Adirondack Watershed Institute

Last week, our team and their families enjoyed an afternoon of ice fishing - an annual tradition we've kept for the past few years. Thanks to our expert angler, Aquatic Invasive Species Program Director Brett Wimsatt, we were fortunate to catch plenty of fish!

Soon the lake ice will open, and collecting water samples will look a bit more like this. Until then, we feel pretty lucky ?? to enjoy the remainder of what has been a wonderful winter. We hope you have enjoyed the warmer temperatures as of late!

Working 9-5 (or sometimes 6-9) often looks different to our science team… We’re compiling videos from our busy February sampling season. Our team traveled to waterbodies across the Adirondacks by foot, snowshoes, skis, and snowmobile in order to collect samples for the Adirondack Long-Term Monitoring Program (ALTM). Samples were collected from 38 waterbodies, from regions across the park. We hope you enjoy these clips from the field - more to come soon! Thank you to @NYSERDA for supporting this work.

Check out this image of a Bdelloid rotifer, a microscopic aquatic animal that lives in our lakes and ponds. Bdelloid's consume bacteria and other microscopic life forms. Some studies show that they can survive thousands of years in cryptobiosis, the state of almost completely paused metabolism. There's also evidence of that these creatures could survive up to 10 years when frozen. The single celled (orb looking) algae on the left of this image are called Chlorella and they are a very common green algae. This photo is taken using a microscopy technique called Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) where polarized light and several different optical prisms are used to enhance the contrast of transparent samples, like diatoms, and provide detailed views of structures that may be hard to see under normal bright field microscopy. #science #paulsmithscollege

Heading into the void... It's been a challenging season for field work - but our team carries on! We hope you've been able to get out for some adventures this winter. #adirondacks #science

Lake ice is important for natural and human communities alike. We’re looking for community members to help track changes in ice cover, thickness, and snow depth across the region. The Adirondack Lake Ice Observation Network crowdsources data to help researchers better understand how climate change is impacting ice duration across the northern hemisphere. Right now, we have 44 observers submitting data on 103 waterbodies—but with over 3,000 lakes and ponds in the Adirondacks, there’s still a long way to go. We want to hear from you! How can we improve the Adirondack Lake Ice Observation Network to increase participation and expand the number of lakes being monitored? If you’d like to help, please take a few minutes to fill out a short survey led by Paul Smith’s College graduate student Marissa Jackson. Your input will help shape the future of this important community science effort: https://lnkd.in/egxH5aWS

Can't make it to the Adirondack Climate Conference tomorrow, March 6th? We've got you covered. Join us virtually! The Wild Center will be streaming plenary sessions live throughout the day. To join, visit?www.wildcenter.org/live/

A nice fall image to grab your attention on this cold winter day... If you haven’t already filled out the ACORN Community Climate Resilience Survey, here’s another reminder! The survey is designed to gather information and perspectives on climate change from those who visit and live in the North Country region. Your input will help ensure the survey reflects the diverse perspectives of all who value the North Country. To access the survey, visit this link: https://lnkd.in/e-JdrYih The Adirondack Climate Outreach and Resilience Network is a partnership of Paul Smith’s College, The Wild Center, and the Adirondack Research Consortium with support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Adirondack Foundation.

You're looking at the smallest animal in our lakes and ponds - zooplankton. However, in this image, the zooplankton are invasive fishhook water flea and spiny water flea. These aquatic invasive species (AIS) are found in Lake Champlain, and a handful of other lakes and ponds in the Adirondack region. These invasive zooplankton eat smaller zooplankton, disrupting the food web. The tails of these two species are long and are easily caught on fishing line or lures. They can also get clustered in the mouth of fish, creating challenges for feeding. These species, along with many others, are a reminder to clean, drain, and dry boats and equipment before moving between waterbodies. #NISAW

What are those? These are the seeds of the water chestnut (Trapa natans). The long barbs along the edges are sharp and often get stuck in the foam rollers of boat trailers (hopefully not getting stuck in feet!). The floating leaves of this plant are triangular with prominent toothed edges. The plant grows aggressively, creating dense floating mats of vegetation. Water chestnut is in Lake Champlain and some other lakes and ponds in the Lake Champlain region. To learn more, visit our blog post on water chestnut: https://lnkd.in/ezb_sk7Y #NISAW