Faculty/Staff Publications: Recent submissions
Now showing items 1-20 of 654
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Effects of forested buffers on benthic macroinvertebrate indicators of water quality in the Western Finger Lakes, New YorkForested riparian buffers are implemented by watershed managers to reduce pollutant runoff into waterbodies. They have been shown to accomplish this task in rivers and streams, but few studies have investigated their efficacy around lakes. Hemlock and Canadice are oligo-mesotrophic lakes with reforested watersheds, including a shoreline buffer strip. Immediately to the west and east of Hemlock and Canadice, Conesus and Honeoye lakes are unprotected, meso-eutrophic systems with mostly mixed, forested, agricultural, and developed land uses. This study explored whether having a shoreline forest buffer strip supports a macroinvertebrate community indicative of good water quality in lakes. In addition, this study examined relationships between individual subwatershed land use and biotic indicators of water quality, as determined by benthic macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrate community composition showed some dissimilarity between lakes (R = 0.09, p = 0.04), with the largest dissimilarity between Conesus and Honeoye. Comparisons did not follow expected patterns based on land use, management protections, and presence of a shoreline forest buffer strip. No difference was found in a biotic index of water quality between the lakes. The benthic community of each lake was rated as moderately impacted by humans. Subwatershed land use generally did not correlate with biotic indices of water quality within lakes. This finding suggests that near-shore forest buffers had no measurable effect on benthic macroinvertebrate communities and their biotic indicators of water quality. Macroinvertebrate communities in these lakes are likely driven by within-lake habitat conditions and legacy effects of agricultural land.
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Indicators of Change in Water Quality and Environmental Health in the Irondequoit Creek Wetland Complex, 1996-2003In late 1996, Monroe County built a partial water detention structure across the Irondequoit Creek narrows in the middle of the Irondequoit Creek wetland complex (Figure 1). The purpose of the structure is to disperse widely during storm events the flow of creek water through the up-per wetland to utilize more fully the physical and biological potential of the wetland to trap plant nutrients, sediments, and pollutants. The remediation is intended to reduce loading of nutrients and pollutants into Irondequoit Bay which, as a formerly hypereutrophic body of water, has been the long-term object of water quality improvement efforts in Monroe County and is a major focus of current remedial action planning (Rochester Embayment RAP 1993, 1997). The purpose of this study was to compare water quality in the Irondequoit Creek wetland complex, as indicated by the health of benthic macroinvertebrate communities, before and after installation of the partial water detention structure.
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Building global relationships: OER partners and practiceUsing open educational resources (OER) as part of collaborative international exchange learning courses (COIL) provide students and faculty the opportunity to share content, enhance knowledge, and develop intercultural competence across geographical boundaries. The presenters will share their journey of co-planning, implementing, and revising the assignments, highlighting OER instructional materials. The presentation focuses on the faculty-librarian-instructional designer collaboration throughout the project.
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Population and Habitat Characteristics of the Pugnose Shiner, Notropis anogenus, in Four Bays of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, New YorkThe goal of our project was to better understand taxa (fish, submerged aquatic vegetationSAV) and physicochemical factors (PCF) associated with the pugnose shiner Notropis anogenus in three bays of Lake Ontario (Sodus) and the St. Lawrence River (Chippewa, Goose) and, using this information, to assess the suitability of an unoccupied bay (Chaumont, Lake Ontario) for establishing a new population by stocking. Our specific objectives were to 1) collect data on the fish communities, SAV, substrate composition and PCF in the four bays, 2) determine population and habitat characteristics of extant N. anogenus in Chippewa, Goose and Sodus Bays, and 3) determine fish, SAV and PCF characteristics in Chaumont Bay then compare them to actual N. anogenus habitat in Chippewa, Goose and Sodus Bays.
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RAP Progress in the Rochester Embayment of Lake Ontario: Population Monitoring, Trophic Relationships, and Levels of Bioaccumulative Chemicals of Concern in Mink, a Sentinel SpeciesIn the 1980s the binational (Canada, U.S.) International Joint Commission (IJC) began the process of creating and implementing remedial action plans (RAPs) in 43 contaminated areas of concern (AOCs) throughout the Great Lakes Basin. The IJC established 14 “use impairments” that could cause a local area to be “listed” as an AOC, including “degradation of fish and wildlife populations” and “bird or animal deformities or reproductive problems.” In 1988, Foley et al. reported that fish in Lake Ontario and the Genesee River had PCB concentrations within the range shown to cause reproductive failure in captive mink. This evidence, coupled with the perceived absence of mink within 2 miles of the lake, led to the inclusion of these two use impairments in the RAP (1993, 1997). This study (Haynes et al. 2002) was designed to determine if populations of mink on the shore of the Rochester Embayment of Lake Ontario (RELO) are negatively impacted by bioaccumulative chemicals of concern (BCCs) and, if so, whether the BCCs are originating in the Embayment watershed or elsewhere. The AOC includes the Embayment, a 35 square mile portion of Lake Ontario south of a line between Bogus Point in the town of Parma and Nine Mile Point in the town of Webster (both in Monroe County, New York); adjacent wetlands and bays; and the six mile reach of the Genesee River, from the Lower Falls to the mouth at Lake Ontario (Figure 1). The RAP also includes the sub-watersheds of Salmon Creek (western sub-basin), the Genesee River, and Irondequoit Creek (central sub-basin).
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Community Ecology of the Niagara County Artificial Reef and Nearby Natural Areas of Lake OntarioThis report concludes a cooperative project among SUNY Brockport, Niagara County, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Office. The Objective of this project was to compare biological communities associated with an artificial reef and natural cobble substrates in Southwestern Lake Ontario. Sampling was conducted from October 15, 1994 through November 18, 1995. Further refinement of data on fishes, benthic macroinvertebrates and benthic algae await preparation in 1996 of an M.S. thesis.
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Pirate Perch records from New York’s Great Lakes watersheds, historical to 2022The Pirate Perch (Aphredoderus sayanus) has two subspecies based on morphology. A. s. sayanus is found in Atlantic drainages from Long Island, NY to the Satilla River, GA, and A. s. gibbosus is found in Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes drainages (Burr and Warren 2020). It is of interest to this assessment because it is recommended to be classified as Threatened in NY (https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7494.html). It is an unusual and well-studied species in the southern and midwestern parts of its range where it lives in small sluggish streams and lowland marshes with soft bottoms where woody debris is available for cover and daytime shelter; spawning is known in streams with undercut banks and root wads (Burr and Warren 2020). It is a rare relict in northern New York at the eastern end of its Great Lakes range (Smith 1985). It was never abundant in its historic waters of northern New York, and it seems to have a last refuge exclusive to bays of Lake Ontario in the eastern half of its former self.
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Status of the Longear Sunfish, Lepomis megalotis, in Western New York, USAWidespread throughout the southern and eastern portions of the Mississippi River and Great Lakes drainages, the longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) is at the eastern edge of its range in western New York and eastern Quebec. Historically, longear sunfish occurred in three watersheds (Map 1a), Oneida Lake’s outlet to the Oswego River, tributaries and bays of southwestern Lake Ontario (Johnson Creek, Jeddo Creek, Oak Orchard Creek, Marsh Creek, Braddock Bay and West Creek), and a tributary of the Niagara River, Tonawanda Creek. Intensive sampling since 1999 in historical waters shows that longear sunfish now have a sustained population in only one area, a 2.3 mi section of Tonawanda Creek just upstream from its junction with the Erie Canal; therefore, it is threatened in New York State.
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Illustrated Guide to Hudson River FishesGuide to the fishes most commonly encountered in the Hudson River, with illustrations.
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The Impact Outdoor Recreation Activities on Individuals with Physical DisabilitiesThe purpose of this synthesis was to review the literature on the impact of outdoor recreation activities on individuals with physical disabilities. Participation in outdoor recreational activities should be accessible to everyone. Participation in outdoor recreation improves an individual’s physical, mental, and social well-being. However, people with physical disabilities cannot participate due to access limitations. Specifically, they face barriers and constraints that may limit them from participating. Through the review of literature, it was determined that individuals with physical disabilities participating in outdoor recreation experienced benefits and constraints. In addition, some facilitators motivate them to participate. Lastly, the studies provided ways to help make communities more accessible for individuals with physical disabilities.
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The “Accidental Candidate” Versus Europe’s Longest Dictator: Belarus’s Unfinished Revolution for WomenWomen in Central and Eastern Europe have made gains as presidents and prime ministers. A notable exception to this is Belarus, where President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the longest dictator in Europe, has tightly clung to power since 1994. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya surprised many when she threw her hat in the ring for the 2020 presidential election. This article asks how Tsikhanouskaya arose as the 2020 opposition candidate and how gender shaped the campaign. Gender played a central role in her being able to stand in the election. Her husband had been a leading presidential candidate but was imprisoned by the regime. Like women who rose to executive leadership positions, Tsikhanouskaya ran in her husband’s place. Lukashenka permitted her candidacy because he did not see her as a political threat. Lukashenka regularly dimin‐ ished her candidacy using sexist rhetoric. Tsikhanouskaya’s own campaign highlighted more traditionally feminine traits such as being a nurturer, unifier, and non‐power seeking, and only being in politics by chance. Referring to herself as an “accidental candidate,” she made it clear that she sought to unify the Belarussian people against the dictatorship and would step aside after this was accomplished. As de facto opposition leader, she continues to highlight these more feminine qual‐ ities and craft a less threatening image.
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Factors associated with extirpation of the last Northern Sunfish (Lepomis peltastes Cope, 1870) population in western New York State, USAThe Northern Sunfish (Lepomis peltastes Cope, 1870) is threatened in New York state, USA, but this was not the case before 1940 when the NY Biological Survey documented the species at scattered, specialized habitats in six watersheds in the central and western parts of the state. After 1940 the historic populations could not be detected, but a new population was discovered in 1974 in lower Tonawanda Creek and the nearby Erie Canal. Northern Sunfish, and a few of their hybrids with other Lepomis species, were caught at these locations during irregular sampling through 2009, but no Northern Sunfish were caught after 2009. The objectives of our study were to: (1) Determine the extent of Northern Sunfish hybridization with other Lepomis species, and (2) Evaluate how well identifications of Lepomis species and their hybrids agreed among field keys, morphometric measurements and meristic counts, and genetic methods. In 2013, we collected Northern Sunfish (descended from fish captured in lower Tonawanda Creek from 2006-2009) from NY State Department of Environmental Conservation rearing ponds, plus wild Green Sunfish (L. cyanellus Rafinesque, 1819), Pumpkinseed (L. gibbosus Linnaeus, 1758), Bluegill (L. macrochirus Rafinesque, 1819), and suspected Lepomis hybrids from lower Tonawanda Creek. Ultimately, 91 fish were identified using field keys, morphometric-meristic analysis, and mtDNA and nuclear DNA analysis. Assuming genetic analysis provided accurate identification, we found 7 Bluegill×Northern Sunfish, 8 Bluegill×Pumpkinseed, 13 Bluegill×Green Sunfish, and 3 Green Sunfish× Pumpkinseed hybrids in our sample (female parent listed second in these crosses). Keyed and morphometric-meristic identifications did not differ in accuracy and averaged 81% of genetic identification accuracy. After Northern Sunfish stocking (not in our study area) and sampling from 2008 to 2018 in several watersheds with appropriate habitat and no recaptures after 2014, we conclude that the Northern Sunfish is extirpated in western New York state. HIGHLIGHTS • While populations of Northern Sunfish (Lepomis peltastes) existed in several New York state watersheds before 1940, only one, discovered in 1974, persisted in small areas of lower Tonawanda Creek and the nearby Erie Canal. • Despite high effort, no Northern Sunfish were captured after 2009 in the places they had occupied since 1974. • Because many Northern Sunfish, all descended from wild fish in lower Tonawanda Creek and the Erie Canal, exist in two New York state hatchery ponds, we recommend attempting restoration in their former habitat by stocking.
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Influences of seasonality and habitat quality on Great Lakes coastal wetland fish community composition and dietsGreat Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCW) have been severely degraded by anthropogenic activity over the last several decades despite their critical role in fish production. Many Great Lakes fish species use coastal wetland habitats for spawning, feeding, shelter, and nurseries throughout the year. The goal of our study was to compare GLCW fsh community composition in the spring, summer, and fall months and investigate how water quality relates to fish diversity, the presence of functional groups, and juvenile fsh diets. We summarized fsh data collected from GLCW across the basin and used the coastal wetland monitoring program’s water quality-land use indicator to quantify water quality. Basin-wide, we found taxonomic and functional group diferences in community composition among three sampling seasons, as well as across the range of water quality. Water quality was positively associated with the abundance of small cyprinids and the relative abundance of some habitat and reproductive specialists. Seasonal differences were also observed for many of these functional groups, with more temperature- and pollution-sensitive fishes captured in the spring and more nest-spawning fishes captured in the summer and fall. In our diet study, we found that age-0 fish primarily consumed zooplankton in the fall, whereas age-1 fish primarily consumed macroinvertebrates in the spring. Moreover, wetland quality was positively associated with trichopteran prey abundance. We concluded that taxonomic and functional composition of fish communities in GLCW vary markedly with respect to water quality and season. Thus, a full understanding of communities across a gradient of quality requires multi-season sampling.
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Evaluating the use of hyperspectral imagery to calculate raster-based wetland vegetation condition indicatorField observations and measurements of wetland plants have traditionally been used to monitor and evaluate wetland condition; however, there has been increasing use of remote sensing applications for rapid evaluations of wetland productivity and change. Combining key aspects of field- and remote sensing-based wetland evaluation methods can provide more efficient or improved biological indices. This exploratory study set out to develop a raster-based Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system that used airborne hyperspectral imagery-derived data to estimate plant-community quality (via wetland classification and Coefficient of Conservatism) and vegetation biomass (estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system was developed for three Lake Ontario wetland areas and compared to a field-based floristic quality index and a dominant-plant based Floristic quality indexdom. The indicator system serves as a proof-of-concept that capitalized on the spatial and spectral attributes of high-resolution imagery to quantify and characterize the quality and quantity of wetland vegetation. A Pearson correlation analysis showed moderate r values of 0.59 and 0.62 for floristic quality index and floristic quality indexdom, respectively, compared to the indicator method. The differences are potentially due to the spatial resolution of the imagery and the indicator method only accounting for the dominant plants within each assessment unit (pixel), therefore disregarding understory plants or those with low abundance. However, the multi-metric Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator approach shows promise as an indicator of wetland condition by using remotely sensed data, which could be useful for more efficient landscape-scale assessments of wetland health, resilience, and recovery.
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Reframing Social Work Education Using OERSocial work is, by definition, a profession devoted to the pursuit of social justice and the eradication of oppression, inequity, disparities, and other forms of injustice. Social workers are focused on the empowerment of marginalized people and communities and are expected to adhere to clear standards of ethical and competent practice. Additionally, the title of “social worker” is earned through the successful completion of social work education, either on the undergraduate or graduate levels. These social work programs are, in the United States of America, accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which periodically revises and updates its Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS)1 and monitors the adherence of each accredited program to these standards. Essentially, CSWE determines the learning of every social worker in the United States.
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Failure of Walleye Recruitment in a Lake with Little Suitable Spawning Habitat Is Probably Exacerbated by Restricted Home RangesOver eight million walleye (Sander vitreus) fry are stocked annually in Honeoye Lake, a small lake in the Finger Lakes Region of west-central New York. The objectives of our study were to find and describe the spawning locations and habitats of walleye and describe the spawning locations and habitats of walleye and to assess natural production of fry. Twenty-thee adult walleye were radio-tagged and tracked for up to 2.5 years. They established relatively small home ranges (24-188 ha) and moved more during the three-week spawning season (149 m/d)than the rest of the year (37 m/d) No naturally produced walleye eggs were collected in the Honeoye inlet channel where adults congregated during the 2002 and 2003 spawning season, nor were fry collected in the lake until after 8.7 million were stocked in 2003. Radio-tagged walleye exhibited homing and site fidelity in Honeoye Lake but not in the few known areas with suitable spawning substrates (no eggs were collected at these locations.
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Two Congener‑specifc Models Estimate PCB TEQ Hazard to American Mink (Neovison vison) Living near a Western New York CreekWe present two models to monitor the health of ecosystems by assessing hazard from a persistent organic compound to a top predator species. Our diet model predicts the dietary exposure of American Mink (Neovison vison) to PCB toxic equivalents (TEQ) by combining concentrations in their prey using weighted average proportions consistent with literature-based mink diets. Our bioaccumulation model predicts the dietary exposure of mink to PCB TEQ based on each congener’s total concentration in water (dissolved plus particulate fractions), the octanal/water partition coefcient (log Kow) of the compound, and the trophic levels of prey taxa. Both models predict mink dietary concentrations which can be directly compared with each other and with lowest observable adverse efects concentrations (LOAECs) to assess chronic and acute hazards of PCB TEQ to mink. By our choice of certain parameters in the bioaccumulation model, we forced it to match the diet model within less than 5% for Eighteenmile Creek in western New York State. When the two models were used for a similar creek about 25 km away, the diferences in their predictions were of the same magnitude.
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The Doctorate: The Next Educational Step in Librarianshipdegree in librarianship, that does not have to be the case. As a mid-career library professional, you may feel like you have reached a point at which you don’t know where to go. If you have decided that management is not for you right now, yet you still want to grow, a doctorate can stretch you and help you to gain more knowledge, research expertise, and leadership skills. Pursuing and accomplishing this goal will open career possibilities, including promotion, administration, and teaching positions in library schools where you could help effect change in librarianship by educating future librarians. S
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Levels of Bioaccumulative Chemicals of Concern in Air, Water, Sediment and Sentinel Species of the Rochester Embayment of Lake OntarioIn the 1980s, the International Joint Commission (IJC) began the process of creating and implementing remedial action plans (RAPs) in 43 areas of concern (AOCs) throughout the Great Lakes Basin of Canada and the United States. An area identified as an AOC violated one or more of 14 “use impairments” listed by the IJC. For example, “fish and wildlife consumption advisories” due to the presence of bioaccumulative chemicals of concern (BCCs) is a use impairment identified for the Rochester, NY Embayment of Lake Ontario AOC.
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Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern Mink Prey Survey and Oak Orchard Creek Add-onIn the Great Lakes Basin, the International Joint Commission (IJC) has identified 43 Areas of Concern (AOC) where pollution from past industrial production and waste disposal practices has created hazardous waste sites or contaminated sediments. Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI) have been identified for each AOC, and for an AOC to be delisted removal of each of its BUIs must be documented. This study assessed whether chemicals of concern (COC) could negatively impact mink populations along Eighteenmile Creek (EMC) and addressed two BUIs: Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems. Criteria for removing these two BUIs in the EMC AOC are in Table 1 and definitions of acronyms used in this report are in Table 2.
