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Sea Grant 2003 Updates Archive |
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Links in the archive are not updated - many may be broken over time. URLs which are not linked are no longer valid (retained as historical).
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December 18, 2003Contents: ___________________________________________________________________________ The Detroit Recreation Department will spend a total of $850,000 on two projects on Belle Isle to restore a lagoon and create a sturgeon-spawning habitat. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced today that the city has received a $250,000 grant through the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for ecological restoration of the 41-acre blue heron lagoon on the east end of Belle Isle. Kilpatrick said the recreation department is adding $100,000 in city funds to the grant from the Michigan Coastal Management program of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The $500,000 project to construct a lake sturgeon-spawning reef off Belle Isle will be funded by $309,2262 from the Michigan Coast Management program and $110,000 from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. The project is to be managed by the Michigan Sea Grant College program and SmithGroup JJR. 2. Ohio Sea Grant - An Alga a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Research
Uses Engineered Alagae as Means to Vaccinate Fish New Ohio Sea Grant research is finding how genetically altered algae can be used as a way to vaccinate fish from IHNV, a viral disease that kills 30 percent of the U.S. trout population. Dr. Richard Sayre of Ohio State University continues his work with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a unicellular alga found abundantly all over the world. Originally studied as a way to recover harmful heavy metals locked in sediments, he has discovered the algae's use could be broadened. Sayre along with Dr. Richard Wagner expanded their research to see if the mircoalgae could be used as a way to vaccinate fish for Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHNV). Controlling fish diseases has long been a problem for the aquaculture industry. Antibiotics are not only useless for viral and many parasitic diseases, but they can only be partially absorbed by fish. Although fish vaccines are a more successful alternative, they can be costly, labor intensive, and stressful for the fish. "Unfortunately, the trouble with producing many vaccines is you need to identify the pathogen and then you need time to culture it," explains Sayre. "Our system doesn't require either." Using a peptide library of all the possible amino acid combinationsdisplayed on the surface of a virus (called a combinatorial phage display library), Sayre's team can rapidly screen for antigens using pathogen-specific antibodies. The screening process involves binding antibodies from a sick fish to polystyrene beads and removing loose viruses to isolate the antigen. "When the antigen is isolated by the screening process, we compare it to the known IHNV genome and known antigenic determinants to see if the process produced a viable antigen," states Sayre. His research has found a tentative antigenic peptide. Sayre and his team plan to test those antigens by conducting vaccine trials later this year through Sayre and Wagner's company, Phycotransgenics. The antigens will be attached to the outside of the Chlamydomonas cell, which will in turn be delivered to the fish through either food or immersion (water). "When fish (that are fed the algae) express antibodies against the antigen bound to the algae, we'll know this approach works, and we'll extend it toward other diseases," states Sayre. A patent is currently pending for this microalgal antigen delivery system. For Further Information Contact: Jill E. Jentes, Ohio Sea Grant 614.292.8949 or jentes.1@osu.edu 3. NY Sea Grant - Spreading Exotics Through Ballast Water In the game of ecological roulette, it takes only one species to alter an ecosystem. And in the case of the Great Lakes Basin, 150 years of shipping has made it home to nearly as many invaders. The critical issue: Are exotic species being transported by ballast water taken on by cargo ships in international waters - or by the slimy residue that remains on the walls of ballast tanks? University at Buffalo Professor Robert Baier recently completed a New York Sea Grant -funded study to target these potential invasive species introductions. Assisted by Anne Meyer, a UB Research Associate Professor, and former Sea Grant scholar Robert Forsberg, Baier developed and installed two kinds of samplers in the ballast water of several ships arriving in the U.S. from trans-Atlantic shipping. Both of these samplers collect biofilms on ballast water tank walls. A biofilm is a layer of organic slime made of microscopic larvae, bacteria, and other assorted bioinvasive organisms. Ballast Organic Biofilm, or "BOB," units captured and analyzed ballast water on voyages without on-board research teams. These samplers don't need a power source, so they were suspended in the ballast tanks and easily retrieved to collect data. The Portable Biofouling Units, or "PBUs," require more hands-on monitoring, but their setup made it easier to search for microorganisms as ballast water left the sampler. Most of the organisms in the ballast water detected by these samplers are barely visible: larval plankton and crustaceans such as barnacles and tiny crabs. Biofilms, considered the 'dental plaque of the ocean,' are not being removed by current mandates of routine mid-ocean ballast water exchanges. When ships empty their ballast, many microscopic species can become airborne and inhaled by workers nearby or tourists downwind, possibly spreading disease to new locations. Other microbes stay behind encased in resistant sacs that keep them protected until re-suspended when the ballast tanks are refilled. Having observed biofilms first-hand, Baier recommends inspecting ships entering the Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence Seaway system, even those in a declared 'No Ballast on Board' condition. "Inspecting these ships and sampling their ballast tank bottoms and interior structures will help us better understand bioinvasion pathways and create international policies for controlling aquatic nuisance species," says Baier. Baier points to measures that can be taken to reduce the further spread of exotic species, like coating ballast water tanks with a non-toxic, non-polluting coating such as those used in cookware. "With this research, we've reached our goal of clarifying and emphasizing the role biofilms play in the transport of exotics in the ballast held by cargo vessels." Baier intends for information gathered in this study to be used by shipping and resource managers to help limit the spread of invasive microorganisms and protect the health of dock and ship personnel. 4. OH Sea Grant - Research Finds Reopening Coastal Wetlands
to Lake Erie Largely Increases Fish Diversity New Ohio Sea Grant research by Dr. Dave Johnson of Ohio State University is finding that an experimental dike used in the renovation of Lake Erie's Metzger Marsh could be a new method for marsh management that dramatically increases fish diversity in Lake Erie coastal wetlands. Through a 1992 joint project, the ODNR Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service, and Ducks Unlimited began a wetland restoration project of Metzger Marsh, a 906-acre coastal wetland located along Lake Erie's southwest shore. (The ODNR Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge now jointly manage the site.) Restoration efforts incorporated a dike to mimic the protective function of a natural barrier beach, along with never-before-usedwater-control gates in the dike that allowed a hydrologic connection withLake Erie. The gates were left open for a four-year period starting in 1999 to permit the marsh's water levels to fluctuate and reconnect "naturally"with lake levels. Johnson and his team collected and cataloged adult andjuvenile fish species within the marsh in 1994 prior to the dikeconstruction as well as every year since the gates were opened. What Johnson has discovered is the evolution of a different type of fish assemblage in the wetland after its restoration. "Phytophilic (i.e. vegetation-loving) fishes, like the largemouth bass and pumpkinseed, were rare in the marsh prior to the dike. As Metzger's vegetation increased (post-dike), we now find approximately 100 times as many largemouth bass and pumpkinseed compared to that in 1994," emphasizes Johnson. Both increased in the marsh although numbers of each have decreased in Lake Erie over the last few years. Diversity is not only determined by the number of species present (or species richness), but also by the evenness of the distribution amongst species. "Before its restoration, Metzger Marsh had more than 34 different fish species, with some species only represented by a few individuals," explains Eugene Braig, an Ohio State research associate working on the project. "We found the number of fish species didn't substantially change after restoration. However, numbers were more evenly distributed among species without the domination of a few." Using the Shannon-Weaver diversity index to chart the increase, they found that diversity has dramatically increased, as much as tripled, within an eight-year period. This evenness of distribution measured at Metzger Marsh is not typical of diked wetlands. Where most traditionally diked wetlands are dominated by a few tolerant species like carp, goldfish, and white crappie, Metzger has developed a mixture of phytophilic fish along with some representation of lake species. This increased diversity is more than likely because of the hydrologic connection to the lake says Braig. "Tolerant, invasive shallow-water species, like the carp and the goldfish, are still present in the marsh and have increased in number, but they have increased an order of magnitude less than native shallow-water species, like the largemouth bass and bluegill," states Braig. Johnson's team is currently analyzing the 2003 fish samples. "Metzger Marsh demonstrates that we can still take advantage of the benefits of dikes (wetland habitat protection) without compromising natural hydrology, aquatic habitat diversity, or fish populations," states Johnson. "Until Metzger Marsh, we had never measured such high fish diversity in a diked wetland. By reconnecting coastal marshes with the Lake's hydrology and occasionally closing these systems to manage invasive plant species, Lake Erie's wetlands could be restored and managed as coupled systems to again serve all biota." For Further Information Contact: Jill Jentes Banicki, Ohio Sea Grant 614.292.8949 or jentes.1@osu.edu 5. Web News 6. Publications Contents: The National Aquatic Nuisance Species Clearinghouse quarterly digest, "Aquatic Invaders," publishes papers on research and policy initiatives relating to all types of freshwater, estuarine, and marine aquatic invasive and nuisance species issues. The digest is published quarterly, and is aimed at a technically literate audience, researchers, resource managers, utility managers, and policy makers. We welcome submissions. Please contact Diane Oleson (djo5@cornell.edu) for details NY Sea Grant - Aquatic Invaders Volume 14 #4, October-December
2003 Pathways of Introduction of Invasive Species WI Sea Grant - Research Reprints Hansen, MJ and ME Holey. 2002. Ecological Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Chinook and Coho Salmon Populations in the Great Lakes, Especially Lake Michigan. In Sustaining North American Salmon: Perspectives Across Regions and Disciplines. KD Lynch, ML Jones and WW Taylor eds. Chapter 8, pp. 155-179. WISCU-R-02-015. Cook, PM, JA Robbins, DD Endicott, KB Lodge, PD Guiney, MK Walker, EW Zabel, and RE Peterson. 2003. Effects of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Mediated Early Life Stage Toxicity on Lake Trout Populations in Lake Ontario During the 20th Century. Environmental Science and Technology, 37(17)3864-3877. WISCU-R-03-005.
The Marine Environmental Education Foundation (MEEF) named its 2003-2004 Board of Directors at their 2003 annual meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. "We are pleased to add a number of new members to the Board who bring a wide range of experiences in the education and environmental field," said Dave White, Chairman of the MEEF Board of Directors. He continued, "we've added representation from a number of other organizations that share MEEF's mission and goals in an effort to build synergistic programming." New Board members include Genevieve Boehm, NJ Department of Transportation; Margaret Podlich, BoatUS; and Bruce Berman, Boston Save the Bay. Melissa Denko, Executive Director of the NJ Marine Trade Association joins the Executive Committee as Secretary. The other Officers were re-elected and include: David White of NY Sea Grant, Chairman; Larry Innis of the National Safe Boating Council, Vice-Chair; Grant Westerson of the CT Marine Trades, Treasurer. Other members of the Board include: Susan Altman, West Marine; Nancy Bodick, American Boat Builders and Repairers Association; Jim Frye, National Marine Manufactures Association; Phil Keeter, Marine Retailers Association of America; Alex Laidlaw, Marine Operators Association of America; Steve Lewis, States Organization for Boating Access; Ken Lovell, Boating Trades Association of Metropolitan Houston; Pat Pearson, Washington State University Extension System; Dave Staudt, Allied Printing; Andy Talento, National Marine Trades Council; and, Tim Timpson, International Marina Institute. Founded in 1994, MEEF has evolved as a national consortium of marine industry associations, marine businesses, academia, government agencies and environmental groups that have come together to promote clean water through education and experience. By bringing together national specialists, MEEF is able to develop educational programs and research on marine environmental issues. MEEF is devoted to programs that result in greater awareness of marine environmental issues and regulations. |
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November 19, 2003Contents 1. WI Sea Grant - Toxic Chemicals Killed all Young Lake Trout
in Lake Ontario for 40 Years Press Release The findings also suggest chemical contaminants may have complicated efforts by the United States and Canada to restore healthy populations of lake trout across the Great Lakes basin, according to Philip Cook, a research chemist and environmental toxicologist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Duluth, Minn., and lead author of the study. The research results also show the importance and the feasibility of investigating possible harmful effects of other contaminants that haven't been studied well, Cook said. The research was published in the September issue of the journal Environmental Science and Technology. The report details results from a 15-year collaboration among a team of toxicologists, chemists, chemical and environmental engineers, and sediment dating experts. In one part of the work, a group of researchers led by toxicologist Richard Peterson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that, in their early life stages, lake trout are among the most sensitive fish to dioxin (specifically, 2,3,7,8-TCDD), PCBs and similar chemicals. At concentrations as low as 30 parts per trillion dioxin in egg tissues, the percentage of newly hatched fish that die exceeds normal percentages. The mortality rate increases as concentrations of dioxin in egg tissues rise above 30 ppt. "Thirty parts per trillion is an extremely small concentration, approximately equal to one drop in 500,000 gallons of water," said Peterson, who directed the UW-Madison component of the study with support from the UW Sea Grant Institute. Dioxin, PCBs and similar chemicals pass from water and sediments into small plants and animals near the bottom of aquatic food webs. Because they are retained in tissues, they accumulate as they are passed to higher levels of food webs. Animals near the tops of food webs, like lake trout, generally have the highest concentrations of such chemicals in their body tissues, Peterson said. In their component of the study, Cook and his colleagues measured dioxin and other chemicals in samples of sediments, herring gulls, adult lake trout, other fish species and lake trout eggs from Lake Ontario. They used mathematical models to estimate from these measurements the concentrations in lake trout egg tissues between 1920 and 1990. The researchers conclude that dioxin levels in lake trout eggs reached the 30 ppt mortality threshold in the early 1940s. By the late 1940s, concentrations reached 100 ppt. At that concentration, 100 percent of juvenile trout can be expected to die, the authors reported. Concentrations remained at or above these levels until about 1976, by which time environmental regulations had sufficiently reduced toxic contamination levels to again allow some egg survival, according to the study. By 1982, egg concentrations had dropped to the point that no measurable direct mortality from dioxin was expected. "That's the good news of the study," Cook said. "It shows that pollution regulations can really be effective." Cook points out, however, that researchers know much less about so-called "sub-lethal" effects of contaminants on lake trout, doses that do not kill the fish in laboratory tests but do impair critical functions like vision or swim bladder inflation. "In natural environments, these low levels of contaminants could impair the recovery of lake trout populations," Cook said. "Young fish may not be able to flee from predators or find food, and that could be happening out there today in the Great Lakes. We don't know for sure about that - we're in a grey area with these low levels." The work is an "elegant piece of science" that drew upon multiple sources of evidence to support its conclusions, according to Donald Tillitt, an environmental toxicologist in the Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey in Colombia, Mo. "It allows us to quantitatively look at the effects of these chemicals [on lake trout]," Tillitt said. "It's a very significant piece of research." "It's one of the nicest case studies that have been done," agreed Scott Brown, an environmental toxicologist at Environment Canada's National Water Research Institute in Burlington, Ontario. 2. MN Sea Grant - 2003-2005 Program Guide
3. MI Sea Grant - Michigan's Charter Fishing Industry Bounces
Back :Greater Revenues, Larger Boats But Fewer Captains "The Great Lakes sport fishery has rebounded from its low point in the early 1990s when disease was rampant in salmonids," says Chuck Pistis, Sea Grant Extension agent and co-author of the report. "The economic investments in and contributions of the charter fishing industry mirror the recovery in the Great Lakes fishery during that time." Pistis says that charter fishing clients also contributed significantly to the economies of Michigan's coastal communities in 2002, spending an estimated $19.8 million on food, lodging and other local purchases in Michigan's Great Lakes ports. Nineteen percent of the captains responding to the survey rely on charter fishing as their primary livelihood, up from 13 percent in 1994, and 52 percent rated it as a secondary source of income in 2002, down from 66.5 percent in 1994. Almost 60 percent of captains plan to increase the number of trips they make over the next five years, but 18 percent plan to quit the business during that time. Responding captains indicated that the most important concerns facing their industry are the economy, the impacts of exotic species, boating equipment/operating costs and the lack of fish/reduced fish abundance. The Michigan industry compares well with those in other Great Lakes states. Michigan generated almost 30 percent of the total $34.5 million charter fishing revenue in the U.S. Great Lakes region, and the value of its charter boats and equipment was $49.1 million, almost 28 percent of the $178 million regional total. The average boat is longer by 1 foot than the average in 1994. The state's charter fishing fleet of 468 operations is the second largest in the Great Lakes to Ohio's 794, followed by New York (305), Wisconsin (258), Illinois/Indiana (64), Minnesota (44) and Pennsylvania (28). "The survey is a great asset to all charter boat captains
and the ports that they work out of," said Frank English, president
of the Michigan Charter Boat Association. "The information
is invaluable." The complete report, Michigan's Great
Lakes Charter Fishing Industry in 2002, is available on the Michigan
Sea Grant Web site at 4. MN Sea Grant - Graduate Research Advances Lake Superior Science
The University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program is providing more than $527,000 over the next two years to fund research by graduate students. The ten students are investigating subjects related to Lake Superior and Minnesota's inland lakes under the supervision of University of Minnesota faculty. The graduate funding is over and above the $678,500 that Sea Grant awarded for research projects last March. The projects employing the graduate students involve such topics as lake trout populations and habitats, water pollution, new water monitoring technologies, aquatic invasive species, and Lake Superior's ecosystem. Paige Novak, assistant professor in the University of Minnesota Department of Civil Engineering and recipient of Sea Grant research monies, is supporting two graduate students with funding associated with her grant. "Two master's degree candidates, who came to the graduate program with partial fellowships from other sources, are now conducting laboratory investigations that will contribute to our understanding of how microorganisms might accelerate the breakdown of PCBs in Great Lakes." One of Sea Grant's new graduate research assistants came from the Black Forest area of Germany in his pursuit of a master's degree. Winfried Ksoll is studying water resources science at the University of Minnesota Duluth and investigating whether the fecal indicator, E. coli, might survive and possibly grow in aquatic environments like the sediments of Lake Superior. In addition to conducting cutting-edge research, Sea Grant-supported graduates are expected to communicate the importance of their work to the public. This requirement emphasizes the importance of making science relevant and accessible. 5. New York Sea Grant - Strategies Report for Hooking More Anglers Excerpt from Press Release New York Sea Grant has released a new Sportfishing Fact Sheet and a report suggesting "Strategies for Increasing Sportfishing Participation in New York's Great Lakes Region." Sea Grant and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry conducted a two-year study to identify the factors influencing angling participation in three life stages groups: children, adolescents and adults. After analyzing survey and interview data from anglers, Coastal Tourism Specialist Diane Kuehn (who is also an Assistant Professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Syracuse) organized two focus groups comprised of anglers, coastal business owners, and government agency staff that worked together to identify forty-four different options for increasing angling participation. Highlights of the Sportfishing Fact Sheet and Strategies for Increasing Sportfishing Participation report include:
Sportfishing: A study of gender and life stage along New York's
eastern Lake Ontario coast and the Strategies report are online
at 6. IL-IN Sea Grant - ANS Web Page Links to the Latest Resources If you happen on a new aquatic nuisance species (ANS) or an invasive
species in new waters, reporting the details to the State of Illinois
is now as easy as going online. The newly-remodeled Illinois Aquatic
Nuisance Species Program Web site provides this feature, as well
as information on State ANS laws, the State management plan, and
the latest on hot topics such as the threat of Asian carp. "With
links to a number of other Web pages, the site is a gateway to ANS
information resources," said Pat Charlebois, Illinois-Indiana
Sea Grant biological resources specialist. "In addition to
learning what you can do to prevent the spread of invasive species,
you can read about what the State of Illinois is doing to address
this issue." Visitors to the new Web page can click on "Illinois
ANS Activities" and learn about: the Purple Loosestrife Project,
in which students and 4-H youth raise and release beetles to control
this wetland plant; the electric barrier, an effort to keep invasive
fish from flowing between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River
Basins; and the latest ANS research efforts, including a Sea Grant
project assessing the impact of Asian carp. The management program
has also developed an online reporting system for aquatic nuisance
species sightings. "These notifications help us track the introduction
and spread of ANS, and provide information necessary for management
decisions," said Charlebois. "All data are entered into
a state-wide database." The Web page also provides the opportunity
to read ANS updates or sign up to have them emailed directly to
you. These updates include recent significant sightings of invasive
species, new ordinances, plus details on management and research
projects. This Web page was developed through Illinois-Indiana Sea
Grant, the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Illinois Department
of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The
Web address is 7. Publications MI Sea Grant - Upwellings October 2003 - Online at:
OH Sea Grant - Gales of November 8. Tidbits PA Sea Grant - Botulism Listserv |
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October 16, 2003Contents 1. Meeting Announcements Please join UM's School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) Alumni, Great Lakes Theme group members and others interested in Great Lakes issues, in celebrating the School's 100th Anniversary. Claire Schelske will deliver a presentation entitled: "Cultural Eutrophication in the Great Lakes: A changing paradigm about causes and consequences of low-level phosphorus enrichment." Dr. Schelske, formerly of the University of Michigan's Great Lakes Research Division, is the past-President of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. Dr. Ed Rutherford, SNRE Great Lakes Theme Leader, will discuss "Past, Present and Future Great Lakes Activities in SNRE, including the Great Lakes Theme." The panel will also feature several graduate students -- our Great Lakes leaders of tomorrow! OH Sea Grant - The Adaptive Research and Governance in Climate
Change 2. WI Sea Grant - Announcing the New Aquatic Sciences Center 3. Research Programs
UW Sea Grant - Directory of Projects 2002-2004 Available
MI Sea Grant - 2003-2005 Project Summaries OnLine
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4. Research Abstracts Almost 30 percent of beachgoers surveyed by the researchers were engaged in multiple-day trips-spending an average of $381.98 during their stay compared to $27.53 for the single-day visitor. Beach advisories can result in cancelled trips or reduced visitation to an area. The study showed that a multiple-day visitor would be willing to pay between $6.93 and $7.39 per trip to eliminate one beach advisory, and that single-day visitors would be willing to pay approximately $2.06 per trip. CONTACT: Brent Sohngen: phone 614-688-4640, e-mail sohngen.1@osu.edu. OH Sea Grant - Study Finds Nitrates and Sunlight Keys To
Pesticide Degradation In Lake Erie's Coastal Wetlands While some contaminants have been found to degrade by directly reacting with sunlight (direct photolysis), there are many that cannot. Dr. Chin's team investigated the use of indirect photolysis, the process by which contaminants can degrade in the presence of a photosensitizer. "Because many compounds do not have the chemical structure to absorb light, they need a catalyst or photosensitizer to absorb the sunlight," stated Chin. When that photosensitizer takes up the sunlight, the energy is trapped and transferred to neighboring molecules to create reactive chemical radicals. These highly reactive chemicals react with and transform ASOCs to form other compounds Dr. Chin's team investigated the role of natural dissolved organic matter (NDOM) and nitrates as potential photosensitizers in wetlands. To test whether nitrates and/or NDOM can influence the indirect photolytic fate of ASOCs in wetlands, Chin conducted his research at Old Woman Creek Estuarine Research Reserve, a 30-hectare wetland located on the south shore of Lake Erie. Water samples were taken from the inlet, the interior, and the outlet of the wetland. Samples were collected in June when spring runoff occurs (shortly after fertilizers are applied), in August and September of 1998 (where fertilizer loads are presumably lower). Chin found that nitrate is a naturally occurring photosensitizer that degrades pesticides in the Lake Erie wetland. When spring runoff occurred and nitrates were high in the water samples, the speed of the reaction was high. When nitrate levels were low, the speed of the pesticide degradation slowed. NDOM was also found to play an important role in pesticide degradation in wetlands. When samples contained low amounts of nitrate as in the August and September samples, NDOM became the principal photosensitizer, and can account for up to 73 percent of the degradation. As the Lake Erie region continues to be a dominant resource for agriculture, resource managers will need to find a cost efficient solution to its growing nonpoint source pollution problem. Chin says using its coastal wetlands may be a way to battle the problem. "The preservation of existing and the construction of new coastal wetlands around Lake Erie may provide a means of management needed for our nonpoint source problem. Understanding the photochemical mechanisms that control the changes of ASOCs is key to determining their effectiveness as natural "photochemical reactors" and ultimately whether wetlands can be used to remediate runoff prior to entering the Great Lakes," emphasizes Chin. Dr. Chin plans to continue his research, examining pesticide degradation by sunlight as a function of depth in the water column, along with identifying the final degradation products resulting from his indirect photolysis experiments. 5. Tidbits "Dead Zone" at Lake Erie Nature and Science Center 6. Media Reports The Duluth News-Tribune reports that the infestation of exotic zebra mussels is becoming a costly problem, financially and environmentally. The first infestation of exotic zebra mussels in a northern Minnesota inland waterway has been confirmed at Lake Ossawinnamakee in Crow Wing County. The outbreak was confirmed last week and reported Tuesday by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. During a followup inspection, DNR staff also found mussels in cracks of rocks, along contours of a minnow bucket and other tight areas of boat lifts and docks -- from the shoreline to 18 feet deep. Both Jeff Gunderson (Minnesota Sea Grant) and Carol Swinehart (Michigan Sea Grant) are quoted, as well as Orlando Sarnelle, a Michigan State University Professor. Sarnelle recently completed a research project focusing on zebra mussels and their effect on freshwater ecosystems, funded by Michigan Sea Grant. 7. Publications OH Sea Grant - TwineLine - September-OctoberResearch
PA Sea Grant - Keystone Shorelines - Summer 2003
8. Staff News Glenn Kreag, tourism and recreation extension educator, has retired after 17 years with Minnesota Sea Grant. He also worked 11 years as an extension tourism specialist for the University of Kentucky and three years as a community development agent for Colorado State University. Glenn has provided tourism education for communities and organizations throughout Northeastern Minnesota and been involved in research related several North Shore issues. He helped organize the North Shore Charter Captains and worked with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on various projects and proposals including feasibility studies of an underwater park at Split Rock State Park, economic analysis of the North Shore Snowmobile Trail and most recently residents' perceptions about cross-country skiers and snowmobilers (see article on page 1). Another recent study of how Duluth residents value open space contributed to long-range plans for city green space. Glenn was also one of the original extension faculty members of the University of Minnesota Tourism Center and was involved in creating the endowed chair for that program. He was instrumental in developing a number of programs including early versions of "At Your Service" customer service training, the Rural Tourism Development program, and the Certified Festival Management program. He facilitated the organization of two tourism trade organizations: the Minnesota Bed and Breakfast Guild and the Minnesota Festivals and Events Association. He recently assisted in the organization of the Northland Sustainable Business Alliance. Glenn has authored over 75 publications and articles about tourism and natural resources throughout his career. He was one of the primary authors for the award-winning Rural Tourism Development Program. In addition to Sea Grant activities, Glenn completed short-term overseas assignments in Ghana, (coastal tourism development) Tanzania, (tourism database creation), Slovakia, (ecotourism and farm tourism) and Russia (tourism business development and tourism association marketing). A recent study leave in Chile, New Zealand, and Australia provided him with insights on how sustainable tourism and sustainable natural resource policies are successfully implemented in different countries at various governmental levels. MN Sea Grant - New Web/Graphic Designer OH Sea Grant - Weavers Receives AAUW Recognition Award PA Sea Grant - Growing Greener MN Sea Grant - Hagley promoted MN Sea Grant - Water on the Web |
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September 2003Contents: 1. Great Lakes Fisheries Leadership Institute Sea Grant programs across the Great Lakes Basin are pooling efforts to train the next generation of fisheries leaders. The Great Lakes Fisheries Leadership Institute is funded by 2 grants from the National Sea Grant program (for curriculum development and conducting the pilot institute sessions) at a total of $315,000 (not including matching funds). The goal of the Great Lakes Fisheries Leadership Institute is to provide the next generation of fisheries leaders for the Great Lakes region with the skills that they will need to effectively interact with fisheries management agencies and provide real leadership to the region as well as to their organizations. The Institute takes a broad view of fisheries leadership. Participants
from a broad variety of stakeholder groups are included: commercial,
charter and recreational anglers; fishing and other recreational
associations; scuba enthusists; educators; outdoor writers; tourism
bureaus and a variety of NGOs. The Institute is offering training
sessions at both the state and lake levels - state level sessions
focus on issues of interest by to the state -- including issues
like public access, how to work with the state legislature and fishing
regulations -- while the lake sessions focus on issues of interest
at that level -- aquatic biology, aquatic nuisance species and interacting
with lake committees. IL-IN kicked off the Institute with a July
session at Indiana Dunes, OH and Pennsylvania have also recently
hosted state sessions. The first Lake Huron session took place September
26 and 27; Lake Michigan and Lake Erie sessions are scheduled October
3-5. Additional sessions are scheduled throughout the fall and into
January. For more information see: 2. International Coastal Cleanup The coastal cleanup goes from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. If you would like more information about the Washington Park coastal cleanup, contact Sea Grant's site captain, Leslie Dorworth at (219)989-2726 or dorworth@calumet.purdue.edu. For information about other Indiana cleanup sites, contact the Grand Calumet Task Force at (219)473-4246. To find out about coastal cleanup plans in Illinois, contact Christina Forst at the Lake Michigan Federation at (312) 939-0838 x 321 or cforst@lakemichigan.org. PA Sea Grant MN Sea Grant 3. IL-IN Sea Grant - Governor's Conference to Consider Illinois River Issues Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is one of many federal, state, regional and local agencies and groups working together to co-sponsor the ninth biennial Governor's Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System, to be held October 7-9, 2003 at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Peoria. The conference is designed to bring together concerned citizens, agricultural, conservation and environmental organizations, industry and government representatives, educators and resource management professionals to focus on the future of the river. The conference theme is "The Illinois River: Sharing the Vision" and it will include presentations on environment and ecology, economic development, recreation and tourism, water quality and sedimentation, as well as exhibits from many organizations and agencies, including a Sea Grant exhibit on Great Lakes research. This exhibit provides the latest research on the invasive species barrier and Asian carp, as well as information on other non-native and native aquatic species in the region. An all-day conservation tour on October 7 will include a guided motorcoach tour of rural and urban sites in Peoria and Tazewell counties. The tour will focus on restoration of native habitats, forest management, municipal wastewater treatment, brownfield redevelopment, backwater lake restoration and lock and dam operations. Other conference highlights include keynote speaker Lt. General Robert B. Flowers, Commander and Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers speaking about "The Future of the Nation's Waterways," and Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, who chairs the Illinois River Coordinating Council, moderating a free evening session that will be open for public discussion. Registration for the conference costs $120, which includes six meals and a copy of the proceedings. Daily rates are $80 for Wednesday and $70 for Thursday. The conservation tour is an additional $15, which includes lunch. Registrations submitted after September 19 will incur a $20 late fee. For more information or a registration form, contact the Heartland water Resources Council at 416 Main St., #828, Peoria, IL 61602-1116; phone 309-637-5253; or email hwrc@mtco.com. 4. IL-IN Sea Grant - ID Invasive Asian Carp With the New Watch
Card Bighead and silver carp pose an urgent threat to the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, but would you know these Asian carp if you saw one? Armed with a Bighead and Silver Carp Watch Card, you might be able to identify these invasive species, and if you catch one, know what to do about it. Small in size but chock full of information, the ID card provides general characteristics of bighead and silver carp, including both photographs and drawings. In addition, you can read the history and potential impact of Asian carp in U.S. waters, plus critical information about how to prevent the spread of these and other invasive species. Bighead and silver carp have been moving up the Illinois River towards the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal where an electric barrier stands between them and Lake Michigan. These invasive fishes may also move from the Illinois River to the Fox or Kankakee Rivers. To test the effectiveness of the barrier, researchers have been tagging and monitoring common carp in the area to see whether the fish pass through the electric field. "In terms of keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, a single barrier, unfortunately, is not likely to be foolproof," said Charlebois. "Plans for a second barrier are underway and long-term solutions are being discussed." If you think you've caught an Asian carp, it's important to report this to the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program in Zion, IL (847-872-8677), the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Topeka, IL (309-968-7531) or the Indiana DNR, Division of Fish and Wildlife in Indianapolis, IN (317-232-4093). Note the exact location and if possible, freeze the specimen in a sealed plastic bag. If you catch a common carp that has been tagged, please notify John Dettmers at 847-872-8679. His address is Lake Michigan Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey, 400 17th Street, Zion, Illinois 60099. It's important to include the time, day and location where any tagged common carp were caught. The Asian Carp Watch Card has been developed by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. To order a free watch card, contact Susan White at 217-333-9441. To order a pack of 100, which costs $7.00, call Cyndi Moore at the University of Illinois Publications at 1-800-345-6087 or email cjmoore@uiuc.edu. You can also find the Asian carp watch card on the Sea Grant Web site at www.iisgcp.org/pubs/br/index.html (link now dated). 5. PA Sea Grant - Fish Tumor Conference PA Sea Grant is currently developing a white paper describing the conference recommendations for evaluating the Fish Tumor or Other Deformities beneficial use impairment, which will be presented to the International Joint Commission at its September 18, 2003 meeting in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 6. Publications MI Sea Grant - The Life of The Lakes WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio:
WI Sea Grant - Reprints email Linda@seagrant.wisc.edu to order
7. Staff News PA Sea Grant - Dave Skellie, Coastal Land Use and Economic Specialist Dave began his tenure with Pennsylvania Sea Grant on September 2, 2003. He was previously employed by the County of Erie, PA as Director of the Department of Planning, overseeing an office of 13 employees with a budget of over $5 million dollars. Through his 28 years of work, the county became a leader on issues pertaining to sustainable development activities, including such fields as comprehensive planning and land-use regulation preparation transportation planning, farmland preservation, revitalization/rehabilitation of infrastructure and housing in low-to-moderate income areas, GIS mapping, solid waste planning, and the promotion of recycling activities. For Sea Grant, David provides a leadership role for Lake Erie watershed land-use programming and outreach activities, including habitat restoration, wetlands protection and management, liaison with watershed organizations, Seaway Trail implementation, sustainable coastal development, nonpoint source pollution education, and land preservation. He also serves as liaison to the Pennsylvania Coastal Management Program, procures and manages related grants, and provides outreach regarding Sea Grant to local, state and federal legislators. David serves on a number of boards and committees: · Presque Isle Bay Public Advisory Committee PA Sea Grant - Sean Rafferty, Coastal Outreach Specialist Sean received his B.S. in Biology from Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College in December 2002. Sean served as a student assistant with Pennsylvania Sea Grant for 12 months, during which time he developed an Identification Guide to the Invertebrates of Presque Isle Bay, assisted with various environmental educational programs, and gained experience in the various techniques of environmental monitoring. Following graduation, Sean served as a part-time employee with Sea Grant, assisting in the Presque Isle Bay fish tumor monitoring program and in the development of the Fish Tumors Related to Great Lakes Areas of Concern Conference proceedings. As of July 2003, Sean serves as Coastal Outreach Specialist for Pennsylvania Sea Grant. His duties include: · conducting and facilitating ecological studies related
to the coastal areas and tributaries of Lake Erie, including the
use of specialized equipment and oversight of technicians and student
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August 2003Contents 1. PA Sea Grant - Second Fish Tumor Conference Related to Great
Lakes Areas of Concern On August 18-19, 2003 Pennsylvania Sea Grant hosted a second conference related to fish tumors and deformities in Great Lakes Areas of Concern(AOC). This is a follow up to the January 2003 fish tumor conference held in Erie, PA. Both were co-sponsored by USEPA GLNPO & Pennsylvania Sea Grant. The purpose of the second conference is to refine and coordinate the standardization of protocols developed by the fish tumor taskforce subcommittees that were formed at the first conference. Proceedings from the first conference can be down loaded from Pennsylvania
Sea Grant's Web site A presentation of criteria recommendations will be made to the International Joint Commission by Dr. Paul Baumann (USGS Ohio State) in Ann Arbor, Michigan on September 18th. 2. MN Sea Grant - 2 Exotic Species Programs Funded Minnesota Sea Grant was awarded $286,200 from the National Sea Grant College Program for two new aquatic invasive species (AIS) projects, each spanning two years. Barbara Liukkonen, water resources education coordinator, and Douglas Jensen, AIS Information Center coordinator, received a $152,860 grant from the National Sea Grant College Program for Preventing New Introductions of Invasive Aquatic Plants from Water Gardening and Shoreline Restoration. The project, in collaboration with Michigan Sea Grant and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, will involve state agency staff, nursery and landscaping industry representatives, water gardening enthusiasts, and shoreline property owners in developing an educational model to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants. Jensen and Marie Zhuikov, communications coordinator, received $133,349 for A National Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Outreach Campaign for the Aquarium Industry and Hobbyist Consumers. The project is a collaborative effort involving the Pet Industry Joint Council, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network to prevent the accidental spread of AIS by aquarium hobbyists. 3. MN Sea Grant - Health Risks Found at MN Superfund Site A report recently completed by the University of Minnesota confirms concerns by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe that a federal Superfund site located along Pike Bay in Cass Lake, Minn., is not being properly remediated. Studies completed in the process of preparing the report found that both human and environmental health risks exist at the site, where a former wood preserving facility owned by St. Regis Corp. (now International Paper Co.) used to operate. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe suspected that the site was never properly studied and that clean-up actions by St. Regis Corp. were not effective. The three-part report encompasses panel reports on groundwater conditions on the site, environmental health risks, and human health risks. Testing on the site found harmful levels of dioxins, furans, and other compounds left behind from treating wood. These chemicals are known cancer-causers. The groundwater panel recommended further investigations assessing groundwater contaminant flow patterns in order to protect nearby ground and surface waters. The human health risk panel urged that steps be taken to minimize exposure of children to the site. The high levels of dioxins and furans warrant closure of the area. Because tribal members have unique cultural practices and lifestyles, the panel recommended that a customized human health risk assessment be performed. The ecological risk panel concluded monitoring at the site was inadequate to determine ecological impacts and that more monitoring is needed. The project was a collaboration between the University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program, the Natural Resources Research Institute, and the Leech Lake Tribal Council. It was funded by a grant in 1998 from the U.S. EPA's Environmental Justice Program. The report is available on Minnesota Sea Grant's Web site at: www.seagrant.umn.edu/water/leech.html (link now dated). 4. MI Sea Grant - Study Shows Serious Coastal Growth Pressure
and Planning Gaps Significant improvements in land use planning along Michigans shorelines have occurred over the past several years, but serious gaps remain, according to a Michigan Sea Grant study. Suburban sprawl and most other issues identified in the Michigan Land Use Leadership Councils final report, released August 18, are even worse for coastal communities. "What happens on the land is a major factor in determining whether individual components of this complex system [the Great Lakes] will remain healthy," the councils report states. The Sea Grant report, Status of Planning and Zoning in Michigans Great Lakes Shoreline Communities, revealed the following problems:
A 2002 Sea Grant survey of all 338 political divisions identified several reasons for the problems:
"If these trends continue, unplanned development will cause long-term cumulative problems for coastal ecosystems and regional economies," says Mike Klepinger, Extension specialist for sustainable coastal community development and author of the Sea Grant report. "In the long run, coastal development will not be sustainable unless land use planning is improved in and between Michigans coastal communities. The study noted progress in the following areas:
The Sea Grant report, including analyses for five coastal regions, is available online at www.michiganlanduse.org/resources/coastal_pz_status_20021.pdf (link now dated). To obtain a printed copy, request MICHU #03-600 from Michigan Sea Grant Publications at (734) 764-1118 or msgpubs@umich.edu. 5. NY Sea Grant - Lake Guardian course Late last month, middle and high school teachers, graduate students, and nature center educators enjoyed a rare learning opportunity on Lakes Ontario and Erie while aboard the 180-foot-long federal research vessel Lake Guardian. The week-long educational tour, valued at $70,000, garnered write-ups in the Watertown Daily Times, Palladium Times, and Syracuse Post Standard, as well as news segments by local television and NPR radio stations. "The Lake Guardian course was a rewarding experience for me, both professionally and personally," says NYSG's Coastal Education Specialist Helen Domske, who led the training program along with Niagara U fa | ||
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