Human activities can cause unexpected and devastating consequences when they simultaneously affect a coastal ecosystem. The combination of stressors like overfishing, invasive species, toxic contaminants in the water, and nutrient runoff from land can compromise the health of an ecosystem much more than only one stressor. This can result in the loss of species and the recreational and commercial use of its resources. Understanding how multiple stressors affect natural systems will improve our ability to manage and protect these systems.
CSCOR is supporting a 5 year study by the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and several other partner agencies and institutions in that region, to understand the effects of multiple stressors on Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron. Declining water levels, invasive species, too much algae, and toxic substances are some of the stressors facing Saginaw Bay today, so much so that it has been declared an official Area Of Concern. Research will be conducted in the field and the laboratory to study how these stressors interact to influence Saginaw Bay's fisheries and water quality. The goal of this research is to help identify management actions that will improve the health of the Bay and restore the ecosystem services that are important to the population of that area. The results of this study will not only directly benefit the management of Saginaw Bay and the Great Lakes, but will also serve as a blueprint for the improved management and understanding of other coastal systems facing similar stressors and management issues.
