Lake Erie Fish Community Data, 2013-2015

Lake Erie Biological Station (LEBS), located in Sandusky, Ohio, is a field station of the USGS Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC). LEBS is the primary federal agency for applied fisheries science excellence in Lake Erie. Since 2004, LEBS has participated in a collaborative, multiagency effort to assess forage fish populations in the western basin of Lake Erie. Assessing the distribution and abundance of both predator and prey (forage) fish species is a cornerstone of ecosystem-based based fishery management, and supports decision making that considers food-web interactions. The objectives of this survey were to provide estimates of densities of key forage and predator species in the western basin of Lake Erie, to assess seasonal and spatial distributions of fishes, and to assess year class strength. In 2012, the original vessel used since 2004, the R/V Musky II, was retired and replaced with the R/V Muskie. The change in vessel necessitated changing the gear used to capture fish. Previous surveys used a different catch processing protocol that did not include measurements of biomass or lengths of all species; thus, those historical data are not compatible with the current data format. Under the new protocol, 41 stations were sampled during June (Spring) and September (Autumn). The 2013 western basin survey season marked the first year in which the grid sampling design was employed in both spring and autumn. Thus, we present data starting from 2013. The data sets will automatically update with new data as surveys are completed in future years.