Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System
Name	Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System
Abbreviation	GLATOS
Established	2010s
Type	Research network
Region served	Great Lakes
Headquarters	United States

Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System The Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System is a continental-scale research network that coordinates acoustic telemetry studies of aquatic species across the Great Lakes basin, integrating arrays of receivers, tagged animals, and collaborative institutions to support fisheries science and conservation. It partners with universities, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations to provide infrastructure and data critical to studies of migration, habitat use, and population connectivity among species such as Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron inhabitants and transboundary populations monitored by agencies including the United States Geological Survey, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Overview

GLATOS connects acoustic receiver arrays, telemetry tags, and data systems to study movements of fishes and aquatic animals across the Great Lakes and connecting waterways, supporting research by institutions such as University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Cornell University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and University of Toronto. The system informs management decisions involving stakeholders like the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, International Joint Commission, NOAA Fisheries, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry while aligning with conservation priorities set by entities such as the Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund. GLATOS facilitates standardized protocols used in studies published by researchers affiliated with Columbia University, University of Washington, Purdue University, Ohio State University, and University of Minnesota.

History and Development

Initiated in the 2010s through collaborative workshops attended by scientists from Cornell University, University of Michigan, Michigan Technological University, University of Windsor, and federal partners including the United States Geological Survey and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, GLATOS grew from regional telemetry efforts like those at Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. Funding and logistical support came from agencies and foundations such as the National Science Foundation, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and provincial bodies like Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, enabling expansion of receiver arrays inspired by earlier networks such as the Ocean Tracking Network and regional programs coordinated by NOAA. Over successive projects led by investigators at University of Toronto Scarborough, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, University of Guelph, and Michigan State University, GLATOS evolved standardized tagging, data-sharing, and governance practices reflecting models from the Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry (ACT) Network and international telemetry consortia associated with Pew Charitable Trusts initiatives.

Objectives and Research Applications

Primary objectives include tracking movement ecology, migration corridors, spawning site fidelity, and mortality of species like walleye, lake trout, yellow perch, and invasive species such as round goby and zebra mussel-associated vectors, aiding management by bodies like the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and NOAA Fisheries. Research applications span studies of connectivity among habitats in Green Bay, Saginaw Bay, St. Marys River, and international corridors involving Detroit River and Niagara River, supporting restoration programs run by agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and conservation efforts by The Nature Conservancy. GLATOS data inform policy deliberations in forums like the International Joint Commission, contribute to ecosystem models used by the Environmental Protection Agency, and underpin peer-reviewed publications by scholars at University of Michigan, Cornell University, Ohio State University, and University of Minnesota.

Technology and Infrastructure

The network deploys acoustic receivers and autonomous units manufactured by companies such as VEMCO and integrated with tagging technologies used in studies at University of Washington and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, employing tags from suppliers used by researchers at NOAA and National Oceanography Centre. Receiver arrays are installed in nearshore, offshore, and tributary locations including Lake Superior harbors, Lake Huron straits, and the St. Lawrence River approaches, maintained by teams from Michigan Technological University, University of Windsor, University of Toronto, and Purdue University. GLATOS incorporates moorings, acoustic positioning, remote download stations, and battery-powered autonomous receivers adapted from systems pioneered at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and other coastal observatories.

Data Management and Accessibility

Data standards and metadata practices are harmonized across partners like NOAA Fisheries, United States Geological Survey, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and university repositories at University of Michigan and University of Toronto, following FAIR data principles advocated by organizations such as the National Science Foundation and Open Science Framework. Data access policies balance open science with species protection concerns, enabling researchers from institutions including Cornell University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Ohio State University, and Michigan State University to query detection histories, movement tracks, and mortality in centralized databases modeled after the Ocean Tracking Network and interoperable with platforms used by International Union for Conservation of Nature partners. Archival storage and curation draw on resources at regional data centers affiliated with NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information and university libraries.

Collaborations and Governance

GLATOS is governed through a consortium model with representatives from universities (e.g., University of Toronto, Michigan State University), federal agencies (USGS, NOAA), provincial and state agencies (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Michigan Department of Natural Resources), and non-governmental organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Collaborative research projects have involved international partners from Canada and the United States, leveraging bilateral frameworks like the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 overseen by the International Joint Commission and engaging funding from bodies like the National Science Foundation and the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. Governance mechanisms emphasize standardized permitting, data-sharing agreements, and ethical oversight aligning with institutional practices at Cornell University, University of Michigan, and federal partners.

Impact and Conservation Outcomes

GLATOS outputs have informed habitat restoration initiatives in areas such as Keweenaw Bay, Straits of Mackinac mitigation discussions involving the U.S. Coast Guard and Enbridge consultations, invasive species response strategies coordinated with NOAA and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and fishery management adjustments by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and state agencies like the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Peer-reviewed findings produced by researchers at University of Michigan, Cornell University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and University of Toronto have influenced adaptive management, stocking programs run by fishery agencies, and cross-border conservation planning under the auspices of the International Joint Commission and regional NGOs such as The Nature Conservancy.

Category:Great Lakes