Winter 2023 • Issue 16

Collaborative Research

Published February 2023

Centered on Collaborative Research, this issue demonstrates how interdisciplinary partnerships and transboundary cooperation are essential for solving complex large lake challenges. It highlights success stories like the restoration of the Odawa Ziibi river and binational efforts that reduced invasive species rates, offering a model for achieving international conservation targets. Beyond specific projects, the content analyzes the social dynamics required for effective teamwork in a post-pandemic world, arguing that shared data, equipment, and trust are the foundations for sustainable ecosystem management across scientific disciplines.

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Features

A promising framework to foster global collaboration

A comparison of lake committees in the Laurentian Great Lakes and advisory groups in the African Great Lakes reveals a promising framework for transboundary collaboration and resource sharing.

Research collaborations

The Real-Time Aquatic Ecosystem Observation Network (RAEON) demonstrates how sharing equipment, data, and expertise enables researchers to tackle complex environmental challenges in the Great Lakes.

Bending the curve of species invasion

The binational success of ballast water regulations in the Great Lakes, which reduced invasions by 85%, offers a model for achieving global biodiversity targets under the COP15 framework.

Odawa Ziibi

The removal of three dams on the Boardman River restored connectivity and cultural significance, showcasing a successful collaboration between Indigenous communities, government, and local stakeholders.

Modeling the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration

A special section of the Journal of Great Lakes Research highlights the spectrum of actors in ecosystem-based management and the necessity of integrating social and natural sciences.

Large team collaborations in large lake research

Large, multidisciplinary teams are essential for tackling "wicked" problems like climate change and biodiversity loss, offering broader perspectives and greater impact despite management challenges.

Departments

Member Spotlight

Kiersten McCutcheon

Kiersten McCutcheon coordinates the Visual Assessment Survey Tool (VAST) for Niagara Coastal, engaging citizen scientists to collect data on changing Great Lakes conditions.

Member Spotlight

Nick Boucher

Nick Boucher, a Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, focuses on analyzing acoustic telemetry data and assessing arrays to improve fish tracking in the Great Lakes.

Member Spotlight

Edina Illyes

Edina Illyes studies how historical glaciation and human activity shape fish species distributions in northwestern Ontario, blending landscape processes with contemporary ecology.

Research Brief

Trust-based social networks & collaboration in a post-pandemic world

A survey of fishery professionals reveals that while virtual engagement maintains existing relationships, in-person interaction remains critical for building trust and new collaborations in the post-pandemic era.

Research Brief

Regional fisheries agencies collaborate to improve prey fish assessments through adoption of advanced survey technologies

USGS and partner agencies are using Saildrones and autonomous underwater vehicles to correct biases in sonar surveys, improving the accuracy of prey fish abundance estimates for Great Lakes fisheries.