Salmon Sense, Spring 2017

Table of Contents

• SIC Cool Project: Aquaponics at Fulton High School
• Spring 2017 Timeline for SIC Teachers
• What is SMOLTING?
• Do You Want to Raise Salmon in Your Classroom Again Next Year?
• Stocking Permit
• Stocking Report
• WHEN to Release Your Salmon
• WHERE to Release Your Salmon
• HOW to Safely Release Your Salmon
• Media Coverage of Your Salmon Release
• Teacher Contact Information Updates
• Fall 2017
• Contact a SIC Coordinator

SIC Cool Project: Aquaponics at Fulton High School

By: Jeremy Winsor

High school students at Fulton Schools are gaining a deeper understanding of biogeochemical cycles and water chemistry using aquaponics. Students developed their own mini-systems using aquariums, foam raft style grow beds, and several varieties of plants and aquarium fish. These mini-systems allow students to actively analyze pH, nitrogenous wastes, temperature, carbonate hardness, general hardness, dissolved oxygen, and a variety of other elements. The mini-systems are being used as a model for data collection and recommendations for a larger system. Students spent the fall constructing the large system that is currently housing rainbow trout.

We are exploring the option of using our salmon in the system, but currently water temperatures are too high to support their development. Currently, we have a campaign to raise money for the purchase of a large chiller which would help us maintain our water temperatures at a lower level. The rainbow trout in our system produce waste that is supplied to plants in grow beds. The nitrates produced by the nitrogen cycle are taken up by the plants to support their growth. Currently, we are experimenting with plants and flowers including tomatoes, lettuce, lavender, thyme, lemon mint, sage, chives, morning glory, broccoli, kale, strawberries, turnips, melons, cucumbers, and radishes. The plants are growing in a soil-less clay pebble grow media or on rafts in the system. Not all fish and plants have survived. Our education process involves a large number of mistakes but through failure we are learning.

Check out this great video about the aquaponics at Fulton High School project.

Spring 2017 Timeline for SIC Teachers

• Early April: Plan your salmon release. Don't forget to send out a press release to local media. Encourage participation from sponsors and parents too.
• Late April/Early May: Release your salmon at a pre-approved stocking location.
• Post Release: Within 14 days of releasing your salmon, send in your Stocking Report.

What is SMOLTING?

Smolting is the physiological change salmon undertake to transition them from a river system to a large open water system. In their native habitat of the Pacific Northwest, that would mean transitioning from a freshwater river system to the saltwater habitat of the Pacific Ocean. Their ability to move between freshwater and saltwater is known as anadromous. Salmon in the Great Lakes move within freshwater and are known as potadromous. Smolting salmon begin to lose their "parr" marks (dark, vertical lines on their sides) and will become more silvery in appearance. This coloring will be more beneficial to camouflage them as they live and grow in the large open water of the Great Lakes. Naturally hatched fish can take longer to undergo this process whereas DNR/hatchery raised fish will be larger and reach development stages faster, therefore making them smolt sooner.

Do You Want to Raise Salmon in Your Classroom Again Next Year?

You are required, by law, to return a completed Stocking Report to us within 14 days of your salmon release. By submitting it to us you are automatically re-enrolled in the Salmon in the Classroom program for next year. It only takes a few moments to fill out. See Stocking Permit and Stocking Report sections below for details.

Stocking Permit

You are required, by law, to have a Stocking Permit in your possession when releasing your salmon. There is a Salmon in the Classroom Stocking Permit available to you at this link (it's part of the Stocking Report) . This is a great opportunity to discuss with your students the importance of these permits. What if we didn't have them and people were able to release anything into our lakes and rivers that they wanted to? What kind of harm could that cause to our aquatic resources?

Stocking Report

While we understand the end of the school year is a busy time for you, the SIC program is rapidly growing every year and your compliance with this request helps us to better manage the program. A stocking report must be submitted within 14 days of stocking your salmon. If you do not provide us with your Stocking Report, we will assume that your non-compliance with this mandate indicates you no longer wish to participate in the SIC program. If you do not submit your Stocking Report within 14 days of your salmon release, we reserve the right to place you on probation from the program for one year. Once your probation period has ended and you are allowed to re-enroll, you will be required to attend a Salmon in the Classroom Teacher Workshop.

The information contained in this report is very important to Fisheries Managers. It will take only a moment to complete but will provide us with very valuable information. The stocking report form is available on the SIC website.

Please provide your completed Stocking Report to Polly Gray at grayp@michigan.gov

"But, I didn’t stock any fish….do I still need to submit a Stocking Report?"

YES!!! Submitting a Stocking Report automatically re-enrolls you for the SIC program next year. 

WHEN to Release Your Salmon

Research shows that the best time to release your salmon, when they show the highest rate of return as adults to that same river, is the last week of April and the first week of May. In an effort to be more accommodating to teachers and their scheduling efforts, our biologists have broadened their recommendation timeframe for releasing your salmon to be mid-April through mid-May in the Lower Peninsula and no later than the last week of May in the Upper Peninsula. River water temperature should be no less than 45 degrees Fahrenheit and no more than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Releasing your salmon into a body of water that is outside of these temperature parameters can cause mortality of your salmon.

WHERE to Release Your Salmon

Not sure where you want to/where you can release your salmon this spring? Follow these steps to find out the closest location where you can release your salmon:

1. Go to the Releasing Your Salmon web page.
   
   
2. Determine which Fisheries Management Unit (FMU) your school is located in by downloading the FMU map link on the webpage.
   
   
3. Look at the list of Pre-Approved Stocking Locations, which are listed by FMU, to find out where you can release your fish. Tributaries to listed water bodies are acceptable when no impediments to fish travel between that tributary and the main water body are found, i.e. dams.

HOW to Safely Release Your Salmon

For the best chance of survival, it's important that you take several steps to ensure your salmon will make it from your school to their release location safely. Here are some tips and tricks to help you along the way:

• Stock the fish AS SOON AS YOU ARRIVE TO YOUR STOCKING LOCATION! Many well-intentioned teachers have planned elaborate activities and events for releasing their salmon and wait until the conclusion of these to release their salmon into the river resulting in less than favorable survival! Remember, the longer the salmon are in the buckets, the more stressful it is on them.
  
  
• Do not overcrowd your fish in the buckets. It is very stressful on the fish and the more room they have in the buckets, the better. We recommend no more than 25 - 30 fish per 5 gallon bucket.
  
  
• Use a battery operated aerator during transport. Salmon are especially sensitive to oxygen levels in the water and will be consuming more than usual during their trip to the river so make sure they have more than enough.
  
  
• If there is a temperature difference of more than 5 degrees F between the river water and the water in your buckets, you will need to acclimate your fish. Only replace about 1/4 of the bucket water volume every 15 - 30 minutes with the river to avoid temperature shock.
  
  
• Have an adult or trusted student net the fish from the bucket into clear plastic cups.

If you do not have enough fish to provide one per student, separate the students into groups based on the number of fish you have.

Media Coverage of Your Salmon Release

Spread the word about salmon in the Great Lakes and the SIC Program by sharing your release with local media! We know you are doing all kinds of creative and fun things with your students during your salmon releases and we want everyone to know about it. If you get an article in the local newspaper, have a media from a local television station attend your event or anything else exciting, help us spread the word! Email Natalie Elkins elkinsn@michigan.gov the link(s) and we can share it with the entire SIC family. We've even developed a press release template for you to use under the "Share your classroom's story" heading.

Teacher Contact Information Updates

If you change schools, email addresses, phone numbers or anything else, please let us know so we can update our database by emailing Natalie at elkinsn@michigan.gov.

Fall 2017

Watch for the fall issue of "Salmon Sense" in your email box in early-mid September. This newsletter contains a lot of important information so please be sure to read it carefully when you receive it.

Questions, comments or concerns? Contact a SIC Coordinator:

Natalie Elkins
Program or admittance questions.
elkinsn@michigan.gov
517-284-6041

Shana Ramsey
Fish, tank or release questions - Southern Michigan
ramseys2@michigan.gov
Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery
269-668-2876

Craig Kasmer
Fish, tank or release questions - Northern Michigan
kasmerc@michigan.gov
Hartwick Pines State Park
989-348-6178