Waterbirds as Indicators of Environmental Health in the Laurentian Great Lakes.

Waterbirds can provide excellent indicators of the environmental condition of lakes, shallow wetlands, and flowing waters. The birds respond to changes in the distribution and abundance of food and breeding habitat, and declines in health and reproductive success can  indicate the prevalence of chemical contaminants or pathogens. My research is focused on mapping the dispersion and abundance of birds on Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River, to understand how the birds respond to changes in nutrient levels, distribution of shoreline breeding and roosting habitat, and the appearance of new pathogens such as Type E botulism. This work is done in collaboration with Clarkson University's Great Rivers Center.

I have also begun collaborative work evaluating the distribution and conservation-value of wetlands in the St. Lawrence Valley, via field surveys of water quality and indicator species, and by using geographic information system (GIS) analyses of the landscape.

Selected Publications

Gouvêa S.P., C. Melendez, M.J. Carberry, G.S. Bullerjahn, S.W. Wilhelm, T.A. Langen, and M.R. Twiss. 2006. Phosphorus bioavailability and plankton distributions in Lake Ontario in the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel, September 2003. Journal of Great Lakes Research 32:455-470. reprint

Twiss M.R., T.A. Langen, M.G. Giroux, S.M. Johns, N.E. Liddle, A.R. Snyder, D.P. Zeleznock, and J. Wojcik. 2006. Land use influence on water quality in the Saint Regis River, a north-flowing tributary of the St. Lawrence. Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies 13:26-32. reprint

Langen T.A., M.R. Twiss, G.S. Bullerjahn, and  S.W. Wilhelm. 2005. Pelagic bird survey on Lake Ontario following Hurricane Isabel, September 2003: Observations and remarks on methodology. Journal of Great Lakes Research 31:219-226. reprint

Twiss, M.R., T.A. Langen, G.S. Bullerjahn, S.W. Wilhelm, and D.C. Rockwell. 2005. The Lake Ontario Great Lakes Science Practicum: A model for training limnology students on how to conduct shipboard research in the Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research 31:236-242. reprint

Press Releases & Clippings (linked)

• Clarkson Research Group Publishes Paper on Land Use Influence on Water Quality in the St. Regis River

• Profs troll for botulism cause

• Clarkson University is conducting survey of botulism in the St. Lawrence River

• Understanding the distribution and feeding patterns of Lake Ontario waterbirds

• Bird surveys needed In offshore Great Lakes

• Clarkson Students Experience Fresh Water Ecological Research And High Seas On Lake Ontario

last updated 8 November 2006

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