By Mary Durlak, SUNY Buffalo State
For half a century, the Great Lakes Center at SUNY Buffalo State has been contributing to scientific understanding of the Great Lakes and its watersheds. Research scientists and faculty members have focused investigations on the plants, animals and water quality of the Niagara River, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and their tributaries.
From the three-inch emerald shiner to the legendary six-foot lake sturgeon, researchers have studied many kinds of fish. “The emerald shiner, a native fish that’s about three to four inches long, is eaten by many of the sport fish and the fish-eating birds that nest or migrate along the Upper Niagara,” said Alicia Pérez-Fuentetaja, biology professor and research scientist with the center at SUNY (State University of New York). Pérez-Fuentetaja led a team of collaborators who investigated the fish’s habitat needs and migratory patterns. As she visited observation sites along the Niagara River, she met people fishing, paddling, or bird-watching. “These people love this river,” she said, “and it’s an important part of their lives.”
Read the rest of the article at the Great Lakes Connection.
Some content on this page is saved in PDF format. To view these files, download Adobe Acrobat Reader free. If you are having trouble reading a document, request an accessible copy of the PDF or Word Document.