feet, Sodus bay provides habitat for fish and other freshwater aquatic organisms. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Sodus Bay covers a surface area of about 3,357 acres and is located in the Towns of Sodus and Huron in Wayne County.

This extensive bay supports an abundance of fishing, making it a popular year-round fishing destination with the local and out-of-county anglers. Summer bass fishing, ice fishing for perch, and spring bullhead fishing are popular angling activities.

Beautiful day for launching a boat at Sodus Bay
Photo by: 2013 NYSG Launch Steward, Sophia Oliveria

The NYSDEC monitors the fish species in the bay by implementing lake creel surveys, gill net sampling, and electrofishing. Field biologists are evaluating whether or not walleye stocking is effective, along with monitoring fish species and community populations. The bay supports a vast variety of fish including longnose gar, bowfin, northern pike, chain pickerel, channel catfish, brown bullhead, white perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed, bluegill, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye, yellow perch, gizzard shad, and pugnose shiners. According to International Union for Conservation and Nature, pugnose shiners are a threatened species due in part to habitat degradation.

       "A sunset view of a watercraft on Sodus Bay"
               Photo courtesy of: Wayne County Tourism office
  

While the bay provides suitable habitat for native fish and plants, a number of factors, including AIS, are decreasing the water quality and suitability of the ecosystem to the natives. AIS such as Eurasian water milfoil, Curly leaf pondweed, and European water chestnut are becoming nuisances to native plant species by outcompeting for resources.

Wayne County Soil & Water Conservation District's Weed harvesting Program at work in Sodus Bay. 
Photo by: 2013 NYSG Launch Steward, Sophia Oliveria

Sodus Bay is a tourism gem of the southern Lake Ontario region, important to both the environment and economy. Stewardship, research, education, outreach, and citizen awareness and interest are all important ways to help support Sodus Bay as a valuable resource for fishing, boating, swimming, and vacationing as well as  its role in the local and Great Lakes ecosystems.

This summer please take the opportunity to meet the NYSG Launch stewards at Sodus Bay, Port Bay, and elsewhere in the shoreline region to learn about the voluntary watercraft inspections that help with AIS management.

NYSG Launch Steward Brittney Rogers shakes hands with boater after showing him how to inspect his boat for aquatic hitchhikers. Photo by: 2013 NYSG Launch Steward, Megan Pistolese
For more information on protecting native habitats against invasive threats, contact New York Sea Grant at 315-312-3042, SGOswego@cornell.edu.

This is part of the NYSG Launch Steward article series that was published in local newspapers.   

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