The Green Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office implements the Service’s Fisheries Programs in the Lake Michigan and Great Lakes basins to conserve, protect, manage, and restore native fish and the habitats they rely on. We partner with many state, local, non-governmental, tribal, and other federal agencies and organizations and encourage cooperative management of fishery resources of the Great Lakes. Our Programs include: -Native Species Conservation: Focuses on restoration, rehabilitation and conservation of important native fish populations, with emphasis on lake trout, lake sturgeon and lake whitefish. -Mass Marking of Great Lakes Stocked Trout and Salmon: Provides coded-wire tagging, tag recovery, and other science support services to state and tribal agencies that stock trout and salmon into the Great Lakes. -Habitat Restoration: Coordinates with partners to restore quality fish habitat including instream, riparian, wetland, coastal, lake and upland habitats benefiting native species in the Lake Michigan basin. -Aquatic Invasive Species: Conducts activities for the prevention, early detection, and rapid response planning of aquatic invasive species introductions. The work we do helps to maintain the overall function and health of the Great Lakes, providing opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our shared natural heritage. We are devoted to the management of these important natural resources to preserve them for present and future generations. To learn more about the work we do, please visit https://www.fws.gov/midwest/greenbayfisheries/programs.html
Happy Identi-Friday Friends!
Can you ID this freshwater mussel species?
Photo: Two mussels held in a hand. The mussel shells are a yellow/tan color with dark green blotches and light brown rays. One mussel is held on its side and the other mussel is held with the hinge pointing upward.
Credit: Jessica Collier/USFWS
Today is for remembering what we are thankful for in our lives, whether it is our jobs, our families, our friends or for food on the table. We all have something for which we are grateful. Have a safe holiday filled with laughter, love and great food! – Your friends at the Green Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office.
Photo is of a big turkey in the woods. Photo by Steve Burt/Creative Commons https://flic.kr/p/dXtLu6
Chicago is ranked highest on our list of places where new aquatic invasive species might be introduced to Lake Michigan. This is due to Chicago's large population (higher chance of aquarium releases, bait releases, intentional or unintentional stocking), high volume of recreational boating traffic (transport via livewells, bilges, and trailers), and status as a major port city for shipping (introductions via ballast water). We'll keep a lookout for any new arrivals, but we also appreciate everyone doing their part to keep our waters clean. Together we can reduce the risk of introducing invasive species.
Photo: The Chicago skyline at night. Tall buildings alight on the horizon with water in the foreground.
Credit: Grace Loppnow/USFWS
Lake trout can live a long time – over 30 years in Lake Michigan – which means it can take years to learn anything about this native species. One example of this involves a multi-agency study, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which analyzed gillnet survey data of captured lake trout that were tagged when they were stocked in Lake Michigan. From these lake-wide gillnet surveys, conducted from 1998 to present, we learned that lake trout stocked in northern Lake Michigan had poorer survival than those stocked in southern Lake Michigan. Low survival of lake trout seem to be tied to higher fishing pressure and more sea lamprey in the northern part of the lake compared to southern lake Michigan.
Contact Matt Kornis for more details or a copy of the study ([email protected]).
Photo caption: Photo shows two USFWS biologists removing lake trout from a gill net set on Lake Michigan as part of an annual survey. Photo by USFWS
Those are big catfish!! Our survey team recently partnered with the Ashland FWCO to conduct fish surveys in the Illinois River and they found some impressive flathead catfish!
Photo: Three USFWS employees standing on a boat hold up 3 large flathead catfish that were captured during recent field surveys.
Credit: Grace Loppnow/USFWS
Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office
Year old Lake Trout are offloaded from hatchery trucks to the M/V Spencer F. Baird via a gravity fed piping system. This year's high water levels had the vessel sitting higher than usual. In order for the hatchery trucks to be above the Baird's holding tanks a pair of large ramps were brought in.
Photos by Kaley Genther/USFWS
It’s time for Identi-Friday!!
Can you name this fish species?
Photo: A fish is pictured on a measuring board. The fish has large scales with bronze/gold coloring and a concave margin on the top (dorsal) fin.
Credit: Sharon Rayford/USFWS
A Poem: Work Life
Number crunching, words on the screen, Google searches,
Fluorescent lighting, uncomfortable chair, squinty eyes,
Conference calls, crashing webinars, phone ringing,
Microscopes, scales, saws….
Office life.
What can be better than this?
Orange sunrise, red sunset, blue skies,
Crisp air, warm wind, rustling trees,
Bald eagle, lake trout, deer,
Rivers, lakes, water…
Boat life.
By Cari-Ann Hayer
Photo: A river with trees lining the shore and a bright blue, cloudless sky overhead.
Credit: Cari-Ann Hayer/USFWS
The GBFWCO Aquatic Invasive Species crew recently conducted an electrofishing survey to help detect the presence of non-native, invasive fish near Chicago.
Photo: In the foreground, two electrofishing anodes, asterisk-shaped bars sometimes called ‘spiders’, hang over the front of a boat to help conduct electricity in the water. The Chicago skyline is on the horizon.
Credit: Sharon Rayford/USFWS
Members of the AIS team had the opportunity to work with other USFWS offices on a Long Term Resource Monitoring Project this summer and fall. They conducted fish surveys in the Illinois River using the same protocol that has been used for decades in other Midwest rivers. The data will be used to track species composition, abundance, and fish growth over time.
Photo: Green Bay FWCO and Ashland FWCO staff riding on a boat with hoop net gear.
Credit: Grace Loppnow/USFWS
Happy Identi-Friday!!
Do you know what fish species is pictured below?
It was sampled by our AIS Crew doing night electrofishing surveys on Lake Michigan, outside of Chicago.
Photo: A large fish is pictured against a measuring board. The fish has large scales, bronze /gray coloration, and a small sub-terminal mouth.
Credit: Sharon Rayford/USFWS
What does 1300 fish heads look like? It looks like this!
Here at Green Bay FWCO, our Mass Marking Program is hard at work processing all the coded-wire tagged snouts that are collected from this summer and fall. Three of our technicians are taking count of approximately 1300 coded-wire tagged snouts from WIDNR Strawberry Creek Weir and Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility Weir. The technicians can process anywhere from 80 to 150 snouts in a 8 hour day extracting out a 1/25 inch long coded-wire tag from the snouts.
Photos: Top left is three techs standing in front of red bins, which hold Chinook salmon snouts in plastic bags. Bottom picture is showing the 1/25 inch long coded-wire tag identified by the red arrow. Vertical picture is showing 10 red squared bins holding Chinook salmon snouts in plastic bags in the snow. Photos by USFWS
New Employee Spotlight!
Drew Ransom grew up in a small town in Connecticut where he spent much of his time hunting, fishing, and snowboarding. Drew attended the University of Connecticut for his undergrad degree. After graduating, he worked for the state’s Inland Fisheries division as a seasonal tech, and then made his way out to Idaho for another tech job on the Kootenai River working with native Burbot and White Sturgeon. Drew then traveled to the Midwest where he attended University of Wisconsin at Green Bay for his masters project working with Lake Whitefish and now works for the Aquatic Invasive Species program at the office. Drew spends his time fishing, which he says keeps him quite busy mostly in the winter and has become obsessed with waterfowl hunting.
Photo is of Drew holding a Freshwater Drum on a boat. Photo by Stefan Tucker
When you need to move a boat but can’t use a truck, you use a trailer tug! This piece of equipment is brand new to our AIS program and is already coming in handy as they moved our newest AIS boat, the R/V Patronus into the garage for the winter.
The GIF below is showing how the boat dolly helps to move boats without using a traditional truck. GIF by USFWS.
A vibrant sunrise along the Kewaunee River seen from the cabin of the RV Smith, research vessel!
Photo: A sunrise over a river with trees lining the bank and the boat window panes in the foreground.
Credit: Stormi Sutter, USFWS
Here at the Green Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, we would like to take the time and say thank you to all those that have and are serving this great country. We would also like to honor and say thank you to our own veterans that work here in our office every day. It’s because of your sacrifice that allows us the freedom to do the jobs that we love. Please take the time to say thank you to a veteran and have a safe holiday from our family to yours!
Photo is of the Green Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office with an American flag blowing in the wind in the background and a sign that reads Green Bay Field Office in the foreground. Photo by USFWS
Happy Mollusk Monday!
During our freshwater mussel surveys on the Grand River near Lyons, MI, we found this gravid female Plain Pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium). The dark tissue seen inside the mussel’s shell are fertilized eggs held inside the gills until they are released as glochidia, the larval life stage of mussels that requires a host fish for development into an adult mussel.
Photo: A freshwater mussel is gently opened to reveal dark striated tissue that is the fertilized eggs held on the mussel’s gills.
Credit: Patrick Ertel/MI DNR
Happy Identi-Friday!
What is the name of this freshwater mussel species?
Photo: Two mussels held in a hand. The mussel shells are a light yellow color with dark green perpendicular rays. Dark green algae covers the anterior end of the mussel where it sticks out of the river substrate for filter feeding.
Credit: Jessica Collier/USFWS
Staff from the GBFWCO were out electrofishing with Oneida Nation staff in late September. Fall electrofishing surveys are conducted to assess the population dynamics of fish in several tribal lakes. While we are pretty good at catching fish, it looks like we need to work on our selfie skills :)
Photos (clockwise from top): GBFWCO Staff and Oneida Nation Staff attempt to take a fish selfie. Three people holding up several large fish that were captured during surveys.
Photo 2: A yellow perch and black crappie captured during eletrofishing assessments. Two fish are held in a net. Photo 3: Impressive largemouth bass and walleye caught during electrofishing on Oneida Lake. Two large fish are held up from a holding tank to showcase their large size.
Credit: Anthony Rieth/USFWS
Do you believe in old wives tales?
Well, have you heard about the one where a woolly bear caterpillar can predict how harsh a winter will be by how thick/long the black bands are on its body? They say the longer the black bands the colder, snowier and more severe the winter will be. One of our techs found this the other day; let us hope not all wives tales are true!
Photo is of a Woolly Bear caterpillar showing its long black band followed by a burnt orange band on the wrist of a bio tech. Photo by Shannon Cressman/USFWS
The Green Bay FWCO Aquatic Invasive Species and Native Species programs recently conducted gill net surveys on Green Bay to assess fish communities and detect non-native species.
Photo: Two USFWS biologists pull in a gill net while conducting surveys on Green Bay.
Credit: Sharon Rayford/USFWS
Happy Mollusk Monday!!
Did you know we can use microchips to help track endangered freshwater mussels? The Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags are small microchips, similar to what may be tagged in your dog or cat, that when scanned with a tag reader, provides an identification number which corresponds to our records. We can also use the PIT tag readers to help us locate tagged mussels in river systems! This is a federally endangered Snuffbox mussel (Epioblasma triquetra), that was tagged during surveys on the Grand River in Michigan!
Photo: A small freshwater mussel is held on an open hand. A green, numbered tag is super-glued to the shell as an identification number and a small PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag is glued to the other side.
Credit: Patrick Ertel/MI DNR
Good morning from Kewaunee, Wisconsin! Another breathtaking sunrise from our research vessel, the RV Smith!
Photo: A sail boat in the Kewaunee Harbor is set against a backdrop of a bright yellow sunrise.
Credit: Stormi Sutter, USFWS
Happy Identi-Friday!
Do you know the name of this fish species?
Photo: A large fish lays across a measuring board. The fish is lightly colored with rows of dark spots along its body and black margins along the fins.
Credit: Sharon Rayford/USFWS
Did you know that some lake sturgeon will migrate up river in the fall?! While most fish migrate for spawning in the spring, some fish will begin to check out rivers in the fall. On the Menominee River, a sturgeon lift helps move the fish above the large hydropower dam. Several biologists from the GBFWCO have helped with night surveys that operate the lift every hour to help the sturgeon move pass this migration barrier.
Photo: Five large lake sturgeon are depicted swimming in a large round tank.
Credit: Dave Lawrence/USFWS
Good Morning Facebook Friends!
Another beautiful sunrise along the Kewaunee River (Wisconsin)!
Photo: A net pulley from the research vessel is depicted in the foreground with a yellow orange sunrise set against a dark blue sky and reflecting off the river is displayed in the background.
Credit: Stormi Sutter, USFWS
Science Selfie!!
Our Native Species and Aquatic Invasive Species teams joined forces for gill net surveys on Green Bay! They are loving the beautiful fall Wisconsin weather!
Photo: Three USFWS biologists, dressed in safety gear, are ready to set nets in Green Bay.
Credit: Sharon Rayford/ USFWS
Our Native Species and Habitat teams recently conducted night surveys on the Muskegon River (Michigan) to locate young of year lake sturgeon. Treatments for invasive sea lamprey can be harmful to young sturgeon in river systems that have a high alkalinity (like the Muskegon). Before sea lamprey treatments occurred on the Muskegon, the sturgeon were captured and held safely offsite. They were released back into the river after treatments occurred.
Photo: A small lake sturgeon is released in the shallow waters of the Muskegon River. Special thanks to our partners at the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians for providing the photo and to the GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute for hosting the sturgeon during treatments!
Credit: Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
Neither Rain, Sun, or even Snow as of this morning will stop our crews from going out to set and pull nets on Lake Michigan and the bay. Both our Aquatic Invasive Species program and the Native Species program headed out this morning to conduct field work amidst the snow fall.
Photo is of the R/V Patronus covered in snow getting ready to go out on Green Bay. Photo by USFWS
Employee Spotlight!
Anthony Rieth attended school at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. He graduated in 2010 with a B.S in Economics and 2014 with a M.S. in Resource Management. He started working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2013 with primary work focus of aquatic invasive species. He recently transitioned to the Native Species program. Anthony says, “While the majority of my work time is focused on fish and fish management, I really enjoy all aspects of conservation – especially introducing children to the outdoors through events where they learn how to fish.”
Photo is of Anthony talking to kids about Invasive Species. Photo by USFWS
USFWS Fisheries
In Manitowoc, Wisconsin, locals want to know “Where have all the yellow perch gone?” Recent monitoring by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has revealed that yellow perch stocks have dramatically decreased. http://ow.ly/AgnP50wQFxL
USFWS
Happy Mollusk Monday! Here’s a really cool video of a freshwater mussel called the Plain Pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium) as it begins to create a mantle lure to entice fish. Freshwater mussels rely on fish (and some amphibians) to host their larvae for a short amount of time. Many mussels have developed elaborate lures, also called a mantle flap, to attract hosts and encourage them to nibble on the tissue. This will release the larval mussels, called glochia, which will attach to the host gills where they will transform and drop off to become mature mussels.
We think this Plain Pocketbook is very alluring ;)
Video: A freshwater mussel is anchored in river substrate with the shells partially open. A flap of dark gray tissue is extended from the shell and moves around in the river current.
Credit: Patrick Ertel/MI DNR
Good morning from the RV Smith! Our research vessel is docked on the Kewaunee River, providing for some beautiful sunrise photos!
Photo: A pale sunrise reflecting on the water with the outline of trees and houses set along the horizon.
Credit: Stormi Sutter/USFWS
Fun in the Sun! One of our Habitat Program biologists recently attended the USFS’s Stream Simulation Design workshop to learn more about providing aquatic organism passage at road-stream crossings. The workshop provided an ecosystem-based approach for designing and constructing a channel that reestablishes physical and ecological continuity along stream corridors.
Photo: Workshop participants wearing waders stand in ankle deep water in a river in Northern Wisconsin learning about stream simulation design.
Credit: Dave Lawrence/USFWS
2661 Scott Tower Drive
New Franken, WI
54229
| Monday | 09:00 - 15:00 |
| Tuesday | 09:00 - 15:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:00 - 15:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00 - 15:00 |
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Green Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
When you need to move a boat but can’t use a truck, you use a trailer tug! This piece of equipment is brand new to our AIS program and is already coming in handy as they moved our newest AIS boat, the R/V Patronus into the garage for the winter. The GIF below is showing how the boat dolly helps to move boats without using a traditional truck. GIF by USFWS.
Happy Mollusk Monday! Here’s a really cool video of a freshwater mussel called the Plain Pocketbook (Lampsilis cardium) as it begins to create a mantle lure to entice fish. Freshwater mussels rely on fish (and some amphibians) to host their larvae for a short amount of time. Many mussels have developed elaborate lures, also called a mantle flap, to attract hosts and encourage them to nibble on the tissue. This will release the larval mussels, called glochia, which will attach to the host gills where they will transform and drop off to become mature mussels. We think this Plain Pocketbook is very alluring ;) Video: A freshwater mussel is anchored in river substrate with the shells partially open. A flap of dark gray tissue is extended from the shell and moves around in the river current. Credit: Patrick Ertel/MI DNR
These adorable little lake sturgeon will be part of a telemetry project with our Habitat Program to help us learn more about habitat use and river residency after release! The fish will receive tiny acoustic tags and their location will be recorded on receivers set up along the river and shoreline. Once released, we will be able to track where they move in the river and what kind of habitat they are using. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project! Video: Young of year lake sturgeon swim in a tank at a stream-side rearing facility along the Kewaunee River. Credit: Jessica Collier/USFWS
What a waterslide! These little sturgeon get released into the Kewaunee River in an epic fashion – an open pipe with running water guides them down the bank and a safely into the water. The sturgeon were stream-side reared at the WI DNR’s Besadny Fish Facility as part of an effort to help restore the lake sturgeon population in the Kewaunee River! Video: Small lake sturgeon are set on an open pipe with water running through it. Once released, the sturgeon slide down the pipe into the Kewaunee River, WI as part of population restoration efforts. Credit: Dave Lawrence/USFWS
Six USFWS students recently attended the Baird Safety Course in Cheboygan, Michigan. They learned about the different hazards of working on board the 95-ft Spencer F. Baird, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s research vessel, and practiced different drills, such as man overboard, fire response, and abandon ship. This timelapse video is of a class participant rescuing a class instructor in a man overboard drill. It demonstrates that necessity for practice as 1) different boats have different obstacles to avoid when throwing a rescue float, 2) current and wind can move the life saving line and the victim apart, and 3) hauling the person on to the boat to safety is different between each boat. Knowing how to operate and rescue a conscious and unconscious victim safely is very important skill to have prior to application in the field. Video: Students jump overboard the Spencer F. Baird research vessel to practice man overboard rescue drills. Credit: Sharon Rayford, USFWS
Six students recently attended the Baird Safety Course in Cheboygan, Michigan. They learned about the different hazards of working on board the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s 95-ft Spencer F. Baird research vessel and practiced different drills, such as man overboard, fire response, and abandon ship. This time lapse video is of the class practicing getting into survival suits, also called 'gumby suits'. Everyone was able to obtain and don their suits in less than 2 minutes (which is the Deadliest Catch requirement)!! Video: Students get suited up in red neoprene survival suits to prepare for a swim in Lake Michigan. Credit: Dave Wedan, USFWS
Electrofishing in action! The Aquatic Invasive Species program crew recently tested out the new GBFWCO electrofishing boat. Check out the short video to see one of our technician capturing a fish and adding it to the livewell. Video: Two fisheries technicians stand at the bow of a boat and use nets on long poles to scoop up fish that come to the surface during electrofishing surveys. Credit: Grace Loppnow/USFWS
This one's a bit of an ‘I spy’ game. At 5 seconds, in the center left, you can see a fin break the water's surface. Again, at the end of the video, there are ripples just in front of the boat. These are common carp spawning near Duck Creek in Green Bay. Our Aquatic Invasive Species crew observed them jumping, rolling, and otherwise being very active earlier this week. They like to spawn in swampy, shallow areas, where oxygen levels are often low and so egg predators are few. Video: The view from the side of a boat while it travels along the Bay of Green Bay near Duck Creek. Small ripples at the surface of the water are caused by common carp as they spawn in the shallow, muddy waters. Credit: Grace Loppnow/USFWS
During the 2019 Lake Wide Assessment Plan (LWAP) surveys, biologists sampled the lake trout population in Sturgeon Bay. You can watch this short video of a gill net being retrieved from the water as USFWS biologists monitor the progress and survey fish captured in the net. Video: A gill net is retrieved from the water as USFWS biologists monitor the progress and survey fish captured in the net. Credit: Sharon Rayford/USFWS
The R/V Smith is in the water for the 2019 season!! Video is of the research vessel Smith being put into water. Video by Sharon Rayford/USFWS.
Good Morning and Happy Identi-Friday!! Today we have a video for you all to watch. This awesome guy was captured swimming past our cameras at the Menominee Dam. Common name will do, take your best guess and good luck!! Answer will be given at the end of the day.
Protecting young sturgeon in the Muskegon River: Every 3-4 years, the Muskegon River has to be treated with the chemical TFM to kill larval lamprey. Unfortunately, these treatments also pose some risk to young lake sturgeon due to naturally high concentrations of minerals found in this and a few other Michigan rivers. So our GBFWCO biologists have been partnering with the Sea Lamprey Control program, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the Michigan DNR, and several volunteers to collect young sturgeon from these vulnerable rivers prior to a lamprey treatment, hold them in tanks during the treatment so they are not exposed to the TFM, and then return them to the river after the treatment. Volunteers with another one of our partners, the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA), have written a few interesting stories about this year’s efforts. http://mrwa.org/sturgeon-rescue/ http://mrwa.org/reflections-on-the-lampricide/
The Greater Green Bay Rotaract
2418 Leon Bond Drice, Green BayUWGB Student Government Association
2420 Nicolet Dr, Green BayBrown County WI Land & Water Conservation
2420 Nicolet Drive, ES307, Green BayRoyal Scot Golf Course & Supper Club
4831 Church Rd, Green BayBrown County Public Safety Communications
3028 Curry Lane, Green BayBrown County Emergency Management
3030 Curry Ln, Green Bay
Friends of New Franken Fire Department, Inc.
5077 Ronsman Rd