Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program

Wetlands are an important part of our landscape. Sometimes referred to as natures kidneys, wetlands improve water quality by filtering and absorbing pollutants, and by recycling nutrients that move through the natural environment. Wetlands also provide habitat for a multitude of animal and plant species. Marshes, in particular, are among the most productive of all wetland types. Characterized by the presence of emergent vegetation and open standing water, marshes are home to several bird and amphibian species that rely on these watery habitats for breeding and foraging. However, the past few decades have seen a drastic reduction in the number, size and quality of marsh habitats across North America, and particularly throughout the heavily-populated Great Lakes basin. As a result, many marsh-inhabiting bird and amphibian species are threatened and in need of monitoring, protection and recovery efforts.

For these reasons, Bird Studies Canada, in partnership with Environment Canada, developed the Marsh Monitoring Program (MMP) in Ontario in 1994. With the financial support of the United States Environmental Protection Agency  Great Lakes National Program Office and the Great Lakes Protection Fund, the MMP was launched throughout the U.S. Great Lakes States in 1995. Carried out by a network of dedicated Citizen Scientist volunteer surveyors, the MMP functions to provide long-term monitoring of marsh-dependent bird and anuran (frog and toad) species in marsh habitats throughout the Great Lakes basin. Data collected by MMP volunteers is used to determine long-term trends in species diversity, occurrence and abundance, and to directly inform and guide conservation, restoration and management programs for marshes and their bird and amphibian inhabitants.

Through the dedication of hundreds of volunteer participants who have monitored marsh routes since 1995, the MMP has become a valuable tool for scientists, government agencies and amateur naturalists to gauge the status and recovery of marsh birds, amphibians and their marsh habitats.

For more information contact:

Kathy Jones,
Aquatic Surveys Officer
Bird Studies Canada
P.O. Box 160,
Port Rowan, ON, N0E 1M0
Phone toll-free: (888) 448-2473
Fax: (519) 586-3532
E-mail: aqsurvey@bsc-eoc.org