tracy page - michigan...• scientific collector’s permit for release day • stocking permit for...

Tracy PageAquatic Education Coordinator

pageT3@michigan.gov

WHAT IS

SALMON IN THE CLASSROOM?

(SIC)

• Experiential learning experience

• 3rd grade through 12th grade

• Raise, care for and release Chinook salmon

• Eggs in fall until spring “smolt” release

• Release of the young fish in a local watershed that feeds one of the Great Lakes.

• Curriculum support, professional development credits and peer support

GROWTH OF THE PROGRAM

0 50 100 150 200 250

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

SIC Number of Schools

SIC

LOCATIONS

36%

46%

18%

SIC Classrooms

Elementary

Middle/Jr. High

High School

TEACHER

SUPPORT

• Coordinator via email or phone

• Facebook closed group

• Manual and Curriculum Guide

• Teacher Resource Kit

• Salmon Sense Newsletter

• SIC Website michigan.gov/sic

• How To Videos

WEBSITE

WEBSITE

WEBSITE

WEBSITE

WEBSITE

TEACHER KIT

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Release

Rearing

Classroom Activities

Teacher Professional

Development &

Egg Pickup

Tank Setup

Sponsors

Application

TEACHER TIMELINE

TEACHER TIMELINE

May

October February

September November January March

December April

May

October February

September November January March

December April

May

October February

September November January March

December April

• Set up tank

TANK

SETUP

EGG TAKE

EYED EGGS

RETURNING TEACHER EGG PICKUP

Detroit Area

• Tank temp 52 degrees

• Acclimate eggs

• Check daily and remove dead eggs/shells

• Will begin hatching in a couple weeks

BRINGING YOUR EGGS

BACK TO YOUR TANK

TANK MAINTENANCE CHART

SAC FRY

“BUTTONED UP”

WHEN 80% ARE

BUTTONED UP YOU

BEGIN FEEDING

FISH FOOD

• Distributed at egg pick up

• Biologist approved

• Various sizes to cover the year

• Includes:

– Fish feeding guide

– Feeding schedule

• Underfeed rather than overfeed

• Split daily into several small feedings

FEEDING ON

WEEKENDS AND

HOLIDAYS

• Feed late on Fridays, early on Mondays

• Holiday break

– Check on them at least twice a week

– Siphon on schedule

– Feed daily

• Spring break

– Feed daily

– Siphon twice a week

– Check equipment weekly

Daily Tasks• Check for mortalities (white eggs = dead)

• Remove debris

• Observe behavior

• Check equipment

• Feed (after they are buttoned up)

DAILY AND

WEEKLY

TASKS

Weekly Tasks• Test and record water parameters

• Siphon debris and exchange 25% water

• Treat new water (prime and/or buffer)

• Reset food or auto feeder

• Record feeding in food chart

Monthly Tasks• Squeeze out sponge

filters

• Replace filter material

3-month Tasks• Back flush chiller

SCIENCE

SIC IS CROSS-CURRICULAR

For egg pick up each fall• Scientific Collector’s Permit

For Release Day• Stocking Permit

For end of year• Stocking Report

* Submitting a Stocking Report

renews you in the program, and

will generate your Scientific

Collector’s Permit the following fall.

*Failure to submit causes your removal from the program

PERMITS AND

REPORTING

RELEASE DAY!

UP NEXT….

HISTORY OF SALMON IN MICHIGAN

WHAT DO

YOU

KNOW

ABOUT

SALMON?

THE GREATEST FISH

TALE EVER TOLD

SEAGOING

ROCK

SUCKER

BUT IT DOESN’T START IN MICHIGAN…

Atlantic OceanLake Ontario

Lake Erie

Lak

e M

ich

igan

Lake

Hu

ron

Lake Superior

ERIE CANAL

NATURE

KNOWS

BEST

THE

WELLAND

CANAL

CIRCA 1825

BIGGER CANAL = BIGGER SHIPS

INVASION OF

THE BODY

SNATCHERS

THE GREAT LAKES LAMPREY TOUR

THE SEA LAMPREY

LIFE CYCLE

SEA LAMPREY

LAKE TROUT

AND YOU

THOUGHT IT

WOULDN’T GET

WORSE…

THE RISE &

FALL OF THE

INVASIVE

ALEWIFE

EARLY SEA LAMPREY CONTROL

STEP ONE:

CONTROL THE

SEA LAMPREYTFM

THE PACIFIC

CONNECTION

CAN YOU SAY

ANADRAMOUS?

COHO FEVER

BRING ON THE

CHINOOK

FISH ON!

TELLING THE

STORY OF

FISHERIES

MANAGEMENT

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Lake Michigan's salmon populations still fluctuateDuluth News Tribune

Alewife crash on Lake Michigan

raises concerns for salmon fishing Milwaukee Sentinel

Salmon population plummeting in

Lake Michigan, Detroit Free Press

SIC IS CROSS-CURRICULAR

SCIENCE

SCIENCE & MATH

Females Males

Age 1 1% 28%

Age 2 27% 55%

Age 3 70% 16%

Age 4 2% 1%

GEOGRAPHY

HISTORY

CIVICS

Salmon in the Classroom

Columbia River

Bonneville

McNaryThe

DallesIce Harbor

Little

Goose

Lower

Monumental

Lower

Granite

OREGON Payette

River

Black Canyon

Swan Falls

CJ Strike

Upper

Salmon Falls

Minidoka

American Falls

Idaho

Hells

Canyon

Complex

ClearwaterRiver

Salmon RiverJohn

Day

Dworshak

Snake River

Milner

Washington

ART

LANGUAGE ARTS

UP NEXT

AQUARIUM 101

YOUR

AQUARIUM

• 52 degrees: egg – release• GH & KH: 25ppm - Stability is key

– Treat consistently if way off– High alkalinity: dilute with RO water

• pH: 6.8-8.0 - Stability is more important than number– Treat consistently if way off

• Ammonia: Zero is always the goal– If reading, you need more bacteria established

• Nitrite: Zero is always the goal– If reading, you need more bacteria established

• Nitrate: Keep below 40ppm through water changes– If above 40ppm, do 10% changes every other day until stable

INITIAL

WATER

PARAMETERS

NITROGEN

CYCLE

Water change

Cycling complete

zero nitriteAmmonia

Nitrite

Nitrate

Daily Tasks• Check for mortalities (white eggs = dead)

• Remove debris

• Observe behavior

• Check equipment

• Feed (after they are buttoned up)

DAILY AND

WEEKLY

TASKS

Weekly Tasks• Test and record water parameters

• Siphon debris and exchange 25% water

• Treat new water (prime and/or buffer)

• Reset food or auto feeder

• Record feeding in food chart

Monthly Tasks• Squeeze out sponge

filters

• Replace filter material

3-month Tasks• Back flush chiller

WATER

TESTING

Ke

ep

sta

ble

GH & KHKeep stable

Optimal 25ppm

SIPHONING

Watch a good how to video here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3dhg5ylCnQ&t=3s

Mark at 25%

• Cloudy water

– Bacterial bloom: siphon waste, reduce light, replace/flush filters

• Green water

– Algae bloom: reduce light, scrub glass before water change

• Warm water

– Chiller failure: add bags of ice, troubleshoot chiller, call customer support, call HVAC expert, replace if needed

• Swimming oddly

– High ammonia or low oxygen: Test parameters, check bubblers, water change, add airstones

• Swimming at top/bottom

– Low oxygen: add airstones, water change

• Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS)

– Spinning, swimming on side: rare. Treatment at weir for thiamine deficiency, nothing you can do

TROUBLE

SHOOTING

END OF YEAR

TASKS

DECON

SO THEY SURVIVED ALL YEAR….

NOW WHAT??

RELEASE DAY!

1,000

5,000

9,000

13,000

17,000

21,000

25,000

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 *

Number of Salmon Released

HOW TO

SELECT A

RELEASE SITE

• Release date window

– April 15 – May 15 Lower Peninsula

– May 1 – June 1 Upper Peninsula

• Download and have Stocking Permit

• Week before release, adjust chiller to meet stream temp. in tank

• Following release, within 14 days complete and return the MANDATORY STOCKING REPORT. This renews you in the program for next year.

PREPARATION FOR RELEASE

Release day proceedings

• Load fish into buckets of tank water

• 25-50 fish per bucket

• Lids on buckets , drill holes for tubing

• Aerate water with battery aerators

• Load fish immediately before leaving

• Release fish first thing at site

• Streamside, acclimate the bucket temp. to stream temp.

• Place 1 fish per cup, or per bag for kids to release

RELEASE DAY

ACTIVITIES

FUNDING AND

PARTNERSHIPS

PAUSE FOR A COMMERCIAL BREAK…

• SIC Summit

ACADEMY OF NATURAL

RESOURCES

Aug. 4-9

July 14-19

Scholarships available!

SCECHs and Ferris S.U. credits.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Project WILD and Project Learning Tree professional development programs for educators provide expertise in:

– Hands-on experiences

– Inquiry-based field investigation

– NGSS and cross curricular integration

– FUN!

DNR VISITOR CENTERS

Staffed visitor centers with nature exhibits and trails, education programs and

field trips.

www.michigan.gov

STAY CONNECTED

MINatureDNR - FacebookEssential Educator

THANKS FOR COMING!

TRACY PAGE

AQUATIC EDUCATION COORDINATOR

PAGET3@MICHIGAN.GOV