USGS Lake Erie East Harbor bottom trawl data series, 1961-2011

The USGS Lake Erie Biological Station’s East Harbor sampling program began in 1961 with the commissioning of the research vessel Musky II. It is the longest known continuous trawl survey in Lake Erie. In addition to spanning over 50 years, the data series is unique for three prominent design elements: 1) sampling was conducted at three depth strata; 2) replicate trawl samples were collected at each depth stratum; and 3) sampling was conducted during both day and night. Unlike other trawl series collected in Lake Erie, and throughout the Great Lakes, the East Harbor program is the only one to combine these sampling practices in a single survey. In 2012, the original vessel used since the inception of the East Harbor program, the research [...]