• A world map with lines of latitude and longitude

Go to the downloads page for: FLOW Case Study and Coho Salmon in Lake Michigan

1. Explain that students will learn how to find a specific location using latitude and longitude. Start with the world map and explain the two key terms: latitude and longitude. Latitude measures north and south, and longitude measures east and west. Explain the two points of reference used to determine latitude and longitude: the Equator and the Prime Meridian. The Equator: Located at 0 degrees latitude (north and south of the Equator). Pinpoint the line of the Equator on the world map. The Prime Meridian: Located at 0 degrees longitude (east and west of the Prime Meridian). Look at the world map again and pinpoint the Prime Meridian.
2. Pinpoint the latitude and longitude of the State of Michigan Platte River Hatchery. Provide the street address: 15210 US 31 Highway, Beulah, MI 49617
• Determine if the hatchery is north or south of the Equator. Determine which two lines of latitude the hatchery is between. Explain how to find the midpoint by splitting the difference between the two lines. Determine if the hatchery is closer to the midpoint or one of the lines, and estimate the degrees latitude. Write the answer in the chart.
• Determine if the hatchery is east or west of the Prime Meridian. Determine which two lines of longitude the hatchery is in between. Determine the midpoint by splitting the difference between the two lines. Determine if the hatchery is closer to the midpoint or one of the lines, and estimate the degrees longitude. Write the answer in the chart.
3. Use a simple chart, as below, to pinpoint the hatchery and one or two additional locations.
   

Location Name	Latitude (N/S)	Longitude (E/W)

4. Now, move onto the FLOW Case Study examples using GIS to track the movement of coho salmon in Lake Michigan. Explain some of the reasons why scientists study fish populations and track their movement. (Reasons might include gaining knowledge about ecosystem interactions and informing fisheries management.) Discuss some of the methods currently used to monitor fish, such as GIS and mark-recapture.
5. Explain to students that they will review several maps of spatial patterns for a population of fish—coho salmon.
6. Use the FLOW Case Study to briefly review the history of coho salmon, explaining that the majority of coho salmon are stocked at the State of Michigan Platte River Hatchery. Students should know the exact location of this hatchery, as they recorded the latitude and longitude earlier. (Note: Coho salmon are stocked at 17 locations.)
7. Hand out the map of coho stocking locations to each group. See the Coho Salmon in Lake Michigan map in downloads. Note that the majority of stocked fish enter the lake at the same location near the Platte River. Remind students that scientists learn about fish populations by mapping their location and movement. Notice how the movement of coho changes. (Note: Because the fish are not tagged, scientists infer movement based on catch data, or Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE). This is the number of fish caught per hour of fishing.)
8. Compare the six maps: look at the map showing coho salmon during the months of May through September. Ask students: How are the patterns of movement similar or different? Where are the fish moving? Why might the fish be moving to that particular location? What predictions can be made about the habits of the population?
9. Emphasize the amount of information that can be gained, and questions raised, by simply observing the movement patterns of various species of fish, birds and mammals. Relate observations back to fisheries research goals and the value of studying population movement and behavior.

Extension
To learn more about GIS:
Download Google Earth to view layers of data about a river near your school. Adjust the views and note the latitude, longitude and elevation of the area you pinpointed. Turn the layers on and off to view different data.

To view GIS fish stocking data:
Add the URL of the database: www.glfc.org/fishstocking
View maps using ArcReader: Download ArcReader freeware and downloadable map files.

Source
FLOW Development Team.

Acknowledgements
Christine Geddes, Institute for Fisheries Research, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment and Michigan Department of Natural Resources; and Martha Wolgamood, Hatchery Manager, Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Next
> Downloads

Top