Grand Traverse | A Great Lakes Reef Restoration from Fauna Creative on Vimeo.
This mini-documentary involves three species, 450 tons of rocks, and one chance for a comeback. Scientists from The Nature Conservancy, Central Michigan University and The Michigan Department of Natural Resources teamed up to dump 450 tons of limestone rock to restore a degraded spawning reef in northern Lake Michigan. The reef is part of a complex that is the only place in Lake Michigan where three important native fish species—lake herring, lake whitefish and lake trout—are all known to spawn.
While two of the reefs in the complex were in excellent condition, the third was degraded by a dock built more than 130 years ago for the iron ore industry. The $181,000 project was over four years in the making and the hope is that by rehabilitating the reef, this will provide the nooks and crannies native fish need to lay their eggs and keep them safe throughout the harsh winter conditions until they hatch in spring.
