Cornell Biological Field Station

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.

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.

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.

• Wetland species: cattails, bulrushes, sedges.
• Woodland species: sugar maple, red oak, shagbark hickory, and American beech.
• Aquatic plants: water lilies, pondweeds, and coontail.
• Phytoplankton: green algae (Chlorophyta), diatoms, and cyanobacteria. Algal blooms are common in the lake due to nutrient runoff, making it a focal point for ecological studies.

;Fish

• Walleye (the lake’s most famous species, crucial for local fishing)
• Yellow perch
• Smallmouth and largemouth bass
• Northern pike
• Freshwater drum

;Invertebrates

• Zooplankton (copepods, cladocerans)
• Aquatic insects (mayflies, caddisflies)
• Mollusks, including zebra mussels (an invasive species studied at the station)

;Mammals

• White-tailed deer
• Eastern cottontail rabbits
• Red foxes
• Small mammals (mice, voles, and shrews)

;Reptiles and Amphibians

• Painted turtles and snapping turtles
• Northern water snakes
• Frogs and salamanders in the wetlands

;Birds

• Waterfowl: mallards, Canada geese, and wood ducks
• Raptors: red-tailed hawks, ospreys, and bald eagles
• Songbirds and migratory species frequent the surrounding forests and wetlands

The fisheries and limnology of Oneida Lake, 2023https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/oneidalkfisheries.pdf

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){{Cite journal |last1=Jackson |first1=James R. |last2=Jacobs |first2=Gregory R. |last3=Latzka |first3=Alexander W. |last4=Landsman |first4=Tomomi |last5=Young |first5=Brian P. |last6=McCune |first6=Amy R. |date=2024-12-01 |title=Spawning migration, sex-specific home ranges, and seasonal site fidelity in a lacustrine population of Bowfin (Amia ocellicauda) |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-024-01585-4 |journal=Environmental Biology of Fishes |language=en |volume=107 |issue=12 |pages=1369–1388 |doi=10.1007/s10641-024-01585-4 |bibcode=2024EnvBF.107.1369J |issn=1573-5133}}

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, NYhttps://soar.suny.edu/bitstream/handle/20.500.12648/15506/Whitcomb_hannah_past_vs_present_thesis.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

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{{Cite journal |last1=Bistolas |first1=Kalia S. I. |last2=Jackson |first2=Elliot W. |last3=Watkins |first3=James M. |last4=Rudstam |first4=Lars G. |last5=Hewson |first5=Ian |date=July 2017 |title=Distribution of circular single-stranded DNA viruses associated with benthic amphipods of genus Diporeia in the Laurentian Great Lakes |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/fwb.12938 |journal=Freshwater Biology |language=en |volume=62 |issue=7 |pages=1220–1231 |doi=10.1111/fwb.12938 |bibcode=2017FrBio..62.1220B |issn=0046-5070}}

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{{Cite journal |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=D. G. |last2=Zhu |first2=B. |last3=Hoskins |first3=S. B. |last4=Haddad |first4=D. E. |last5=Green |first5=K. N. |last6=Rudstam |first6=L. G. |last7=Mills |first7=E. L. |date=February 2005 |title=Quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Using Aerial Photograph Interpretation: Application in Studies Assessing Fish Habitat in Freshwater Ecosystems |url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1577/1548-8446(2005)30[61:QSAVUA]2.0.CO;2 |journal=Fisheries |language=en |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=61–73 |doi=10.1577/1548-8446(2005)30[61:QSAVUA]2.0.CO;2 |issn=0363-2415}}

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.

Combining sampling gear to optimally inventory species highlights the efficiency of eDNA metabarcoding{{Cite journal |last1=Andres |first1=Kara J. |last2=Lambert |first2=Timothy D. |last3=Lodge |first3=David M. |last4=Andrés |first4=Jose |last5=Jackson |first5=James R. |date=2023 |title=Combining sampling gear to optimally inventory species highlights the efficiency of eDNA metabarcoding |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/edn3.366 |journal=Environmental DNA |language=en |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=146–157 |doi=10.1002/edn3.366 |issn=2637-4943|doi-access=free }}

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.

{{Reflist}}

• A Residential Data Curation Internship: Opportunities and Challengeshttps://ecommons.cornell.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/43bd8258-9410-464b-ba4d-3b79ab075cb2/content

• The fisheries and limnology of Oneida Lake, 2023

• Spawning migration, sex-specific home ranges, and seasonal site fidelity in a lacustrine population of Bowfin (Amia ocellicauda)

• Past vs. present: A survey of the fish parasites of the tributaries of Oneida Lake, NY

• Combining sampling gear to optimally inventory species highlights the efficiency of eDNA metabarcoding

• Distribution of circular single-stranded DNA viruses associated with benthic amphipods of genus Diporeia in the Laurentian Great Lakes

• Quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Using Aerial Photograph Interpretation

• In Memoriam: John Forney{{cite journal | url=https://academic.oup.com/fisheries/article/49/5/237/7810793 | doi=10.1002/fsh.11069 | title=In Memoriam: John Forney | date=2024 | last1=Vandevalk | first1=Anthony J. | last2=Jackson | first2=James R. | journal=Fisheries | volume=49 | issue=5 | pages=237–238 | bibcode=2024Fish...49..237V }}

• Dedication to Gabriella E. Doud, November 18, 1991 – October 10, 2020.{{cite journal | url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0380133024000017 | doi=10.1016/j.jglr.2024.102283 | bibcode=2024JGLR...5002283M | title=Patterns and drivers of seasonal succession and vertical distribution in the rotifer community of Lake Ontario in 2018 | last1=Marshall | first1=C. C. | last2=Watkins | first2=J. M. | last3=Connolly | first3=J. K. | last4=Boynton | first4=P. V. | last5=Schaefer | first5=S. L. | last6=Currie | first6=W. J. S. | last7=Rudstam | first7=L. G. | journal=Journal of Great Lakes Research | date=2024 | volume=50 | issue=2 }}

• https://www.obfs.org/field-station/cornell-biological-field-station/
• https://cals.cornell.edu/biological-field-station-shackelton-point

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Category:Biological research institutes in the United States

Category:Cornell University

Category:Protected areas of Madison County, New York

Category:1956 establishments in New York (state)

Category:Protected areas established in 1956