The Cornell Biological Field Station is located in Madison County, New York. Nearby Cities include: Syracuse and Bridgeport. The nearby major body of water is Oneida Lake, located in the Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands.
History.
In 1955, Iola Warrior Brown, the wife of Cornell alumnus Charles S. Brown, gifted their Shackelton Point property to Cornell University, fulfilling her late husband’s wishes. The following year, in 1956, Cornell officially established the site as a biological field station. Professor Gustav Swanson, an ornithologist and head of the Department of Conservation, recognized the property’s potential for research and proposed developing it into a dedicated facility with a resident director and a vessel for lake sampling.
Management.
Ownership of the Cornell Biological Field Station is through Cornell University, the current director is: Lars Rudstam. The mission for this field station is to conduct research in fisheries and aquatic ecology in New York with a focus on the great lakes, oneida lake and other inland lakes located in New York.
Environment.
The ecoregion of Shackelton Point is in the Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands; this region is characterized by a mix of forests, wetlands, and agricultural lands, shaped by glacial activity and proximity to large water bodies. The Climate is humid continental, with distinct seasons; warm summers and cold, snowy winters. The annual precipitation is approximately 39-44 inches, and the annual temperature ranges from approximately 18 °F (Winter) to 80 °F (Summer), with the average annual temperature being approximately 47 °F.
Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York State (~79.8 square miles). Shallow and nutrient-rich, making it a prime location for biological and ecological research. The station also studies tributaries, wetlands, and surrounding aquatic ecosystems.
The terrestrial ecosystem is Deciduous and mixed forests, with patches of wetland and grassland. Dominated by native hardwoods, including maple, oak, beech, and hickory. Wetlands along the shoreline support diverse plant and animal life.
Aquatic research studies.
The fisheries and limnology of Oneida Lake, 2023
This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the lake’s ecological health, focusing on fish population dynamics, water quality, and environmental trends. It highlights key species such as walleye and yellow perch, assessing their population densities, growth rates, and the impact of angler harvest. The report also examines water temperature, nutrient levels, and harmful algal blooms (HABs), noting their influence on the lake’s ecosystem. Additionally, it addresses the effects of invasive species and climate change. The findings support ongoing management strategies aimed at preserving the lake’s biodiversity and sustainability
Spawning migration, sex-specific home ranges, and seasonal site fidelity in a lacustrine population of Bowfin (Amia ocellicauda)
This article examines the ecological dynamics of Oneida Lake, focusing on fish populations, water quality, and environmental factors. It highlights the effects of invasive species, climate change, and angling on the lake’s ecosystem, providing insights to support future conservation and management efforts
Past vs. present: A survey of the fish parasites of the tributaries of Oneida Lake, NY
This study surveys fish parasites in twelve tributaries of Oneida Lake to compare current findings with Van Cleave and Mueller’s 1934 survey, which documented over eighty species of fish parasites. The recent survey, involving fish collection and parasite identification, found certain trematode species missing from the lake but present in the tributaries, such as Bunodera sacculata, which relies on native clams now thought to be extirpated due to invasive species. The study identified thirty-two species from other major groups, revealing that the fish parasite community in the tributaries differs from that in the lake, likely due to environmental changes over the years.
Distribution of circular single-stranded DNA viruses associated with benthic amphipods of genus Diporeia in the Laurentian Great Lakes
This study investigates the relationship between CRESS-DNA viruses and the nutritional quality of benthic amphipods (Diporeia) in the Laurentian Great Lakes, where these organisms have declined since the mid-1990s. It surveys the distribution of three CRESS-DNA viral genotypes (LM29173, LM122, and LH481) in Diporeia populations, finding that LM29173 is prevalent in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, particularly among southern clade populations. Despite expecting viral associations to affect amphipod physiology, no correlation was found between viral load and amphipod nutritional quality (lipid content and C:N ratio).
Quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Using Aerial Photograph Interpretation
This article reviews a protocol for using aerial photograph interpretation (API) to quantify features of aquatic habitats, such as submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), and encourages its broader application in resource inventory projects. The protocol is demonstrated through examples from the Lake Ontario watershed (1972–2003), showing how API can detect changes in SAV area and depth over time, even with photographs taken for other purposes. The article highlights the benefits of API, including high spatial resolution, low cost, and established protocols, and suggests its greater use in aquatic ecosystem studies.
Ecological & other scientific studies.
Combining sampling gear to optimally inventory species highlights the efficiency of eDNA metabarcoding
This study evaluates the effectiveness of different sampling methods, including eDNA metabarcoding and capture-based techniques (electrofishing, fyke netting, gillnetting, and seining), for surveying fish species richness in a large northern temperate lake. The results show that eDNA metabarcoding detected more species than any capture-based method, including 11 species not detected by other approaches. Optimal sampling effort allocation suggests prioritizing eDNA metabarcoding with smaller allocations to seining and fyke netting. The study demonstrates that eDNA metabarcoding is a rapid, cost-efficient tool for biodiversity monitoring and that combining sampling methods can enhance species richness assessments.