Dole Family Committed to Helping the Great Lakes

Dole Family Committed to Helping the Great Lakes

A freshwater limestone reef that once harbored a vibrant community of lake trout and other Great Lakes fish now sits degraded, pierced by century-old dock posts and damaged by invasive species.

The Nature Conservancy is restoring this reef and others in northern Lake Michigan that are critical spawning grounds for native fish. And they are doing it, in part, with help from the Dole Family Foundation.
“Our family has been coming to the Grand Traverse Bay area each summer for more than 50 years,” said Betsy Dole. “Fishing is among our favorite activities. It’s exciting to think that The Nature Conservancy’s work will restore healthy reefs where young fish can grow and thrive and, perhaps, come back to spawn someday.”
Conservancy scientists are developing and testing techniques for reducing the number of invasive species on the reefs. Rusty crayfish and round gobies eat eggs that native lake trout, lake whitefish and lake herring lay on the reefs when spawning in late fall.
“If we can drive the number of invasive species down in this particular
habitat, we could really benefit the native fish,” said Matt Herbert,
an aquatic ecologist for the Conservancy.

This year, scientists set about 150 traps, covering roughly two acres that include three reefs in Grand Traverse Bay and one in Little Traverse Bay. At each reef, they collect data on the number of crayfish and gobies caught and measure the egg-laying success of native fish to determine whether trapping invasives is improving spawning. For comparison, scientists take similar measurements at reefs with no traps and look at past spawning success data.
Future plans include habitat rehabilitation – adding limestone rocks to degraded reefs, such as the one damaged by dock posts, in hopes of creating better spawning grounds for native fish.
Lake trout, herring and whitefish historically played a big role in Michigan’s fisheries, but invasive species, past overfishing and habitat degradation from coastal development have reduced populations significantly.
The Conservancy hopes that rescuing these reefs will boost native fish populations and help restore a productive Great Lakes’ fishery for commercial fishermen and families like the Doles who just love to fish.

Bottom photo: Support from the Dole Family Foundation is critical to restoring fish spawning reefs in Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan. Courtesy of the Dole Family Foundation

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