Collaboration Through a Slimy Fish (well . . . 200 slimy fish, to be more accurate)

While I readily admit this image is "Photoshopped" (not me and the fish, but the two of us and the background),
it is my sincere hope that the project I am undertaking with Toledo Public Schools Natural Science Technology Center
may someday yield these results at the marsh

A Facebook post this evening prompted me to create the deliberately crude mashup shown above: me with a ~42" northern pike (caught and released in Canada a handful of years ago) and the West Marsh Rest Pond (captured on a bright afternoon last summer). While this combination may be far-fetched at present, it was very much feasible in years past . . . and thanks to an evolving collaboration with the TPS Natural Science Technology Center -- and our ongoing restoration efforts -- it may be once again . . . and sooner than some people may think.

While we certainly don't have a perfect understanding of the fish diversity currently utilizing the marsh, I do have some educated guesses based on both observation and training. For those who don't know, I am a self-proclaimed and hopefully never recovered fish fanatic. I love just about everything and anything that swims under the water. So even though we haven't done any quantitative monitoring, I have been paying attention -- since day one. And we do have a good sense for what historically roamed these waters and what currently utilizes other "high quality" marsh environments along the Lake Erie coast.

An early northern pike "fingerling" -- likely 2-3" in length;
even at this size these fish are both predator and prey

So, while I could literally write till I've bored every single one of you to submission about what we've seen to-date and what I anticipate we could see beneath our often murky waters, I'll concentrate this entry on the project at hand: an attempt to collaborate with 20-or-so high school students and their instructor to establish an in-lab aquaculture system to raise and eventually release 100+ northern pike into our marsh in Bay View. We have the support of the Division of Wildlife (ODNR/DOW), the project was just officially given the green light by the school district, the primary infrastructure is ordered and on its way, and we now have the necessary permits from the Department of Agriculture to import and raise the fish.

If all works out, our northerns-to-be are currently incubating in a state hatchery in New Jersey;
the facility is one of very few in the U.S. that tank raise northern pike after they hatch to fry
(which typically takes 8-12 days after fertilization)

So, what is the motivation and what is the process -- at least as we anticipate it? First off, we chose this aquaculture project in an effort to make a tangible link between the classroom and our broader efforts in the field. We could have chosen largemouth bass or yellow perch (or many other species), but these and others exist in fairly robust numbers in and around the marsh. "Northerns," by contrast, are not just one of Ohio's true "apex predators" (meaning they sit atop many fish food chains -- which makes them pretty exciting), but their numbers are also relatively low regionally compared to historical benchmarks.

Don't let their skinny stature fool you -- even at a couple
inches long (the size we hope our adopted fish will be
when we get them), northerns are built to eat
(if you're not really careful, they'll even eat each other!)

Northerns have traditionally played an important role in contributing to the balance of many aquatic ecosystems, particularly in water bodies like Lake Erie and those north of Ohio that historically would have had vast expanses of shallow, nutrient-rich "backwaters" (wetlands and vegetated shallow bays). "Water wolves" or "slimers" (a couple of my favorite nicknames for NP) are voracious predators, but they are also prone to sharp declines if they do not have proper habitat (a familiar refrain in wildlife management).

Coastal marshes serve as a critical lifeline -- providing both nutritious and dependable food and vital protection from the elements. As with many fish, wetlands are a protective "nursery" for northern pike.

In all likelihood, northerns have been seeking this refuge over the last several weeks across the Great Lakes. They are one of the earliest spawners of any of our native sport fish. It is not uncommon for spawning to occur beneath the ice, and it's likely that some are making their way from vast expanses of relative open water (in the main lake) to spawning grounds -- even as you read this.

Timing will dictate how large our
"advanced fingerlings" will be
prior to release -- we're shooting
for 6-inches+

The complexity of habitat they seek should offer vegetation upon which they can adhere their vulnerable eggs. But again, those plants also provide protection from unpredictable winds, habitat for a tremendous diversity of food items, and cover from which the northerns can ambush that same prey. Nature has a way of knowing what its inhabitants need, and for a young northern pike, needs are most certainly met in a fully functional wetland.

To me, that's what's so cool about this project. We are working hard in the field to improve ecological function, and the students (with my help) will hopefully be able to introduce a unique species that will be able to directly benefit from our actions.

Additionally, our primary infrastructure improvement for this field season (the water conveyance structure that connects our entire West Marsh directly to Sandusky Bay and all of Lake Erie) is being designed with "fish-friendly" amenities. We not only want TPS's new guests to be happy when they are introduced in late May or early June, we want to make sure that both they and natural populations will have easy access to and from our wetland for years to come. Fingers crossed that we can get the pieces to continue to fall in place to make that puzzle a reality.


P.S. All the photos beneath my creation at the top were sourced from various state agencies. Speaking of state agencies, if anyone is driving between New York City or eastern New Jersey and northwest Ohio in early to mid-April, and would be willing to be an Uber driver for 200 tiny northern pike fingerlings, please contact us -- I'm still trying to figure out the best way to get the vulnerable young fish from a state hatchery in Hackettstown, NJ to Toledo. We may even be able to pay a driver a nominal fee for helping out!