More than 25 Years of Lake Focused Research

UVM's Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain opened in 1999, thanks to a group of committed people at UVM and in the community. This lab has been shaped by so many people, before and after its beginning. But beyond that, it's been shaped by one of the things that makes this place in the world particularly unique:

Lake Champlain.

As Jason mentioned during our conversation, Lake Champlain provides so many unique research possibilities and opportunities. Because, in so many ways, Lake Champlain is the whole world.

There are different micro-ecosystems represented throughout the lake, from the deepest waters off Thompson's Point to the shallow warm shores of Mallet's Bay and everything in between. By studying and engaging with these ecosystems, Lake Champlain can become a laboratory for studying phenomenon that are happening all over the world.

In Jason's words:

"You can consider this a natural laboratory. We can use this lake, which is right at our fingertips, as a natural experiment. We can ask questions of 'How is climate change and invasive species affecting one type of lake, versus another type of lake?' And we're doing that research right now."

Trout, Zebra Mussels, and Cyanobacteria, Oh My!

We talked with Jason about some of the most interesting research that has happened over the last 25 years at the Lab.

One of the earliest projects they worked on was studying the scourge of zebra mussels, an invasive species that arrived in Lake Champlain during the 90's. Dr. Ellen Marsden and her collaborators eventually published "Factors on Zebra Mussel Population expansion in Lake Champlain, 1994-2010", which then helped lead the efforts to control the expansion of the mollusks going forward.

The Lab has also engaged closely with the wider community in the monitoring of another concern in the lake: Cyanobacteria. A type of blue-green algae, which is dangerous if ingested, has been sighted more and more in recent summers.

In 2001, Dr. Mary Watzin partnered with UVM, agency, and community partners to publish a technical report on monitoring the blooms. Thanks to the Lake Champlain Basin Program and statewide citizen scientists, monitoring continues to keep beachgoers safe during the summer months.

And, perhaps most interesting of all, the lab continues work to decipher a mystery that is hidden in the waters: why are the lake trout back?

During our conversation, Jason talked about the history of the disappearance of the lake trout around 1900, and the restocking of the fish by the State of Vermont starting in 1950.

At first, the restocking seemed to be a small success: the stocked fish would successfully spawn eggs, and hatch young fish. But then, those young fish would disappear.

Until 2015.

Suddenly, in their research trawling, they were finding adult fish that were native – not stocked fish (the stocked fish have one clipped fin).

It is still a mystery what those tiny fish are doing for the time between spawning and adulthood, and why it took so long for them to establish a native population. But while the Lab is investigating, the state is choosing to stock less fish – a policy decision made because of the research being done by Dr. Ellen Marsden and the team.

Hands-on Research Opportunities

Some of the most crucial parts of the Rubenstein Lab are the opportunities that it brings to the students here on campus. So many students are eager to experience what a career in research is really like, and the Lab can give an inside look at the reality.

"For so many, it's their first time really seeing what it's like to be a scientist. What does it look like to go out and collect samples? What does it look like to get back into the lab and process those same samples?"

Students come through the lab, gaining experience and taking that with them into jobs after graduation. And, for some, it sparks a passion that carries them into graduate school to continue their own research.

Beyond UVM students, the lab's education team is providing programs for middle and high school students on the newest research vessel in the fleet: the R/V Marcelle Melosira.

They take their lessons from the boat back to classrooms, getting students at all levels interested in studying the watery world around us.

And, it's not just students who are welcome on the Marcelle. The education team also runs trips for the general public out onto the lake, to learn about the research and the challenges the lake is facing today.

From the lake itself to the watershed ecosystems throughout Vermont that flow into it – the Rubenstein Lab is providing a place for the public to engage critically with the natural world.