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December 18, 2003
Contents:
1. MI Sea Grant - City announces $850,000 in Belle Isle nature projects
2. Ohio Sea Grant - An Alga a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Research
Uses Engineered Alagae as Means to Vaccinate Fish
3. NY Sea Grant - Spreading Exotics Through Ballast Water
4. OH Sea Grant - Research Finds Reopening Coastal Wetlands to Lake
Erie Largely Increases Fish Diversity
5. Web News - WI Sea Grant - Wreck Site Rebuilt
6. Publications
NY Sea Grant - National ANS Clearinghouse Digest - Aquatic Invaders
Volume 14 #3, July-September 2003
NY Sea Grant - Aquatic Invaders Volume 14 #4, October-December 2003
WI Sea Grant - Research Reprints
7. Staff News
NY Sea Grant - MEEF Elects 2003-2004 board of directors
___________________________________________________________________________
1. MI Sea Grant - City announces $850,000 in Belle Isle nature
projects
Excerpt from Crain's Detroit 11/24/03 issue by Robert Ankeny
Nov. 20, 2003
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
Excerpt from Press Release
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
Excerpt from Press Release
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
Excerpt From Press Release
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
WI Sea Grant - Wreck Site Rebuilt
Wisconsin's Great Lakes Shipwrecks, www.wisconsinshipwrecks.org
(link broken), has been rebuilt from stem to stern. The site features
all new design, improved navigation, 3 new shipwrecks, underwater
video segments and more.
6. Publications
NY Sea Grant - National ANS Clearinghouse Digest - Aquatic
Invaders Volume 14 #3, July-September 2003
Contents:
- The Distribution of Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in
Eighteenmile Creek, Erie County, New York. Michael T. Weimer, USFWS,
Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Office
- PEIS Announcement Regarding Standards for Living Organisms
in Ship's Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. Waters. US Coast Guard,
Federal Register Notice
- EPA Rejects Petition to Regulate Ballast Water Discharge.
Diane J. Oleson, Clearinghouse Staff
- NOAA Establishes National Center for Research on Aquatic
Invasive Species
- Press release for: Snakehead - A Fish out of Water, Smithsonian
Publications
Features
- Web Watch - Spotlight on interesting invasive species sites
on the Web
- What's New - Newly acquired papers in the Clearinghouse
Collection
- Annotations of selected papers from the Clearinghouse Collection
- Announcements
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
Contents:
- Pathways of Introduction of Invasive Species, Campbell F,
Kriesch P
- Why a 100th Meridian Initiative? Pitman B
- Are You Connected to the Smithsonian's Global Invasions
Network? Lyles KC
- Invasive Marine Species Found on Georges Bank from NOAA magazine
Features
- Web Watch - Spotlight on The AWWA Research Foundation,Wisconsin
Sea Grant Fish of the Great Lakes, EPA High School Environmental
Resource Center
- What's New - Newly acquired papers in the Clearinghouse
Collection
- Annotations of selected papers from the Clearinghouse Collection
- Announcements
Pathways of Introduction of Invasive Species
Executive Order 13112, signed by President William J. Clinton on
February 3, 1999, established the National Invasive Species Council
(NISC). Council members include the Secretaries of the Interior,
Agriculture, Commerce, State, Defense, Treasury, Transportation,
Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, as well as the Administrators
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Agency
for International Development. The Council was charged with overseeing
the implementation of the Order and ensuring that Federal agency
activities concerning invasive species are coordinated, complementary,
cost-efficient, and effective, relying to the extent feasible and
appropriate on existing organizations addressing invasive species,
such as the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, the Federal Interagency
Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds, and the
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. The National Invasive
Species Council has approved a document detailing invasive species
pathways of introduction, detailed in this issue. The document,
prepared by the Invasive Species Pathways Team, was recommended
to the Council by the Invasive Species Advisory Committee. Still
under review is a recommended ranking criteria for pathways of invasion.
WI Sea Grant - Research Reprints
MacKenzie, RA and JL Kaster. 2002. A Preservative-Free Emergent
Trap for the Isotopic and Elemental Analysis of Emergent Insects
from a Wetland System. The Great Lakes Entomologist. 35(1)47-51.
WISCU-R-02-014
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.
7. Staff News
NY Sea Grant - MEEF Elects 2003-2004 board of directors
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, 2003
Contents
1. WI Sea Grant - Toxic Chemicals Killed all Young Lake Trout in
Lake Ontario for 40 Years
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
4. MN Sea Grant - Graduate Research Advances Lake Superior Science
5. New York Sea Grant - Strategies Report for Hooking More Anglers
6. IL-IN Sea Grant - ANS Web Page Links to the Latest Resources
7. Publications
MI Sea Grant - Upwellings October 2003
OH Sea Grant - Gales of November
8. Tidbits
PA Sea Grant - Lake Erie NEMO Funding
PA Sea Grant - Botulism Listserv
__________________________________________________________________________________________
1. WI Sea Grant - Toxic Chemicals Killed all Young Lake Trout
in Lake Ontario for 40 Years Press Release
A team of researchers has determined that dioxin and similar toxic
chemicals were high enough in Lake Ontario to kill virtually every
lake trout that hatched there from the late 1940s to the late 1980s.
Their findings differ from traditional explanations for the collapse
of the lake trout population in Lake Ontario that focus on overfishing
and attacks by the parasitic sea lamprey.
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
Abstracts and contact information available in the program guide.
I have a copy in my office or request a copy from MN Sea Grant (email
seagr@d.umn.edu).
- MN Sea Grant Research
o How Physical and Chemical Stresses Affect Survival of Spiny
Waterflea Eggs; Donn Branstrator and Lyle Shannon, University
of MN Duluth
o Fortified with Iron - Enhancing the Break-down of PCBs in Great
Lakes Sediment; Paige Novak, University of MN Twin Cities
o What the Nose Knows - Determining What Lures Steelhead Trout
Home; Allen Mensinger and Peter Sorensen, University of MN Duluth
o Taking Stock of Steelhead Stocking; Loren Miller, University
of MN Twin Cities and Anne Kapuscinski, MN Sea Grant
o Lake Trout Lairs and Nurseries - Discovering What Determines
Reproductive Success; Thomas Hrabik et al, University of MN Duluth
o Watching the Wake of Storms in Lake Superior and Beyond with
Remotely-Activated Water Quality Samplers; George Host and Richard
Axler, University of MN's Natural Resources Research Institute
o The Impacts of E. coli from Soil on the Lake Superior Watershed;
Michael Sadowsky and Randall Hicks, University of MN Twin Cities
o Male Minnows and Estrogen Exposure - Does it Pose a Threat to
their Reproductive Health?; Peter Sorensen and Heiko Schoenfuss,
University of MN Twin Cities
- National Sea Grant Sponsored Research
o Improving Wastewater Treatment with Membrane Aeration Technology;
Michael Semmens
o Using Fathead Minnows to Screen for Estrogens and Androgens
in Rivers; Ira Adelman et al, University of MN Twin Cities
- MN Sea Grant Outreach
o Salmonid ID Guide - with MN DNR
o Marine Biotech Briefs
o Preventing New Introductions of Invasive Aquatic Plants from
Water Gardening and Shoreline Restoration
o A National Aquatic Nuisance Species Outreach Campaign for the
Aquarium Industry and Hobbyist Consumers
o Great Lakes Fisheries Leadership Institute
o Great Lakes Fisheries Leadership Institute Curriculum Development
- Fisheries Management, Fish Genetics and Coaster Brook Trout
- MN Sea Grant - Extramurally Funded
o Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials - NOAA Coastal Services
Center
o Duluth Streams: Community Partnerships for Understanding Urban
Stormwater and Water Quality Issues at the Head of the Great Lakes
- EPA EMPACT
o Managing Urban Runoff Using Real-Time Community-Based Monitoring
- EPA EMPACT
o A Geomorphic-Trophic Hypothesis for Arctic Lake Productivity
- NSF
o Protocols for Selecting Classification Systems and Reference
Conditions: A Comparison of Methods - EPA STAR
o Training Water Science Technicians for the Future - A National
Online Curriculum Using Advanced Technologies and Real-Time Data
- NSF
o NEMO - MN Lake Superior Coastal Program
o North Central Regional Aquaculture Center Extension Project
- NCRAC
o Superior Science for You! - MN Lake Superior Coastal Program
o Western Lake Superior NEMO Community Program - Great Lakes Commission
o Development of Environmental Indicators of Condition, Integrity,
and Sustainability of the Great Lakes Basin - EPA
3. MI Sea Grant - Michigan's Charter Fishing Industry Bounces
Back :Greater Revenues, Larger Boats But Fewer Captains
Excerpt from Press Release
Michigan's charter fishing industry is generating greater revenues
than it did eight years ago, despite having fewer captains, according
to a report recently released by Michigan Sea Grant and produced
by the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. The state's 468 charter
captains received an estimated total of $10.1 million in fees in
2002, compared with an inflation-adjusted estimated $6.7 million
for 543 captains in 1994. The 274 Lake Michigan-based charter fishing
firms had the largest estimated total sales at $5.1 million, followed
by lakes Erie/St. Clair, Lake Huron and Lake Superior. Salmonids
-- lake trout, salmon and steelhead (rainbow trout) -- were the
most popular species sought in 2002, the targets of 21,399 trips.
"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 http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/fisheries/.
4. MN Sea Grant - Graduate Research Advances Lake Superior Science
Excerpt from News Release
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:
- male anglers begin fishing at an average age of 6.8 years,
while female anglers begin fishing at an average age of 9.8
- most anglers of both sexes began fishing with their fathers
- the greatest factors influencing early participation: the angler's
success rate for catching fish, opportunities to fish, and the
skills of the person teaching the angler how to fish.
- among the reasons kids stop fishing: they get bored, or dislike
handling live or cut bait
- schools, not-for-profits, businesses, corporations, government
agencies and sportfishing promotion groups all have a role to
play in attracting and keeping anglers fishing on New York's waters.
Sportfishing: A study of gender and life stage along New York's
eastern Lake Ontario coast and the Strategies report are online
at
www.nysgtourism.org
(go to Newsletters & Publications, then go to Sportfishing).
To request a free printed copy, contact New York Sea Grant, SUNY
Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, 315-312-3042, SGOswego@cornell.edu.
6. IL-IN Sea Grant - ANS Web Page Links to the Latest Resources
Excerpt from Press Release
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 www.iisgcp.org/il-ans.
If you would like to report an ANS sighting by phone, call 847-872-8677.
7. Publications
MI Sea Grant - Upwellings October 2003 - Online at:
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pubs/up/
- Editorial: A Common Purpose
- Consensus Critical in Developing Great Lakes Restoration Plan
- Marketing Great Lakes Whitefish
- The Next Generation: Upcoming fisheries leaders learn about
Lake Huron
- The Life of the Lakes: Changes in Great Lakes fisheries reflect
history of the region
- Michigan Clean Marinas Program Begins
OH Sea Grant - Gales of November
The Gales of November are back, and Ohio Sea Grant's education materials
are ready! Students in Earth science courses can get involved in
scientific detective work using the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
in 1975 as subject matter. While they learn about ship design, storm
tracking, and bathymetric contours, they apply those sciences to
investigate hypotheses about why the Fitzgerald sank. First students
look at patterns of historic wrecks and disappearances of planes
and ships on the lakes, and identify issues of traffic density and
converging shipping lanes that might be related to those wrecks.
Then the class divides into groups to investigate whether the design
of the Fitzgerald, or the changing path of the November storm, or
perhaps uncharted or shallow reefs could help explain the sinking.
Data from the original Coast Guard investigation, navigation charts,
and shipping records, as well as current safety updates, are used
to fit together the complex story. Like real science, the activities
end with more questions than answers, a valuable lesson in itself
and an invitation to continued study of the systems involved. Finally,
a culminating activity has students listen to Gordon Lightfoot's
song about the wreck and then write either a last diary entry or
last letter home as if they were a sailor on board the vessel. The
special set of activities, originally called "The Great Lakes
Triangle" from the book of that name, is part of Great Lakes
Shipping [EP-084], a book of middle school activities that combines
science, geography, mathematics skills, and economics in studies
of water traffic on the lakes. The book is available from Ohio Sea
Grant Publications for $6. Teachers can access the booklet as pdf
or print an order form from the web [http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu]
following the links to Education publications. Also through the
Sea Grant Library - pdf at: http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/ohsu/ohsue97001.pdf
8. Tidbits
PA Sea Grant - Lake Erie NEMO
Funding Pennsylvania Sea Grant has received 3 years of funding from
the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Growing
Greener Grants program to develop a NEMO program for the Lake Erie
watershed.
PA Sea Grant - Botulism Listserv
Pennsylvania Sea Grant continues to monitor and operate a listserv
for the botulism outbreak on Lake Erie. Very few cases of fish and
bird die-offs have been reported this year. We are just now starting
to get reports of dead loons (probably migrating birds) in the Central
and Eastern Basins; however reports of dead waterfowl are considerably
lower than last year. This may be attributable to a cool wet summer
and lower water temperatures. Several reports have been received
of bird and fish kills in Western Lake Ontario, and one report of
birds dying in Eastern Lake Huron. For more information, or to be
added to the list contact: Eric Obert - <eco1@psu.edu>
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October 16, 2003
Contents
1. Meeting Announcements
-- Michigan Sea Grant to co-host Great Lakes Panel
-- OH Sea Grant - The Adaptive Research and Governance in Climate
Change
2. WI Sea Grant - Announcing the New Aquatic Sciences Center
3. Research Programs
-- WI Sea Grant - New WRI Projects
-- UW Sea Grant - Directory of Projects 2002-2004 Available
-- MI Sea Grant - 2003-2005 Project Summaries OnLine
4. Research Abstracts
-- OH Sea Grant - Study Shows Economic Costs of Beach Warnings;
Lake Erie Visitors Willing to Pay for Improvement
-- OH Sea Grant - Study Finds Nitrates and Sunlight Keys To Pesticide
Degradation In Lake Erie's Coastal Wetlands
5. Tidbits
-- MI Sea Grant & GLERL - Musseling In On Kansas
-- "Dead Zone" at Lake Erie Nature and Science Center
6. Media Reports
-- MN Sea Grant and MI Sea Grant - Exotic clams claim a new toehold
7. Publications
-- MN Sea Grant - Historic Lake Superior and MN's North Shore 2004
Calendar
-- OH Sea Grant - TwineLine - September-OctoberResearch
-- PA Sea Grant - Keystone Shorelines - Summer 2003
8. Staff News
-- MN Sea Grant - Glenn Kreag Retires
-- 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
__________________________________________________________________________
1. Meeting Announcements
Michigan Sea Grant to co-host Great Lakes Panel
Friday, October 17, University of Michigan (UM), School of Natural
Resources and Environment (Part of the School's 100th Anniversary
Celebration)
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
Conference will be held on October 30 - 31, 2003 in Columbus, Ohio.
Organized by the Adaptive Research and Governance in Climate Change
(ARGCC) group and the Environmental Policy Initiative at the Ohio
State University, the conference will assess the possibilities for
applying the concepts of adaptive management and adaptive capacity
to the problem of research and policy in global climate change and
to do so at multiple scales. Several keynote speakers will headline
each of the conference themes. Information about the conference
can be found at http://aede.osu.edu/programs/epi/conference03.htm
or by contacting Paul Robbins at 614.292.6001 or robbins.30@osu.edu.
2. WI Sea Grant - Announcing the New Aquatic Sciences Center
The Aquatic Sciences Center represents an administrative union of
the UW Sea Grant Institute and the UW Water Resources Institute,
two longstanding federal-state university partnerships. UW Sea Grant
is funded through the NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program
and the UW Water Resources Institute is funded through the Water
Resources Institute Program of the USGS. No other state's Sea Grant
and Water Resources programs are similarly united.
3. Research Programs
WI Sea Grant - New WRI Projects
Projects funded through WI's Sea Grant's sister program in the UW
Aquatic Sciences Center beginning July 2003. Additional information
available on request.
- Design and Evaluation of Rain Gardens for Enhancement of Groundwater
Recharge. K. Potter, UW Madison.
- Evaluation of Contamination of Groundwater around Landfills.
T. Edil & C. Benson, UW Madison and J. Connelly, WI DNR
- Fate of Representative Fluoroquinolone, Macrolide, Sulfonamide
and Tetracycline Antibiotics in Subsurface Environments. KG Karthikeyan
& J Pedersen, UW Madison.
- Coupled Modeling of Gravity and Aeromagnetic Data for Analysis
of the Waukesha Fault, Southeastern Wisconsin. J. Skalbeck, UW-Parkside.
- What Happens as the Confined Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer in
Sourtheastern Wisconsin Begins to be Dewatered? T. Eaton, WI Geological
and Natural History Survey.
- An Assessment of Aquifer Storage Recovery for Selected Generic
Hydrogeologic Settings in Wisconsin. M. Anderson, UW Madison.
- Combination of Surfactant Solubilization with Permangenate Oxidation
for Groundwater Remediation. Zhaohui Li, UW-Parkside.
- A Combined Hydrogeologic/Geochemical Investigation of Groundwater
Conditions in the Waukesha County Area, WI.
UW Sea Grant - Directory of Projects 2002-2004 Available
Project titles below. Directory of Abstracts available.
- Implementation of Comprehensive, Dynamic GIS for Coastal Management:
Linking Agencies for Better Decisions and Public Information about
the Coastal Zone. S. Ventura.
- Use of Fish Oil for Enzyme-Mediated Production of Value-Added
Food Products Containing Omega-3 Fatty Acids. C. Hill.
- Enhanced Experimental Methods for Measuring Inorganic Contaminants
in Water Using a Micromachined DC Plasma Instrument. MA Anderson,
YB Gianchandani, and M. Zorn.
- Stress and Salmonid Fish: Role of Cortisol Metabolizing Enzymes.
T. Barry and J. Malison.
- Production of Stress-Resistant, Domesticated Yellow Perch for
Commercial Aquaculture. J. Malison.
- Production of a Best Management Practices Manual for Aquaculture
in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region. J. Malison.
- WATERS 2002 - Wisconsins Aquaculture Technology, Education and
Research Services. F. Binkowski.
- Developmental Toxicity of Dioxin in Zebrafish. R. Peterson and
W. Heideman.
- Determining the Roles of Multiple Forms of AhR and ARNT in Dioxin
Toxicity in Rainbow Trout. W. Heideman and R Peterson.
- Dioxin Developmental Toxicity in Zebrafish. R. Peterson and
W. Heideman.
- AhR Signaling in Rainbow Trout and Zebrafish. W. Heideman and
RE Peterson.
- Lake Trout Reproduction at the Mid-Lake Reef Complex, Lake Michigan.
J. Janssen.
- MHC Diversity in Lake Trout at the Mid-Lake Reef Complex and
Northern Refuge, Lake Michigan. R. Phillips and T Ehlinger.
- Methylmercury Production and Transfer to Benthic Food Webs in
Nearshore and Wetland Environments of Southern Lake Superior.
J. Wiener, K Rolfus and R Haro.
- Dynamics of the Lake Superior Food Web. J. Kitchell.
- Development of a Lake Trout Population Model for Lake Superior.
M. Hansen.
- Sustainability, Uncertainty and the Management of the Lake Superior
Fisheries. R. Bishop.
- Recreational Boating and Retirement on the Bayfield Peninsula
of Lake Superior. T Heberlein.
- Aquatic Nuisance Species Attack Pack. P. Moy.
- Using Mass Media to Inform Anglers about Invasive Species. P
Moy and S Wittman.
- Transferring Sea Grant Aquatic Nuisance Species Research and
Outreach Results to the Nation USing a World Wide Web Server:
A Continuing Project 2001-2003. P. Moy.
- Global Reconstruction of Invasion Pathways by the Zebra Mussel,
Dreissena polymorpha. C. Lee.
- Improving Safety and Efficiency in Scuba Diving. RT Dueland.
- Material Transformations through a Series of Linked Basins in
a Great Lakes Land Margin Ecosystem. J Val Klump & J Waples.
- Speciation and Bioavailability of Metals in the Great Lakes
Ecosystem. D. Armstrong.
- Reproductive Toxicity of Methylmercury in Fish: Establishig
the Relationship between Biomarkers and Reproductive Success.
M. Sandheinrich and R Rada.
- Atmospheric Deposition of Water Soluble Compounds into Lake
Michigan. J. Schauer.
- Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers -- A Global Contaminant of Concern
in the Great Lakes. W. Sonzogni.
- Direct Effect of Metals on Behavior, Sexual Development, and
Reproduction of Amphibians in Great Lakes Ecosystems.
- Factors REgulating the Interactions of Trace Metals and Aquatic
Organisms in Watersheds of the Great Lakes. D. Armstrong and M
Shafer.
- The Importance of Trophic Level and Carbon Source as Factors
Affecting the Accumulation of PCBs in the Lake Michigan Food Web.
H. Bootsma and J. Aldstadt.
- Using Survey Data in Hedonic Price Analysis: An Application
to the Economic Valuation of Cleaner Water in Green Bay, Lake
Michigan. W Provencher and R Bishop.
- Endocrine and Environmental Regulation of Growth in Yellow Perch.
J Malison and T Barry.
- Diving into History: Research and Public Eduction on Wisconsin's
Underwater Archaeological Resources. R. Birmingham and J Karl.
- Madison JASON Project. ML Reeb.
- ATR-Based Photocatalytic Drinking Water Systems. M Anderson.
MI Sea Grant - 2003-2005 Project Summaries OnLine
- http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/research/current.html
- Strong Attachments: Identification of Adhesion Molecules in
the Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) - Mohamed Faisal, Michigan
State University
- Brave New World: Impacts of Exotic Species and Trophic Change
on Fish Community Structure, Population Dynamics and Food Web
Linkages in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron - Sara Adlerstein & Edward
Rutherford, University of Michigan
- Food for Thought: The Impact of the Diporeia Decline on the
Competitive Interactions and Distributions of Slimy and Deepwater
Sculpins in Lake Michigan - David Jude
- A Genetic Trail: Spatial Genetic Structuring of Forage Fish
in the Upper Great Lakes: Evidence for a Subdivided Forage Base
and Implications for Structuring in Predatory Fish Species - Kim
Scribner, Michigan State University & Wendy Stott, U.S. Geological
Survey, Great Lakes Science Center
- Heavy Metals and Coastal Wetlands: An Evaluation of Seasonal
and Temporal Variability in Potential Trace Metal Remobilization
in Coastal Wetlands Sediments Using Voltammetric Microelectrode
Technology and Solid-Phase Extraction Techniques - Brent Lewis,
Kettering University
4. Research Abstracts
OH Sea Grant - Study Shows Economic Costs of Beach Warnings;
Lake Erie Visitors Willing to Pay for Improvement
With the number of beach advisories due to high levels of the bacteria
E.coli increasing more than 50% since 1998 on Lake Erie, researchers
have calculated the cost to local economies at $300,000 per season.
Brent Sohngen and colleagues at Ohio State University looked at
both single-day visitors and multiple-day (overnight) travelers.
"Our research found that each time an advisory is posted at
a Lake Erie beach, local communities potentially lose $18,750 in
single-day visitor spending within 10 miles of a beach," states
Sohngen. Each Lake Erie beach now averages about four beach advisories
per season, totaling $300,000 in losses at each beach. There were
more than 240 beach advisory days during Lake Erie's 2003 season,
resulting in $4,500,000 in lost local revenues.
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
Sunlight-induced reactions with the help of photosensitizers could
break down pesticides in Lake Erie's coastal wetlands by 70
percent, according to new Ohio Sea Grant research. Ohio State University's
Yu-Ping Chin has been investigating how sunlight on Lake Erie's
wetlands degrades pesticides. Because modern agriculture practices
have relied heavily on fertilizers and agricultural synthetic organic
compounds (ASOCS) for pest control, these chemical enter the tributaries
as runoff from crop applications, persist in waterways, and resist
degradation. Lake Erie's tributaries are more likely to carry
larger pesticides loads than tributaries entering other Great Lakes.
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
MI Sea Grant & GLERL - Musseling In On Kansas
A Wichita, Kan. TV crew visited the Great Lakes Environmental Research
Laboratory in Ann Arbor (9-29) to talk to research Hank Vander Ploeg
and Michigan Sea Grant Extension Agent Mark Breederland about the
zebra mussel invasion in Kansas and expected ecological impacts.
"Dead Zone" at Lake Erie Nature and Science Center
Ohio Sea Grant's newest display at the Lake Erie Nature and Science
Center (LENSC) in Bay Village, Ohio, features the Lake Erie Dead
Zone. The display highlights information about Lake Erie and how
its unique features encourage the dead zone phenomenon to occur.
Also included is historic information that shows the distribution
of the dead zone in Lake Erie from 1930 - 1982 (selected years).
The causes and conditions that contribute to this occurrence, and
what happens to the fish during this period are also included. LENSC
is located in Cleveland Metroparks' Huntington Reservation. Interested
in collaborating with Ohio Sea Grant to create education displays?
contact Jeff Reutter at 614.292.8949.
6. Media Reports
MN Sea Grant and MI Sea Grant - Exotic clams claim a new toehold
Duluth News-Tribune, October 15, 2003
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/7015191.htm
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
MN Sea Grant - Historic Lake Superior and MN's North Shore
2004 Calendar
Minnesota Sea Grant has partnered again with the Lake Superior Marine
Museum Association and Christie Printing to compile a black-and-white
wall-sized calendar of North Shore memories. The 12-month calendar
printed with soy ink on recycled paper features selections from
archives of state and local historical societies. Quotes from historic
texts and facts complement the images, moon phases, and holidays.
Historic Lake Superior and Minnesota's North Shore calendars cost
$10 each, plus tax. Get a sampling of the images online at www.seagrant.umn.edu/calendar/index.html
(link now dated). Order through the Web address above or by contacting
Minnesota Sea Grant at (218) 726-6191 or email seagr@d.umn.edu.
OH Sea Grant - TwineLine - September-OctoberResearch
http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/PDFS/PUBLICATIONS/TWINELINE/2003/tl-so-03.PDF
- Research uses mussel DNA to differentiate Species and Trace
their Origin
- Ohio Local Government Leadership Academy
- Dead Zone Update: Lake Erie Again Battling Areas of Hypoxia
- A Lo$$ for Lake Erie Beaches: Research Finds Beachgoers Willing
to Pay $29 Million for No Beach Advisories
PA Sea Grant - Keystone Shorelines - Summer 2003
http://www.pserie.psu.edu/seagrant/seagindex.htm
- Swab the Deck - And Hull! Simple Precautions Make Pennsylvania
Recreational Boaters the First Line of Defense Against Plant and
Animal Invaders
- Great Lakes Sea Grant Fisheries Leadership Institute Seeks Citizen-Activists
for Erie Training Sessions
- Get W.E.T.! New Watershed Education Effort Makes A Big Splash
- Volunteers Monitoring Exotic Species
- Environmental Rediscoveries educators
- Fish Tumor Conference Proceedings Available Online
- Round Goby Research Aggressive Behavior and Unlimited Eggs Give
Gobies an Edge in Tributary Streams
- Seafood Sense: Fisheries Technology for Food Educators
8. Staff News
MN Sea Grant - Glenn Kreag Retires
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
Nick Zlonis was hired as web/graphic designer. He is responsible
for designing Minnesota Sea Grant's Web site (www.seagrant.umn.edu),
creating special project Web sites, and designing the program's
print publications. Zlonis is a Duluth native who was president
of his own design firm in New York. He has a bachelor's degree in
fine art with a photography focus from Earlham College in Indiana,
and a master's in communication design with a focus in digital design
from Pratt Institute in New York.
OH Sea Grant - Weavers Receives AAUW Recognition Award
Sea Grant researcher, Linda K. Weavers, recently received the American
Association of University Women's Emerging Scholar Award for
2003. This coveted annual award recognizes the early professional
achievement of an untenured woman scholar who has a record of exceptional
accomplishments and who shows promise of future distinction.
Featured in the July/Aug issue of Twine Line (http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/PUBLICATIONS/TWINELINE/INDEX.HTM),
Weavers research focuses on the applications of sonochemistry (the
study of reactions in or near collapsing bubbles) and advanced oxidation
processes to the purification of drinking water, wastewater, and
hazardous wastes.
PA Sea Grant - Growing Greener
Pennsylvania Sea Grant was awarded a Growing Greener grant of $246,056
to establish a Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO)
program in the Lake Erie watershed. NEMO is a non-regulatory, research-based
educational program that has achieved national recognition for its
work in nonpoint source pollution education. The program uses cutting-edge
satellite data and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology
to show municipal officials how their present and future land-use
decisions can affect water quality. It addresses nonpoint sources
of pollution and their link to different land uses, particularly
impervious surfaces and transport of pollutants. In Pennsylvania's
Lake Erie watershed, the Walnut Creek, Mill Creek, and Four-Mile
Creek watersheds are being heavily impacted by urban growth. The
municipalities in these watersheds will be targeted for initial
education efforts. Other Pennsylvania watersheds would be targeted
at a later date
MN Sea Grant - Hagley promoted
Cynthia Hagley, environmental quality educator, has been promoted
to professor of extension.
MN Sea Grant - Water on the Web
Zandy Zwiebel has been hired as a graduate research assistant to
aid educational staff in developing new curriculum for the Water
on the Web (WOW) site (wow.nrri.umn.edu) and in facilitating WOW
regional teacher workshops.
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September 2003
Contents:
1. Great Lakes Fisheries Leadership Institute
2. International Coastal Cleanup
3. IL-IN Sea Grant - Governor's Conference to Consider Illinois
River Issues
4. IL-IN Sea Grant - ID Invasive Asian Carp With the New Watch Card
5. PA Sea Grant - Fish Tumor Conference
6. Publications
MI Sea Grant - The Life of the Lakes
WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio
WI Sea Grant - Reprints
7. Staff News
WI Sea Grant - American Fisheries Society Honors Kitchell
PA Sea Grant - Dave Skellie, Coastal Land Use and Economic Specialist
PA Sea Grant - Sean Rafferty, Coastal Outreach Specialist
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:
http://www.greatlakesseagrant.org/leadership.html
2. International Coastal Cleanup
IL-IN Sea Grant
Excerpt from Press Release
On the morning of Saturday, September 20, you have the opportunity
be part of a worldwide coastal cleanup at a beach near you. The
International Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by The Ocean Conservancy
for the past 17 years, is held around every major water body in
the world and is the largest single-day volunteer event on behalf
of the marine environment. Last year, nearly 400,000 people in 100
countries gathered a total of 8.2 million pounds of trash.
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
Pennsylvania Sea Grant is one of many sponsors participating in
the 18th annual International Coastal Cleanup to be held September
20th - the oldest and largest volunteer shoreline cleanup of its
kind. Volunteers will be collecting tons of trash, but more importantly,
we will record what is found...how many cigarette butts, plastic
bottles, shopping bags, aluminum cans, etc. Cleanup partners will
use the information to find out what work we need to do together
to stop the littering of our shoreline and streams.
MN Sea Grant
MN Sea Grant is co-sponsoring a cleanup with the Great Lakes Aquarium
in Duluth.
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
Excerpt from Press Release
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 co-sponsored the 2nd "Fish Tumors Related to Great
Lakes Areas of Concern" Conference on August 18-19 at Penn
State Erie, in Erie, Pennsylvania. This was a follow up to the January
21-22 conference. The purpose of these conferences was to develop
standardized criteria for monitoring and sampling the Fish Tumors
or Other Deformities beneficial use impairment in Great Lakes Areas
of Concern.
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
Life of the Lakes: A Guide to the Great Lakes Fishery. Shari Dann
and Brandon Schroeder. Michigan Sea Grant. 56 pages. Book and Poster
- Booklet features beautiful color illustrations, diagrams and photographs.
Content focuses on economic, environmental and historical issues
related to Great Lakes fisheries. Great for anglers, K-12 educators,
natural resource managers, and anyone interested in Great Lakes
issues.
Order at: http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pubs/lol.html
GLERL staff: I have a copy in my office if you would like to see
it!
WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio: http://ewradio.org
- Medical Mystery -- Researchers still don't know why some victims
of Lyme disease develop chronic conditions, or how to treat them.
(8/25/03)
- Voyages of Delusion -- People fought against stormy seas, icy
conditions, and common sense in the search for a Northwest Passage,
according to a new book. (8/26/03)
- Crayfish Clone -- Some people in Europe adorn their aquariums
with a beautiful crayfish that could cause big problems if it
ever crawled into the wild. It would take only one, because it
appears to be able to clone itself. (8/27/2003)
- Unintended Birth Control -- Birth control pills don't just affect
human reproduction: They also reduce the fertility of male rainbow
trout, according to a study by scientists in Washington. (8/28/2003)
- Toddlers and Tough Issues -- Books for pre-school children can
touch on environmental problems. But it should be a very light
touch, according to a publisher. (8/29/03)
- Bright Lights, Big Nuisance (09/01/2003 )
- Changing the Wild Relatives (09/02/2003)
- Planning for Drought (09/03/2003)
- Farming with the Wild (09/04/2003)
- Wringing out the Sandy Sponge ( 09/05/2003)
- Water Break (09/08/2003)
- Arctic Quest (09/09/2003)
- Communication and Confusion (09/10/2003)
- Corks and Conservation (09/11/2003)
- Green and Blues (09/12/2003)
- Sharing a Vision (09/15/2003)
- Labels for Predators (09/16/2003)
- Chainsaws and Butterflies (09/17/2003)
- Natural Legacy (09/18/2003)
- Water Seepage (09/19/2003)
- Caribou at a Crossroad (09/22/2003)
- Mapping the Distance (09/23/2003)
- Biological Jumble (09/24/2003)
- Fleeting Beaches (09/25/2003)
- Land of Plenty (09/26/2003)
- Hidden Costs of Outdoor Lights (09/29/2003)
- Pushing Pollution Thresholds (09/30/2003)
- Roadside Prairies (10/01/2003)
- Big Bite out of the Big Fish (10/02/2003)
- Water Fights (10/03/2003)
WI Sea Grant - Reprints email Linda@seagrant.wisc.edu
to order
- Moy, Phil and Jill Ladwig. Protect Our Waters. WISCU-G-02-002.
Color brochure describing what you can do to stop aquatic nuisance
species.
- MacKenzie, RA and JL Kaster. A Preservative-Free Emergent Trap
for the Isotopic and Elemental Analysis of Emergent Insects from
a Wetland System. The Great Lakes Entomologist. 35(1)47-51. 2002.
WISCU-R-02-014.
7. Staff News
WI Sea Grant - American Fisheries Society Honors Kitchell
Excerpt from Littoral Drift
The American Fisheries Society recently bestowed one of its most
prestigious honors on James Kitchell, a UW Sea Grant sponsored researcher
since 1974. The Award of Excellence was presented at the AFS annual
meeting in August in Montreal, Quebec. Kitchell is director of the
Center for Limnology at UW Madison and former coordinator of UW
Sea Grant's Living Resources Research Subprogram and Lake Superior
Initiative.
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
· Lake Erie Region Conservancy
· The Route 5 Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan Committee
· Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed Association
· Millcreek Township Planning Commission
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
workers;
· conducting, facilitating, and providing educational programs,
conferences, and support to Sea Grant activities;
· maintaining and updating the Pennsylvania Sea Grant Web
site with the support of University Web design staff;
· maintaining, developing, and updating Sea Grant fact sheets
and publications for general distribution and Web site access;
· providing active extension leadership on behalf of Pennsylvania
Sea Grant focused in several key areas: marinas, charter boats,
boater safety, and waste reduction;
· providing GIS support for nonpoint source educational programs;
· attend meetings of various watershed-related organizations;
· assisting in the development and formatting of yearly progress
reports, quarterly newsletters, and biennial reports for Pennsylvania
Sea Grant.
|
|
August 2003
Contents
1. PA Sea Grant - Second Fish Tumor Conference Related to Great
Lakes Areas of Concern
2. MN Sea Grant - 2 Exotic Species Programs Funded
3. MN Sea Grant - Health Risks Found at MN Superfund Site
4. MI Sea Grant - Study Shows Serious Coastal Growth Pressure and
Planning Gaps
5. NY Sea Grant - Lake Guardian course
6. Publications
- Minnesota Sea Grant - Seiche
- OH Sea Grant - Twine Line
- IL-IN Sea Grant - The Helm Summer 03
- WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio
7. Staff News
- WI Sea Grant - Position Announcement
- MI Sea Grant - Position Announcements
- MI Sea Grant - McKinney Address
- IL-IN Sea Grant - Phil Mankin joins IL-IN as Research Coordinator
- IL--IN Sea Grant - Kate Beardsley at GLNPO
- IL-IN Sea Grant - Aquaculture Extension
- IL-IN Sea Grant - Dr. Brian Miller
- MN Sea Grant - Seiche Receives Bronze Award
- OH Sea Grant - Awards from Outdoor Writers of Ohio and APEX
____________________________________________________________________
1. PA Sea Grant - Second Fish Tumor Conference Related to Great
Lakes Areas of Concern
http://www.pserie.psu.edu/seagrant/seagindex.htm
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 http://www.pserie.psu.edu/seagrant/events.html.
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
Excerpt from Seiche
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
Excerpt from Press Release
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
Excerpt from Press Release
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:
- Great Lakes shoreline properties continue to receive a disproportionate
amount of development pressure compared with inland real estate.
- Michigan is following a low-density coastal land development
pattern, with people moving out of cities and small towns to develop
rural greenfields.
- Sprawling development is causing fragmentation of coastal habitat,
especially wetlands and dunes.
- Development threatens public access to coastal areas and the
seclusion found in large, undeveloped tracts.
A 2002 Sea Grant survey of all 338 political divisions identified
several reasons for the problems:
- Land use planning is not coordinated across coastal regions
or ecosystems, and planning remains fragmented.
- Nearly two out of three coastal communities do not have professional
planners on staff.
- Local regulations that define coastal-dependent economic uses
and protect coastal natural resources such as dunes, wetlands
and high-risk erosion areas are uncommon.
"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:
- Eighty percent of coastal jurisdictions now have a master plan
to guide development.
- Jurisdictions with master plans were four times more likely
to have one of three coastal protection laws in place than those
with no master plans.
- Those responsible for planning and zoning are increasingly using
sophisticated planning tools -- particularly geographic information
systems -- in their work.
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
Excerpt from - What did you do on your summer vacation? New York
Sea Grant offered teachers and students a rare learning opportunity
in late July aboard EPA's R/V Lake Guardian
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 faculty. The trip was made possible by a partnership between
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Niagara University,
the Niagara Environmental Leadership Institute, and New York Sea
Grant. The course was also a success thanks in part to the US Fish
and Wildlife Service's Lower GL Resources Office and the Great Lakes
Program at the University at Buffalo.
Domske, who has more than 20 years experience as an aquatic science
educator, offers teacher training every summer. Four years ago,
she had an opportunity to teach aboard the R/V Lake Guardian on
Lake Erie. On renewing her experience on Lake Ontario in July, she
says, "The chance to work on a top-notch research vessel again
and share those opportunities with students and teachers was wonderful.
To experience the size, power and beauty of Lake Ontario from aboard
this ship was overwhelming."
Learning aboard the Lake Guardian gave the teachers and students
the hands-on experiences of seining (net collecting) and scientifically
aging fish, as well as collecting plankton, lake bottom and water
samples. The group also traveled by van to the Black Pond Wildlife
Management Area along Lake Ontario's eastern shoreline for a program
on dune ecology and to the nearby Salmon River Fish Hatchery.
For more information on this event and other New York Sea Grant
activities, visit www.nyseagrant.org (link now dated).
6. Publications
Minnesota Sea Grant - Seiche - http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/seiche/jul.03/index.html
- Sea Grant Aids Superfund Site Clean-up - The Leech Lake Band
of Ojibwe wrestles with information about the toxins left on their
lands. Find out what three panels of experts suggest should happen
next.
- Community Concerns Explored Along the North Shore - Land, jobs,
age, and health - over 100 people spent a day discussing Minnesota's
coastal community. Review some of the statistics and issues presented
at the 7th annual State of the Coast conference.
- Highschoolers Write about Eurasian Species - The winners of
our recent essay contest for young adults and excerpts from their
essays about aquatic invasive species.
- Updated Lake Superior Game Available - You liked it before;
you'll love it now. Order a copy of the revised Lake Superior
Game for groups or classes that have a bucket of water and an
interest in how social choices affect lakes.
- DNR completes Lake Superior Boater Survey - About 60% of the
boating activity on Lake Superior relates to fishing. Find out
what everyone else is doing out there and more about boating on
Gitchee Gumee in a 54-page MN DNR report.
- Bow Watch: Staying Ahead of the Wave in Land Use Planning
- ...plus information on other staff activities and new products/services.
OH Sea Grant - Twine Line - May/June http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/pdfs/tl-mj-03.pdf
(link now dated)
- Lake Erie's Overlooked Fish in Sport Fishing
- Ask Your Agent - Are Lake Erie Fish Safe to Eat?
- Will Boat Sales Increase in 2003? In 2004?
OH Sea Grant - Twine Line - July/August http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/pdfs/tl-ja-03.pdf
- What Goes Down, Must Come Up: Research uses sound waves to
remove contaminants locked in Lake Erie sediment
- The Spiny Waterflea: An Unwelcome Invader of the Great Lakes
- Aquatic Nuisance Species in the News - and in the Classroom
too!
- Ask Your Agent: What is the Great Lakes Fisheries Leadership
Institute?
IL-IN Sea Grant - The Helm Summer 03 http://www.iisgcp.org/aboutus/focus/helm/summer03.pdf
- Growing Communities Plan to Protect Natural Resources
- New Fisheries Leadership School in Session
- Eurasian Ruffe May Increase Pressure on Lake Michigan Perch
- What's Wrong with this Picture? - Find 7 Ways Aquatic Nuisance
Species are spread
- ESCAPE Provides Ideal Tool for Mentoring Teachers
- Control of Purple Loosestrife Now a National 4-H Project
- Reel in the Latest Fish Consumption Advisories
- Tracking Toxic Mercury in Polluted Waters
- Knauss Fellowship Opens Career Doors
WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio
Earthwatch Radio programs for this week are now available online
at: http://ewradio.org
- Hot Real Estate -- Suburban development drives up temperatures
in nearby cities, according to a new study. (7/28/03)
- Hot Means Cold -- A warmer Arctic could lead to a colder northern
hemisphere through a complicated chain of events. (7/29/03)
- Marshland Makeover -- The author of a new book about U.S. wetlands
talks about how people appreciate them today but were scared of
them centuries ago. (7/30/03)
- Islands Worry over Rising Waters -- Global warming is expected
to cause sea levels to rise, and some island nations could be
damaged and even destroyed in the process. (7/31/03)
- Conservation Crime Lab -- The United States runs the only forensic
lab in the world that works exclusively with crime involving wildlife.
(8/1/03)
- Guiding Lights Go Out -- The stars that guided much of human
civilization are now obscured by city lights. (8/4/2003)
- Musky Pox -- A pathogen that's previously only been seen in
the ocean has shown up in one of the Great Lakes and afflicted
a popular sport fish. (8/5/2003)
- Lyme Awareness -- People should know the signs of Lyme disease,
especially in the Northeast, Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest.
(8/6/03)
- A Move Toward Whale Conservation -- The summer meeting of the
International Whaling Commission made a move toward greater protection
for the marine mammals. (8/7/03)
- Easier Life for Traveling Birds -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is helping a few big cities protect natural areas that
are essential for migratory birds. (8/8/2003)
- Best Friends, Worst Enemies -- People like dolphins, but human
activities are the animals' leading cause of death. (8/11/03)
- A Matter of Character -- A new novel revolves around strong
feelings about the environment and their impact on family relationships.
(8/12/03)
- Unchecked Algae -- A plant from the Pacific Ocean ends up off
the Atlantic Coast of Florida, and it's smothering coral reefs.
(8/13/2003)
- Heroic Beetles -- Experts in Michigan enlist a foreign beetle
to fight a foreign plant. It seems to be a safe and effective
way to fight an invasive species known as purple loosestrife.
(8/14/2003)
- Brute-Force Technologies -- Dams and other huge projects require
a broad range of social resources, but they can focus their impacts
on unfortunate groups of people. (8/15/03)
- More Milkweed for Monarchs -- An environmental group is spreading
milkweed seeds, and a message, in a campaign to protect monarch
butterflies. (8/18/2003)
- Lethal to the Largemouth -- A virus that was previously unknown
has appeared in some North American lakes, and it's killing largemouth
bass. (8/19/2003)
- Long-Time Lyme -- Museum specimens show that a modern disease
outbreak has its roots in history. (8/20/03)
- Captive Character -- An author argues that the dolphins we see
in captivity are nothing like their wild relatives. (8/21/03)
- Harassing Whalers -- An author explains why Greenpeace activists
act as human shields between whalers and their prey. (8/22/03)
7. Staff News
WI Sea Grant - Position Announcement
Lake Superior Outreach Program Manager for the University of Wisconsin
Aquatic Sciences Center including Sea Grant Institue and Water Resources
Institute. Seeking a candidate with experience in climate change
issues especially with application to coastal engineering or biotic
effects. Application Deadline September 1. Contact Jim Hurley (hurley@aqua.wisc.edu)
for more information.
MI Sea Grant - Position Announcements
District Extension Sea Grant Agent, North Region: Traverse City,
Michigan
District Extension Sea Grant Agent, North Region: Tawas City, Michigan
Both with a closing date of September 5. Full announcements at http://web2.canr.msu.edu/personnel/vacancies.cfm
MI Sea Grant - McKinney Address
Retired Michigan Sea Grant Extension Agent John McKinney can be
reached at mckinne8@msu.edu
IL-IN Sea Grant - Phil Mankin joins IL-IN as Research Coordinator
Now Sea Grant's research coordinator, Phil Mankin has a history
rich in ecology. As a researcher for many years with the University
of Illinois, Mankin has studied the interaction of human activity
and wildlife from many perspectives. In urban and agricultural settings,
on the ground, in the water, and in the air, Mankin explores ecosystem
and land use management, as well as the public's attitudes about
wildlife management. In his new role, Mankin is aiming to develop
more research partners and collaborative funding opportunities,
as well as optimize impacts from research projects.
IL--IN Sea Grant - Kate Beardsley at GLNPO
Kate Beardsley has joined the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College
Program as the Great Lakes ecosystem extension specialist. She is
based at U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office in Chicago
and will help develop programs and strategies that deliver research-based
information to coastal community decision-makers, natural resource
managers and agency professionals. She comes to Sea Grant with several
years of experience with the Coastal Resource and Ecosystem Management
Group at Battelle Memorial Institute and a Master's degree from
Duke University.
IL-IN Sea Grant - Aquaculture Extension
IISG's new aquaculture extension educator is Charlie Felkner, who
has over 30 years of experience with Purdue University Cooperative
Extension. Through IISG he received concentrated training in aquaculture.
Felkner will work with producers in Illinois and Indiana, train
Extension field staff, consult with aquaculture associations, and
update publications.
IL-IN Sea Grant - Dr. Brian Miller
Congratulations to Brian Miller, associate director on his successful
defense of his dissertation in the school of Forestry. !
MN Sea Grant - Seiche Receives Bronze Award
Marie Zhuikov, communications coordinator; Mike Cousino, former
graphic designer; Sharon Moen, editor; and Debbie Bowen, information
specialist, received a bronze award for publishing the "Seiche"
newsletter in 2002 from the Agricultural Communicators in Education
(ACE) Critique and Awards Program. The award was presented at the
ACE group's international meeting in Kansas City, MO, in June.
OH Sea Grant - Awards from Outdoor Writers of Ohio and APEX
Ohio Sea Grant District Specialist Fred Snyder earned an award at
the 2003 Outdoor Writers of Ohio Convention. Snyder was awarded
second place in the "Best Magazine How-To Article" category
for his article Walleye Anglers Keep Pace with Changing Lake Erie.
The story originally appeared in the July/August 2002 issue of Twine
Line and can be accessed at www.sg.ohio-state.edu
or a free article excerpt can be ordered from Ohio Sea Grant.
Entering the Zone, an article about Lake Erie's dead zone,
recently won an APEX Award of Excellence as part of the 15th Annual
Awards for Publication Excellence sponsored by Communications Concepts.
The article, written by Ohio Sea Grant staff members Jeffrey Reutter,
David Kelch, Jill Jentes Banicki, and Frank Lichtkoppler, was one
of 63 awards in the "Feature Writing" category. It appeared
in the September/October 2002 issue of Twine Line. Download at www.sg.ohio-state.edu.
|
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July 2003
Contents
1. WI Sea Grant - Experts to Examine Status of Perch Fisheries Worldwide
2. Michigan Clean Marina Program Created
3. NY Sea Grant - Clean Boating Program
4. WI Sea Grant - Feasibility of White Perch Fishery in Green Bay
Assessed
5. IL-IN Sea Grant - Reel in the Latest Fish Consumption Advisories
6. NY Sea Grant - Lake Level Headed for Above Average Summer in
2003; New York Sea Grant Looks at Historic Averages
7. MI Sea Grant - Beach warnings often go ignored; Many swimmers
don't understand rip currents or their deadly pull
8. Web News
- WI Sea Grant - Introducing Wisconsin's Water Library
9. Publications
- WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio
- WI Sea Grant - Littoral Drift: Special Issue on Scuba Diving
- WI Sea Grant - New Reprints
10. Staff News
- Ohio Sea Grant Communicator
- Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Communications Chair
- Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Extension Chair
- WI Sea Grant - IJC Special Recognition - Anders Andren
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
1. WI Sea Grant - Experts to Examine Status of Perch Fisheries
Worldwide
Excerpt from Press Release
Experts from almost 30 countries will gather in Madison July 20-24
to discuss the status of one of the most important fish in the Great
Lakes. Percis III, the Third International Percid Fish Symposium,
is a forum for sharing knowledge about the biology, management and
aquaculture of percid fish, which include valuable food and sport
fish such as yellow perch and walleye. The goals of the meeting
are to enhance international collaboration and foster the exchange
of ideas among researchers and to help scientists in the United
States and abroad identify priority areas for future research on
the fish. "We want to continue a dialogue among the leading
experts in the field that will catalyze management of the world's
fisheries," said conference organizer Jeffrey Malison, director
of the UW-Madison Aquaculture Program.
Percis III will feature poster sessions and seminars on the status
of Lake Michigan's yellow perch fishery, management options,
and the aquaculture potential of the popular food fish. Drastic
reductions in the yellow perch population in Lake Michigan have
demonstrated the need for more information and improved management
of the fishery. Recent research has addressed life-history dynamics,
overfishing, predator-prey dyanamics, and the impact of such environmental
stressors as global climate change on the yellow perch and the European
perch, perca fluviatilis.
The management session will largely focus on walleye and darters,
as well as the impact of exotic species, such as round goby and
ruffe, on the native fishery. Darters, a small, bony freshwater
fish, which are closely related to perch, are known as a "sentinel
species" because they indicate the overall health of an ecosystem.
"When a system is perturbed or threatened, darters often disappear,"
Malison said. The conference will feature a symposium on the ecology
and evolutionary biology of darters, which will include topics such
as biogeography, hybridization, life-history and conservation biology
of these vividly colored fish.
As the populations of important food fisheries dwindle, many countries
are investing more resources in aquaculture. One special session
at the convention will be dedicated to recent breakthroughs in percid
aquaculture and will highlight such topics as feeds and feeding
strategies, pond fertilization techniques, optimal culture conditions,
stress and growth, disease prevention, and commercialization success
stories. "Yellow perch aquaculture has a lot of potential,"
Malison said, "and the synthesis of this international group
is important to solving the key problems that are constraining the
growth of this industry."
The meeting is sponsored by the UW Sea Grant College Program, Great
Lakes Fishery Commission, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, North Central
Regional Aquaculture Center, University of Minnesota Sea Grant College
Program, Ohio Sea Grant College Program, Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources, Cornell University Biological Field Station,
Michigan State University's College of Agriculture and Natural
Resources and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and the UW-Madison
Aquaculture Program. For a complete schedule, visit www.seagrant.wisc.edu/outreach/aquaculture/aqua_percis.asp
(link now dated).
2. Michigan Clean Marina Program Created
Excerpt from DEQ Press Release
The Michigan Clean Marinas program has officially begun with the
signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Michigan Boating
Industries Association (MBIA), Michigan Sea Grant College, and the
DEQ. In support of the program, the DEQ's Environmental Science
and Services Division received a grant from the Michigan Coastal
Management Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
to develop a guidebook on marinas' best management practices
and buffer zone development. This voluntary program was initiated
to preserve and protect Michigan's Great Lakes and its connecting
waterways. The program is designed to protect the environment and
save the state and marinas money. "It is prudent for the state
to look for opportunities to create cost effective solutions to
help area businesses and to protect our environment," said
Chuck Pistis, Michigan Sea Grant Agent.
3. NY Sea Grant - Clean Boating Program
Excerpt from Press Release
New York Sea Grant has partnered with four business owners, a marine
products manufacturer, the Boating Industries Association of Central
New York and the Western New York Marine Trade Association to distribute
free goods and information to boaters on Lake Ontario, Oneida and
Skaneateles Lakes, and the Niagara River. The objective is to promote
clean boating. We have made more than 2,700 clean and safe boating
bags filled with environmentally-sound boating products and clean
and safe boating information available to four marinas on four different
waters as part of a pilot project, says David White, New York Sea
Grant¹s Great Lakes Program Coordinator and National Chair
of the Marine Environmental Education Foundation (MEEF). The clean
boating bags include an oil absorbent bilge sock and a fuel nozzle
bib manufactured by Anchor Environmental of Ohio, a New York State
Boating Guide, a list of pumpout stations and other boating information.
Giving boaters a free product to keep their bilges clean helps make
them aware of an easy way they can keep the waters clean. The free
information packaged with the sock makes boaters more aware of safety
requirements and other clean boating practices. Distributing the
bags is a positive way for us to help our boaters have a more pleasurable
and safe day on the water, says John Jablonski, co-owner of Skaneateles
Sailboat Shop. We specifically selected marinas with different types
of boats on four different waters to test boaters¹ response,
says White. We will assess the project's effectiveness in the fall.
Based on early reaction, we anticipate a positive response that
will suggest we expand the project for 2004.
For more information on New York Sea Grant¹s clean and safe
boating project, contact Dave White, Great Lakes Program Coordinator,
New York Sea Grant, SUNY-Oswego, 62B Mackin Hall, Oswego, NY 13126,
315-312-3042, SGOswego@cornell.edu; www.nysgextension.org (link
now dated).
4. WI Sea Grant - Feasibility of White Perch Fishery in Green
Bay Assessed
Excerpt from Draft Press Release
Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
are working with several commercial fishing operations in Green
Bay this summer to assess the feasibility of a commercial white
perch fishery - a possibility previously precluded by the fish's
PCB levels. The study is testing a range of gill net mesh sizes
to determine whether a size exists that will catch white perch but
exclude yellow perch, according to Phil Moy, UW Sea Grant fisheries
specialist. UW Sea Grant is supporting a part-time position for
a person to ride with commercial fishers and record the results
as they test various mesh sizes.
"There are an abundance of white perch in Green Bay,"
said Bill Horns, Great Lakes fisheries specialist at the WDNR. "If
they could be harvested commercially, without adverse effects on
other species, we'd like to do that." White perch, which
are closely related to white bass, have been identified as a possible
factor in the continued low numbers of yellow perch in the bay,
due to direct predation and competition for food and habitat. White
perch were first noticed in Green Bay in 1998.
Until recently, a commercial fishery for white perch has not been
feasible because their PCBs levels have exceeded the 2.0 parts per
million (ppm) limit set by the Federal Food and Drug Administration
for the sale of commercial fish, Horns said. However, a recent DNR
study found PCB concentrations in most white perch in Green Bay
had dropped below the 2.0 ppm limit, opening the possibility of
a commercial harvest. Many commercial fishers believe that establishing
a white perch fishery could help yellow perch recover from their
low numbers and, at the same time, offset the loss of income they
suffered last year when quotas for yellow perch were slashed from
200,000 pounds per year to 20,000 pounds per year. This summer's
experiment, however, is not aimed at establishing a program to rid
Green Bay of all white perch, Horns noted. "We don't think
that's realistic," he said. Yellow perch once supported
a significant commercial fishery in the bay, but their numbers plummeted
in the 1990's, and they remain low today.
5. IL-IN Sea Grant - Reel in the Latest Fish Consumption Advisories
Excerpt from Press Release
"Fish are a great source for protein and minerals; they are
also low in saturated fat and can be a source of omega-3 fatty acids--essential
for good health, but in a number of water bodies in Illinois and
Indiana, fish can be contaminated with pollutants. Exposure to low
levels of these contaminants may have long lasting health effects,"
said Leslie Dorworth, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant aquatic ecology
specialist. A fish consumption advisory will tell you which contaminants
are of concern for a particular water body, along with whether available
fish species pose a risk depending on their sizes. These recommendations
are based primarily on protecting women of childbearing age, pregnant
women, fetuses, nursing mothers and children younger than 15 years
of age.
"You can still get the benefits of eating fish by choosing
safer types of fish and safer ways to prepare fish; and by carefully
choosing how often you eat fish," said Dorworth. Always remember
to eat a variety of fish, keeping the following in mind: fatty fish
tend to accumulate PCBs; fish that eat other fish, such as largemouth
bass, also build up contaminants; larger and older fish tend to
build up contaminants in their bodies; and fish that feed along
the water's bottom ingest more contaminants than those swimming
in the water column.
For easy online access to fish advisories in Illinois, Indiana
and Michigan, go to the Sea Grant Web page at www.iisgcp.org. If
you would like a copy of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant's latest
pamphlet on fish advisories titled "Contaminants in Fish &
Seafood: A Guide to Safe Consumption" contact Susan White at
(217) 333-9441 or email white2@uiuc.edu.
6. NY Sea Grant - Lake Level Headed for Above Average Summer
in 2003; New York Sea Grant Looks at Historic Averages
Excerpt from Press Release
Above average precipitation in the Great Lakes Basin since early
March, particularly on the lower Great Lakes, has caused the level
of Lake Ontario to rise more than thirty-two inches since March
15th, about nineteen inches more than the "normal" seasonal
rise for that time of year. Rain in the Great Lakes Basin was about
31 percent above average for May 2003 while in the Lake Erie and
Lake Ontario basins it was more than 60 percent above average, says
Coastal Resources Specialist Chuck O'Neill of New York Sea Grant.
"Much depends on the weather, but it now looks as though by
mid-June the water level on Lake Ontario will be about five inches
above the lake's long-term average for that date," says O'Neill,
comparing the forecasted level to data which averages Lake Ontario
water levels from 1918-2002. Since mid-March 2003, the lake has
gone from being some fourteen and a half inches below average for
that time of year to almost five inches above average for that time
of year on June 11th.
To see a chart showing recent lake levels plus forecasted levels
for wet and dry weather conditions through October 2003, visit
www.cce.cornell.edu/seagrant/gl-levels/ontario/ontario_forecast.gif
(link now dated).
7. MI Sea Grant - Beach warnings often go ignored; Many swimmers
don't understand rip currents or their deadly pull
Excerpt from Detroit Free Press - July 8, 2003 - By Laura Potts
and Shawn Windsor
Even as red flags warned swimmers to stay out of the water Monday
-- three days after seven people drowned from rip currents along
the picturesque stretch of lakeshore in southwest Michigan -- children
and adults frolicked in the sandy shallows of Lake Michigan. Hubris
and nature often lead to tragedy. "They don't pay attention
or heed warnings," said Lt. Ed Sherrick, the marine division
commander for Berrien County's Sheriff Department. Rescue and safety
authorities who monitor Michigan's hundreds of miles of sandy beaches
can't do much to prevent it.
Rip currents are a threat wherever big waves pound into sandy beaches.
"It's much more common than people think," said Chuck
Pistus, who runs the southwest Michigan office of Michigan Sea Grant,
a Michigan State University and University of Michigan co-operative
agency. "We take these big bodies of water for granted."
The phenomenon is well-understood by scientists and local rescue
and safety agencies and has been for decades. The trick is getting
the public to listen.
Rip currents move 1 to 2 yards per second, faster than an Olympic
swimmer. They fan out 50 feet to 50 yards. They pull continuously
or appear suddenly. They rush out past the breaking surf and weaken
or continue hundreds of yards offshore. The United States Lifesaving
Association says four of five rescues by lifeguards on surf beaches
involve rip currents. They are formed when winds cause waves to
break on shallow underwater sandbars near the beach. The water is
pushed over the sandbar but gets stuck once it hits shore. The excess
water pools and slightly raises the water level until the force
rips through low areas in the sandbars and rushes seaward. Rip currents
can also occur in waters near seawalls, artificial reefs and erosion-control
structures. They are sometimes spotted because they appear as a
slice of murky water.
For more information about Rip Currents and what to do if you are
caught in one, go to http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/rip/index.html
8. Web News
WI Sea Grant - Introducing Wisconsin's Water Library
If you're interested in learning about water issues in Wisconsin,
check out Wisconsin's Water Library at www.aqua.wisc.edu/_waterlibrary
(link now dated). The new site offers access to a collection of almost
30,000 volumes of water-related information, plus links to additional
sources on the Web. "The site was designed to help Year of
Water participants who want to learn more about current water issues,"
said special librarian JoAnn Savoy, who leads the project. "But
it's a great resource for anyone who's interested."
During the Year of Water, any Wisconsin citizen can check books
out of the library. "Just search the collection or browse the
suggested reading lists," Savoy said. Library users can request
up to five items. Library staff will mail them free of charge for
a loan period of four weeks. Savoy emphasized that users are responsible
for returning the materials. Simply mail them back or return them
to your local public library. The project is a special partnership
of the UW Water Resources Library, UW-Madison Libraries and the
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
9. Publications
WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio programs are now available
online at: http://ewradio.org
- Pointing at Poverty -- A new book argues that poverty drives
the world's worst environmental troubles. (6/23/03)
- Hope Springs Environmental -- Dire warnings often fail to motivate
people to take action on the environment. Helpful advice works
better, according to an environmental leader. (6/24/03)
- Tough Changes -- Small changes in climate can be brutally hard
on some creatures that are living at the edge of their ability
to handle heat. (6/25/03)
- Virtual Water -- Some people say countries that are short on
water can adjust by importing more food. They say that frees up
water that otherwise would be used for farming. (6/26/03)
- Flipping a Public Image -- Reducing their impact on the environment
has helped McDonald's restaurants boost their public image in
Sweden. (6/27/03)
- Fish Base -- You can find out anything you want to know about
any fish in the world on a Web site called "Fish Base."
(6/30/03)
- Crushed Ice -- Warm weather and high winds broke up much of
the ice on the Arctic Ocean last summer. (7/1/03)
- Don't Bet on Wet -- The ongoing drought in the western United
States might fit into a larger pattern of prolonged dry spells.
(7/2/03)
- A Legacy of Land -- No other country enjoys the size or variety
of public lands found in the United States, according to the former
head of the U.S. Forest Service. (7/3/03)
- Toxic Troubles -- All kinds of microscopic junk from cars can
get onto roads and ultimately into the water, but there are ways
to clean up this mess. (7/4/03)
- Eating Apes -- An author says hunting and human consumption
pose the greatest threats to Africa's gorillas and chimps. (7/7/03)
- Peat Wave -- A warming Arctic environment could release a storehouse
of carbon into the atmosphere, leading to even more climate change.
(7/8/03)
- Runoff Reckoning -- People in Minnesota are watching some lakes
to see if their water gets better as people cut back on some lawn
fertilizers. (7/9/03)
- Bright Bird Beaks -- Some male birds with bright beaks do better
at finding mates. A scientist says the bright beaks are a sign
of good health. (7/10/03)
- Peak of Interest -- A British author has collected tales of
triumph and tragedy on Mount Everest, and she was there during
one of the worst. (7/11/03)
- Massive Changes from Melting Ice -- Snow and ice are disappearing
inside the Arctic Circle, and those changes could affect weather
patterns all around the world. (7/14/03)
- The Water We Eat -- The water we drink is just a fraction of
the water we eat. According to one estimate, it takes 700 gallons
of water to produce the meat, fruit and vegetables we eat every
day. (7/15/03)
- Plastic Poison -- Plastic products are convenient, but an activist
says their manufacture is hard on some communities. (7/16/03)
- Founding Principles -- Providing for federal lands is an essential
element of American democracy, according to a new book. (7/17/03)
- Wetlands Journey -- An author writes about U.S. wetlands and
slogs through all kinds of them for source material. (7/18/03)
- Green Burials -- Dealing with our dead should be more natural
and less toxic, according to advocates of "green burials."
(7/21/03)
- Deadly Diet -- People who kill and eat African apes are spreading
diseases, according to a new book. AIDS and ebola top the list.
(7/22/03)
- Arsenic Eaters -- A scientist discovers tiny microbes in underground
reservoirs that might be prying arsenic loose from the rock and
helping it get into drinking water. (7/23/03)
- Great Lakes, Great Changes -- Scientists take a close look at
how global warming could affect the Great Lakes region of North
America and find huge changes ahead. (7/24/03)
- Gearing Up for 2004 -- The environment will be a high-profile
issue in the upcoming election season, if green activists have
their way. (7/25/03)
WI Sea Grant - Littoral Drift: Special Issue on Scuba Diving
- 25 Years of Enhancing Diving Safety: Safety Under the Sea
- Divers May Offer Rides to Aquatic Hitchhikers
- Water Safety Update
- New Publications for Great Lakes Divers - 4 new dive guides
to shipwrecks in the waters of Door County www.aqua.wisc.edu/publications
(link now dated)
WI Sea Grant - New Reprints
- Greenfield, BK., DB Lewis, JT Hinke, "Shell Damage in
Salt Marsh Periwinkles (Littoraria irrorata) and Resistance to
Future Attacks by Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus)" American
Malacological Bulletin 17(1/2)141-146, 2002 (WISCU-R-02-013)
- Harvey, CJ., ST Schram and JF Kitchell, "Trophic Relationships
among Lean and Siscowet Lake Trout in Lake Superior," Transactions
of the American Fisheries Society, 132:219-228, 2003 (WISCU-R-03-001)
Abstracts at: http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu.
Contact linda@seagrant.wisc.edu for reprints.
10. Staff News
Ohio Sea Grant Communicator
Jill Jentes is Acting Communicator for Ohio Sea Grant. Jill's e-mail
address is: jentes.1@osu.edu and she can be reached at themain Ohio
Sea Grant number: 614-292-8949.
Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Communications Chair
Elizabeth LaPorte (MI Sea Grant) is the new communications chair
for the Network.
Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Extension Chair
Dave White (NY Sea Grant) and Mark Malchoff (Lake Champlain Sea
Grant) are the new extension co-chairs for the Network.
WI Sea Grant - IJC Special Recognition - Anders Andren
Director Anders Andren was recognized by the International Joint
Commission for his service on the Science Advisory Board from 1987
to 2002, the Virtual Elimination Task Force, on which he served
as US co-chair, from 1990 to 1993, and for his input into eight
biennial reports. The IJC cited Andren for his "longstanding
contribution in promoting the development of greater knowledge and
understanding of the Great Lakes" and specifically for his
advocacy of an integrated observation system. His length of service
to the GLSAB is the longest of anyone having served this board.
While stepping down from active GLSAB membership, he will continue
to participate as a member of its Work Group on Emerging Issues,
and work closely with the Council of Great Lakes Research Managers
in further developing his idea of a "Great Lakes Integrated
Observation and Monitoring System." The certificate of appreciation
was presented at a reception in April at the State Department in
Washington, D.C.
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June 2003
Contents:
1. MN Sea Grant - Society of Conservation Biology - Local Galleries
Rally Around Water and the
Environment
2. OH Sea Grant - Stone Laboratory to Offer Photography Workshop
by Ian Adams
3. WI Sea Grant - Cleaning Green Bay of PCBs Requires Cleaning Fox
River First
4. MN Sea Grant - Seminar - Lake Superior: The Big Picture
5. NY Sea Grant - Dune Steward Program
6. NY Sea Grant - Lake Level Headed for Above Average Summer in
2003; New York Sea Grant
Looks at Historic Averages
7. WI Sea Grant - Don't get Carried Away This Summer: Beware of
Great Lakes Currents
8. IL-IN SG - Steer Your Boat Clear of Invasive Aquatic Species
9. MI Sea Grant - Beetles Take a Bite Out of Purple Loosestrife;
Native Plants Recove in Some MI
Wetlands
10. Tidbits
OH Sea Grant - Ohio Stormwater Management
OH Sea Grant - Steelhead Biology and Management
11. Web News
IL-IN Sea Grant - Soak Up Indiana Beach Closing Info on New Web
Site
12. Publications
MI Sea Grant - Upwellings - June 2003 - http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pubs/up/index.html
WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio
13. Staff News
Superior Program Award
Michigan Sea Grant - John McKinney and Walt Hoagman Retire
OH Sea Grant - Karen Ricker Leaving
14. Sea Grant Update Feedback Request
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1. MN Sea Grant - Society of Conservation Biology - Local Galleries
Rally Around Water and the Environment
At the same time over 1,200 conservation biologists from around
the world converge in Duluth, Minn., for the Society of Conservation
Biology Meeting, select galleries are encouraging community members
and visitors to consider the theme of conservation through the eyes
of some of the region's most acclaimed artists. Eight galleries
in Canal Park and downtown Duluth are concentrating on Lake Superior
and conservation themes in unique partnership with the Society for
Conservation Biology and in recognition of the United Nation's International
Year of Freshwater.
"We are excited to be part of what is happening at the convention
center, in the community and in the world," said Aubrey Danielson,
exhibition coordinator at Waters of Superior Duluth. "We'll
be hosting a gallery event for the Society of Conservation Biology,
but more importantly, we'll be facilitating an awareness of art,
the environment, and how both function to sustain us all."
Through July, gallery visitors will notice conservation facts interspersed
with environmentally-driven art in 8 Duluth locations.
2. OH Sea Grant - Stone Laboratory to Offer Photography Workshop
by Ian Adams
Stone Laboratory will host a nature photography workshop taught
by Ian Adams from July 31-August 2, 2003. The workshop is a non-credit
course for novice and experienced photographers. Utilizing some
of the Lake Erie Islands landmarks and abundant natural subjects,
the workshop will incorporate slide presentations, classroom seminars,
and field photography sessions with personal coaching, demonstrations,
and critiques.
The cost of the workshop is $400, which includes two nights of
lodging, all meals, and fees on Gibraltar Island. Enrollment is
limited to 16 participants, so register as soon as possible.
Mr. Adams' photographs are featured in the acclaimed book "Ohio:
A Bicentennial Portrait" which contains 250 of his photos depicting
Ohio's natural wonders and historic treasures. One of his photographs
was recently selected by the U.S. Postal Service as the image on
a 37-cent stamp issued to commemorate Ohio's bicentennial. For background
information about Mr. Adams, visit his web site at: www.ianadamsphotography.com
(link now dated)
3. WI Sea Grant - Cleaning Green Bay of PCBs Requires Cleaning
Fox River First
Excerpt from Press Release
Sediments laced with PCBs flowing out of the Fox River have increased
the mass of PCBs in Green Bay 15 to 30 percent since 1990, University
of Wisconsin scientists reported today at a public forum held at
UW-Green Bay.
Those continuing inputs make it difficult to determine how fast
PCB concentrations in Green Bay's sediments will effectively disappear,
said Jon Manchester, an associate researcher at the Water Science
and Engineering Laboratory at UW-Madison and the lead scientist
on the reported research. "There's simply no way to accurately
forecast the bay's natural cleansing time without stopping the flow
of PCBs from the Fox River," Manchester said. "If we want
to clean the bay, we have to clean the river."
While the total mass of PCBs in Green Bay has increased, the scientists
said, the concentrations in sediments near the surface have remained
similar to what they were in the late 1980s because of the continuing
inputs from the Fox River.
"In the early 1990s, it appeared that the concentrations of
PCBs in Green Bay surface sediments were declining reasonably quickly.
It looked like the bay might clean itself in perhaps a few decades,"
said Anders W. Andren, a professor of civil and environmental engineering
at UW- Madison who conducted a large study of PCBs in Green Bay
with Manchester from 1987 to 1990. "This new research shows
that sediment concentrations are not much different from what they
were a decade ago, because the Fox River continues to add PCBs to
the bay."
4. MN Sea Grant - Seminar - Lake Superior: The Big Picture
Final talk in the "Superior Science for You!" speaker
series, hosted by the University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program.
Carl Richards, director of the University of Minnesota Sea Grant
Program, "Lake Superior: The Big Picture."
It's hugely beautiful and coldly treacherous; it's a fisheries
and water quality manager's nightmare; it's Lake Superior. Dr. Richards
discusses how intriguing interactions among space, time, chemicals,
and species influence our understanding of Lake Superior. From the
moments it takes a biochemical reaction to occur inside a diatom,
to the eons it takes to sculpt the rock formations of the North
Shore, enjoy the grand finale of this Lake Superior-oriented speaker
series.
Try listening through your computer at: www.seagrant.umn.edu/speakerseries/index.html
(link now dated). A video of the presentation is posted. Video archives
of previous talks and more information about the series can also
be accessed through the speaker series Web page.
This speaker series was made possible by a grant funded under the
Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management in conjunction with Minnesota's Lake Superior
Coastal Program.
5. NY Sea Grant - Dune Steward Program
Excerpt from Press Release
Evan Proulx has always enjoyed the outdoors. The recent SUNY-Oswego
Public Justice-degree graduate minored in Biology and Forensic Science.
His career goal is to be an Environmental Conservation officer.
The skills he's learned as a dune steward along Lake Ontario support
that goal. "The stewards program has helped me develop leadership
and people skills that an enforcement officer can use. I've learned
a lot about how fragile our ecosystems are and how to communicate
that to the public," says Evan, who is Senior Steward this
year.
Two additional students from SUNY-Oswego and two students from
the College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse are
patrolling four sites along the Lake: Sandy Pond Beach, Southwick
Beach, and Deer Creek and Black Pond Wildlife Management Areas -
now through Labor Day weekend. The stewards' job is to educate the
public about the importance of protecting the dunes and neighboring
wetlands, says Molly Thompson of New York Sea Grant, Oswego. She
supervises the steward program. This year's crew will survey visitors
at the four sites to update demographic statistics collected in
the late 1980s. Collecting data and telling visitors about the rules
of the beach promotes understanding of the habitat and often prompts
questions about the plants and wildlife, Evan says.
Evan, a native of Clay, New York, parlayed last summer's steward
experience into an additional part-time summer job redesigning the
dunes and associated web pages for New York Sea Grant. This is Evan's
second year in the Dune program funded by New York Sea Grant, the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, The Nature
Conservancy, and grant funding from the New York State Great Lakes
Protection Fund. The program is coordinated in partnership with
the members of the Ontario Dune Coaltion.
Completing the 2003 Summer Dune Steward Crew with Evan are Willow
Eyres of Bethleham, NY; Rachel Habig of Russellville, AL; Charles
Hawkins of Fulton, NY; and Jeffrey Nassimos of Oriskany Falls, NY.
"I plan on working in the Wildlife Management field or doing
wildlife research. Being a dune steward is great not only because
I'm meeting and working with all the people who do what I want to
do, but I'm gaining valuable information about how to manage and
protect a site as well as how to deal with the public," says
Willow Eyres, a Biology major at SUNY-Oswego. Rachel Habig is a
PhD candidate at the College of Environmental Science & Forestry
in Syracuse. Her goal after graduation is to conduct research and
teach outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship. A Public
Justice major at SUNY-Oswego, Charles Hawkins says he is enjoying
learning about environmental issues on state lands and learning
from the state Environmental Conservation and Park Rangers he is
meeting as part of the dune steward program. His career goal is
to become an Environmental Conservation officer. Jeffrey Nassimos
is studying environmental policy and management at the College of
Environmental Science & Forestry with the objective of becoming
a consultant. "I'm learning to work as a team and about the
key role public outreach plays in the environmental policy and management
discipline."
6. NY Sea Grant - Lake Level Headed for Above Average Summer
in 2003; New York Sea Grant Looks at Historic Averages
Excerpt from Press Release
Above average precipitation in the Great Lakes Basin since early
March, particularly on the lower Great Lakes, has caused the level
of Lake Ontario to rise more than thirty-two inches since March
15th, about nineteen inches more than the "normal" seasonal
rise for that time of year. Rain in the Great Lakes Basin was about
31 percent above average for May 2003 while in the Lake Erie and
Lake Ontario basins it was more than 60 percent above average, says
Coastal Resources Specialist Chuck O'Neill of New York Sea Grant.
"Much depends on the weather, but it now looks as though by
mid-June the water level on Lake Ontario will be about five inches
above the lake's long-term average for that date," says O'Neill,
comparing the forecasted level to data which averages Lake Ontario
water levels from 1918-2002.
According to O'Neill, Lake Ontario's water level moves through
roughly a two foot range from a "normal" mid-winter low
of around 244.5 feet above sea level on New Year's Day to a seasonal
high of around 246.12 feet in mid-June. Between 1860 and 1960 (when
lake level regulation began), water levels have fluctuated through
a six-foot range between 242 and 248 feet above sea level.
Since the start of regulation both high and low levels have been
somewhat attenuated (that is, peaks have been trimmed off while
valleys have been filled in), the net result being that the average
annual lake level range has been skewed slightly higher than the
pre-1960 range, says O'Neill. Since mid-March 2003, the lake has
gone from being some fourteen and a half inches below average for
that time of year to almost five inches above average for that time
of year on June 11th.
O'Neill says lakeshore homeowners prefer water levels to be a bit
below average because lower water levels result in less destructive
storm waves pounding the beaches in front of their homes and cottages
and lower levels mean larger beach areas to absorb storm energy
erosive effects. On the other hand, "higher summer water levels
are preferred by electric power interests, as such levels serve
as a buffer against drought periods and the higher summer demand
for energy to run air conditioners," O'Neill says. "For
owners of large recreational boats, and for operators of Great Lakes
marinas, low waters can result in boats having difficulty navigating
channels between the lake and marinas and even some problems berthing
deep keeled boats in shallow marina basins," O¹Neill says.
A recent study by the Recreational Boating and Tourism Technical
Work Group of the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River
Study Board indicates that marina operators dredge basins and channels
during low water periods to be sure depths will handle the boats
frequenting their marinas.
"Predicting water levels can be difficult because so much
depends on the weather, but it now looks as though Lake Ontario
is headed for a summer peak four to six inches above an "average"
seasonal high level. Fall 2003 lake levels are more difficult to
predict this early, but will most likely remain several inches above
the lake's long-term average level," O'Neill says.
To see a chart showing recent lake levels plus forecasted levels
for wet and dry weather conditions through October 2003,
visit www.cce.cornell.edu/seagrant/gl-levels/ontario/ontario_forecast.gif.
7. WI Sea Grant - Don't get Carried Away This Summer: Beware
of Great Lakes Currents
Excerpt from Press Release
Several drownings at Lake Michigan beaches in recent years underscore
the importance of understanding Great Lakes currents and learning
how to escape from them, according to Jim Lubner, water safety specialist
at the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute.
The two most important currents to know about are longshore and
rip currents, Lubner said. Longshore currents flow along the shoreline,
and rip currents flow roughly perpendicular to the shoreline on
the surface of the water. "You always want to swim perpendicular
to the currents," Lubner said. "In the case of longshore
currents, that's perfectly natural. The current will carry you along,
parallel to the shore, and you should just swim toward shore."
Rip currents are trickier, Lubner said. "With rip currents,
you get pulled out away from shore, and your natural instinct may
be to swim directly towards shore, against the current. But it's
best to swim at right angles to the current, which in this case
means swimming parallel to shore. That way, you get out of the current
the fastest. Once you are out of the current, you can swim to shore
much easier," he said. "These currents are usually pretty
narrow, so you can get out of them in a short distance," Lubner
said.
Some signs of rip currents are patches or lines of foam, debris
and discolored water moving away from shore. Another sign is a stretch
of breaking waves whose heights are lower than the waves to either
side.
"Remember that the dangers of currents multiply when the water
is cold," Lubner said. "Cold water drains heat from the
body very quickly and interferes with muscle operation and coordination.
You can't swim very far or fast in cold water."
8. IL-IN SG - Steer Your Boat Clear of Invasive Aquatic Species
Excerpt from Press Release
Last summer Asian carp and snakeheads, invasive fish species, received
plenty of attention because they are big and pose a dramatic threat
to U.S. waterways. But they are just two of many non-native species
that can disrupt the ecological and economic health of lakes and
rivers. This summer, when heading out to boat or fish in waterways
near and far, you can help protect your favorite lake or stream
by taking steps that help prevent the introduction and spread of
aquatic nuisance species of all sizes.
"Aquatic nuisance species introduced into local waters can
reduce fishing and can clog waterways, making fishing, boating and
swimming difficult. They can also be quite costly to both recreational
and commercial industries," said Pat Charlebois, Illinois-Indiana
Sea Grant biological resources specialist. There are several ways
that boaters and anglers can help prevent the spread of these invasive
species. First of all, never release live bait into a waterway.
"It is very important to properly dispose of any leftover bait
or bait bucket water," said Charlebois. "Bait may contain
nuisance species and the water may also, in the form of microscopic
zebra mussel veligers and invasive waterfleas." Simply throw
any leftover bait in the trash and dump bait bucket water on land.
Invasive species can also be transported in the water of livewells,
motors, bilges, and transom wells of a boat, so before you leave
the launch, drain any standing water from these areas onto land.
Be careful that the water does not drain back into the waterway.
Hitchhikers can attach to your boat when you move it from one water
body to another, as well as ride on trailers, motors, tackle, downriggers,
anchors, axles, rollers and centerboards. "Even a small piece
of Eurasian watermilfoil attached to an anchor can lead to an infestation
of the whole waterway," said Charlebois.
Before launching, inspect your boat and equipment and remove all
plants and animals. Wash your boat and other equipment to kill any
exotic species that are not visible. You should use hot water (104
degree F) or a high-pressure sprayer. It's a good idea to become
familiar with invasive species and to know which lakes and streams
are infected. If you think you've happened on a new infestation,
contact Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant at 847-872-8677 or call your
local Department of Natural Resources.
To see 3-D images of a number of problem species--mollusks, crustaceans,
fish and plants--go to www.sgnis.org (link now dated). You can order
brochures, invasive species watch cards and "Don't Dump
Bait!" stickers (as a reminder on your bait bucket) on Sea
Grant's Web site at
www.iisgcp.org/pubs/br/index.html.
9. MI Sea Grant - Beetles Take a Bite Out of Purple Loosestrife;
Native Plants Recove in Some MI Wetlands
Excerpt from Press Release
The colorful but ecologically invasive purple loosestrife plant
has lost its dominance in some Michigan wetlands, according to research
funded in part by Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University.
This aquatic nuisance species, known for its showy spikes of pinkish-purple
flowers, blooms from early July until mid August in the lower part
of the Great Lakes basin. In an article published in the online
version of the journal Biological Control, researchers led by entomologist
Doug Landis of Michigan State University report that Galerucella
beetles, one of the plant's natural enemies, have established large
populations in three mid Michigan locations and caused 100 percent
defoliation of purple loosestrife. The beetles were originally released
there by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in 1994. One
of the most dramatic transformations has occurred at Crow Island
State Game Area between Saginaw and Bay City.
"At one time, the area had hundreds of acres of marshland
with very heavy infestations of purple loosestrife," says Landis.
"Right now it's hard to find flowering loosestrife within several
miles of the release sites." Landis says the results show that
biological control is working in Michigan. He is also very encouraged
that many varieties of native plants are making a comeback. "We
now have the first clear evidence that the number of plant species
increases when purple loosestrife is reduced," says Landis.
"It's a very slow transition from a plant community dominated
by loosestrife to one that is much more diverse, with as many as
15 other plants in a given square meter." From 1995 to 2000,
the beetles reduced purple loosestrife stem height by 73 to 85 percent,
according to researchers. Stunted plants are an early sign that
the beetles are beginning to have an impact. Defoliation follows.
Students, teachers, naturalists and volunteers throughout Michigan
can take credit for releasing Galerucella beetles in more than 100
sites in 2002 as part of the Purple Loosestrife Project. (See http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pp)
Since the innovative biological control program began in 1997, thousands
of educators and students have participated in the project. "It's
a unique hands-on opportunity that allows participants to learn
about Michigan's natural resources while helping to restore wetland
biodiversity," says Michigan Sea Grant Specialist Mike Klepinger
who coordinates the project with Landis. Participants obtain a small
number of beetles from Cooperative Biological Control centers located
around the state or from the U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory
in Niles, Mich., and release them in stands of loosestrife.
Not sure what purple loosestrife looks like? Wallet-size identification
cards make it easy to identify purple loosestrife when it blooms
in mid July. The cards include a color photo, a brief history of
the plant, a description of why it's a problem in Michigan, and
tips on how to help control its spread. To order the purple loosestrife
i.d. card, as well as cards for six other aquatic nuisance species,
contact Michigan Sea Grant at (734) 764-1118, by email at msgpubs@umich.edu
or on the web at www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pubs/IDcards.html (link
now dated). Photos available at
www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pp/photos.html (link now dated)
10. Tidbits
OH Sea Grant - Ohio Stormwater Management
Five remote Ohio locations (Wooster, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland
and Toledo) received information via the internet as the Ohio Sea
Grant College Program co-sponsored the Ohio Stormwater Management
Conference on January 23, 2003. Ohio Sea Grant Agent Joe Lucente
assisted public officials in conducting the workshop on best management
practices, performance standards and pollution credit training to
develop an effective stormwater management plan for municipalities.
Thirteen engineers learned more about storm water management at
a web simulcast of NEMO's Storm Water Management Program at the
same time. Engineers' comments from the program evaluation indicated
that this training would assist them in writing their NPDES-Phase
II requirements for Ohio EPA. The program was coordinated by Ohio
Sea Grant Agent Walter Williams.
OH Sea Grant - Steelhead Biology and Management
Over 380 people learned more about steelhead biology and management
in Lake Erie and how/where to take advantage of fall, winter and
spring stream angling opportunities at two Steelhead Seminars and
at one workshop held on the Ohio State University Campus. The workshop
also featured topics about F.T. Stone Laboratory, Lake Erie's new
"dead zone" concern, western and central basin fishery
updates and new angling opportunities. Ohio Sea Grant District Specialists
Dave Kelch and Fred Snyder, and Director Jeffrey Reutter were involved
in these efforts.
11. Web News
IL-IN Sea Grant - Soak Up Indiana Beach Closing Info on New
Web Site
Excerpt from Press Release
Before you pack up your fun-in-the-sun supplies and hit Indiana's
Lake Michigan beaches this summer, you might want to hit the Internet
first. A new Web site can tell you whether any of these beaches
are closed due to E.coli contamination.
"Last year, Indiana beaches were closed nearly 20 times over
the course of the summer," said Leslie Dorworth, Illinois-Indiana
Sea Grant aquatic ecology specialist. Lake, Porter and LaPorte County
beaches are tested regularly for E.coli., a bacteria found in human
and animal waste. E.coli is used as an indicator organism for the
presence of other disease-causing organisms in the water. Children,
the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are most at
risk of developing an illness after swimming in polluted waters.
"The new Web site will be updated weekly to provide timely
information about water quality," said Dorworth. "You
can see if the water at a specific beach is being monitored, who
is responsible for the monitoring, the pollutants that are monitored,
and if advisories or closures have been issued." In addition,
the site provides water temperatures, a map of area beaches, answers
to frequently asked questions about water quality and a number of
useful links.
The Web site is part of a monitoring and notification plan developed
by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Save the Dunes Conservation Fund
and Indiana University Northwest for Indiana's portion of the
Lake Michigan shoreline. The Indiana Department of Environmental
Management has contracted with these organizations, who are receiving
federal funds through the state, to develop the plan in response
to the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH)
Act requirements. The BEACH Act was passed by Congress in October
2000 to reduce the risk of disease to users of the nation's recreational
waters." The Act authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to award grants to states to develop and implement programs
for monitoring and assessing for contaminants in coastal recreation
waters used by the public.
To use the new Web site, go to
http://swann2.ansc.purdue.edu/nwibeach.
For more information about water quality issues, visit the Illinois-Indiana
Sea Grant Web site at www.iisgcp.org
and click on Education.
12. Publications
MI Sea Grant - Upwellings - June 2003 - http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pubs/up/index.html
- Land Use: A Cooperative Effort
- Restoring the Great Lakes
- Coastal Challenge: Land Use Planning in Michigan's Shoreline
Communities
- Michigan Sea Grant Extension Agents McKinney and Hoagman Retire
WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio
Earthwatch Radio programs are available online at: http://ewradio.org
- Dark History - Air pollution has been a public problem for
hundreds of years. (5/26/03)
- Clearing out the Ashes - An invading insect threatens the ash
trees that are common in the United States east of the Mississippi
River. (5/27/03)
- Good Wolf, Bad Wolf - A new approach to managing wild wolves
could benefit some but leave others out in the cold. (5/28/03)
- Mobil Methane - Methane that's trapped in the ocean floor can
change life at sea if it's released. A scientist says that happened
40,000 years ago and the signs of it are found in tiny fossils.
(5/29/03)
- Crisis of Words - An effort to clean up India's Ganges River
offended members of the Hindu faith. (5/30/03)
- Dust Dilemma -- Reefs in the Caribbean suffer from dust and
microscopic organisms that are blown clear across the Atlantic
Ocean. (6/2/03)
- Arctic Bellwether -- Lakes in the zone where forests give way
to tundra show signs of environmental change due to a shifting
climate. (6/3/03)
- Seeking Justice -- Activists claim that society's toxic waste
ends up in poor and minority communities. (6/4/03)
- Naturally Inventive -- A business consultant sees the clean-up
of industry as a fountain of opportunity. (6/5/03)
- Triad of Trouble -- The characteristics of three invasive species
in the Great Lakes add up to a serious impact on native fish.
(6/6/03)
- Finding Faults -- Scientific techniques can unravel the history
of earthquakes in places with a lot of seismic activity. These
techniques have uncovered some new chapters in the unstable history
of Los Angeles County. (6/16/03)
- Wild Coal Fires -- Scientists say huge amounts of coal are consumed
by fires in old mines and other places, and these fires could
have consequences for human health and the global environment.
(6/17/03)
- Estuary Excess -- A Massachusetts scientist is recruiting bacteria
to help cut nitrogen pollution along the East Coast. (6/18/03)
- Mysteries in the Parks -- National Geographic has published
its first-ever works of fiction: environmental mystery novels
written for kids. (6/19/03)
- Shared Water -- The United Nations has established a new office
to help countries cooperate on issues related to water that they
share with other nations. (6/20/03)
13. Staff News
Outstanding Program Award
A Michigan-led invasive species outreach project was presented the
Great Lakes Sea Grant Network "Outstanding Program Award"
during the network's conference last week in Burlington, Vt. Five
other programs of the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network also collaborated
on this project: MN, WI, IL-IN, OH and PA. The project, "ANS
Hazard Analysis and Critial Control Point" applied techniques
originally developed to ensure food safety for spaceflight which
have previously been successfully applied by Sea Grant to ensuring
seafood safety to the new problem of ensuring aquatic nuisance species
are not accidentally transfered with baitfish.
Superior Program Award
A Wisconsin-led invasive species outreach project was presented
the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network "Superior Program Award"
during the network's conference last week in Burlington, Vt. The
project, "Using Mass Media to Inform Anglers about Invasive
Species," was a partnership with the nationally syndicated
"Babe Winkelman's Good Fishing" television program that
reached nearly 50 million households during January-June 2002. In
collaboration with Pennsylvania and Michigan Sea Grant, the project
also resulted in the production and regionwide distribution of 100,000
"Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!" stickers, 20,000 "Protect
Our Waters brochures, 30-second public service announcements for
radio and television, and an 8 1/2-minute video news release.
Michigan Sea Grant - John McKinney and Walt Hoagman Retire
Michigan Sea Grant's Northwest Extension Agent based in Traverse
City retired at the end of May after 24 years with Michigan Sea
Grant. Among his many accomplishments, McKinney helped to establish
the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Initiative (now The Watershed Center)
and the Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve. John plans to continue
living in the Traverse City area where he expects to be active in
maritime heritage and environmental education projects.
Michigan Sea Grant's Northeast Extension Agent based in East Tawas
also retired at the end of May following 14 years of service with
Michigan Sea Grant. Hoagman has published numerous scientific articles
during his career as well as two popular field guides: "Great
Lakes Coastal Plants" and "Great Lakes Wetlands".
Walter plans to retire to Guthries Creek, Virginia, a tributary
of Chesapeake Bay.
OH Sea Grant - Karen Ricker Leaving
Karen Ricker, Assistant Director and Communications Coordinator
for Ohio Sea Grant has announced that she will be leaving Ohio Sea
Grant to return to her "teaching/educator roots" having
accepted a teaching position for the 2003/2004 school year as a
Resource Specialist for a small, private K-8 school.
14. Sea Grant Update Feedback Request
The Sea Grant Update has been published on a monthly basis since
July 2002 with the intent of providing information about Sea Grant
activities to GLERL staff and as a means of connecting the Great
Lakes Sea Grant Network. Your feedback is needed to help ensure
that the newsletter is
meeting your information needs. Please take a few minutes to respond
with your comments (Rochelle
Sturtevant). Food for thought...
- Is the newsletter length appropriate?
- Is it timely?
- Which types of articles would you like to see more of? Less
of?
- Are there other types of information/articles you would like
to see included in this newsletter?
|
|
May 2003
Contents
1. Exotic Species Projects Funded
2. WI Sea Grant - Edge of the Lake Seminar
3. MN Sea Grant -"Superior Science for You!" Seminar
4. Michigan Sea Grant - Great Lakes shoreline and wetlands: Task
force issues report
5. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant - Tri-State Planners Focus on Long-Term
Water Supply
6. Tidbits
- OH Sea Grant - 2002 Great Lakes Charter Captains Survey Project
Update
- OH Sea Grant - Special Opportunity: Summer Workshops at Stone
Laboratory
- OH Sea Grant - Special Opportunity: Summer Workshops at Stone
Laboratory
7. Publications
- OH Sea Grant - The March/April Twine Line http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/pdfs/tl-ma-03.pdf
- WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio programs for this week - http://ewradio.org
8. Awards
9. Staff News
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Exotic Species Projects Funded
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, done 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 development of 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. Ohio Sea Grant, under the direction of Frank Lichtkoppler,
will also receive $37,400 over two years for the project. Patrice
Charlebois and Robin Goettel, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, also received
$88,989 as co-PI's in this project.
Investigator Donald Leopold and his research team from SUNY College
of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse were awarded over
$203,000 to determine the effect of water level and other factors
on the growth of the Eurasian frog-bit, Hydrocharis morsus-ranae,
and to explore the use of native invertebrate herbivores to control
the invader's growth and spread. The floating-leaved plant,
considered one of the top five invasive species in Canada, has expanded
its range into the Great Lakes Basin and its spread beyond seems
inevitable especially since control protocols have yet to be established.
In a $140,000 project, senior NYSG extension specialist Chuck O'Neill
will work with Cornell researchers Barbara Knuth and Tommy Brown
to quantify the annual and cumulative economic impact of Dreissena
spp. since their 1989 introduction to North America through
the end of 2002 on surface water-depended public and private drinking
water treatment and electric power generation facilities throughout
North America. The results of this comprehensive survey will be
presented to the National ANS Task Force and the National Invasive
Species Advisory Committee (O'Neill is a member), among others,
for use in invasive species policy setting.
With nearly $65,000 in funding, O'Neill (NYSG) will work with
extension specialist Mark Malchoff of the Lake Champlain Sea Grant
Project to educate central and northeastern New York shoreline property
owners, boaters, officials, stakeholders, and the media about the
introduction, spread, impacts, management and control of the invasive
water chestnut. This invasive plant, originally introduced as a
water garden plant and for food and medicinal use, creates impenetrable
mats in water bodies and can degrade shoreline property values by
more than $12,000 per lot.
2. WI Sea Grant - Edge of the Lake Seminar
A Fifteen-Year Checkup on PCBs in Green Bay: Where Are They Now
-- And What Should We Do?
Anders W. Andren, director, University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute;
professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW-Madison &
Jon Manchester, associate researcher, Water Science and Engineering
Laboratory, UW-Madison
Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 12:00 -- 1:00 p.m. Open to the Public
- UW-Green Bay campus, Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, Room 204 Please follow
the "PCB" signs to the adjacent visitors' lot For a map,
please see www.uwgb.edu/maps
A major study in 1987-1990 mapped the locations and concentrations
of PCBs in sediments throughout Green Bay. But what's happened to
them since then? Recently, University of Wisconsin scientists analyzed
sediments in the bay to find out. At this public presentation, scientists
will present the results of this update and answer these questions:
*Where are PCBs in Green Bay today?
*Have concentrations been decreasing over the last 15 years, increasing,
or staying the same?
*What is likely to happen to these PCBs in the next 10 to 100 years?
*What are the implications for clean-up options?
*Are PCBs in Green Bay sediments still getting into the water and
the fish?
3. MN Sea Grant -"Superior Science for You!" Seminar
Martin Auer, professor with the Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering at Michigan Technological University presents "Something's
Going on Down There! Exploring the Lake Superior Food Web."
Explore the foundations of underwater life with Dr. Auer, a limnologist
and engineer with over 30 years experience on the Great Lakes. Dr.
Auer describes some of the mysterious phenomena observed in the
lower food web of Lake Superior, relating these findings to the
stewardship of this precious resource.
Try listening through your computer - www.seagrant.umn.edu/speakerseries/index.html.
A video of the presentation was posted to this site on May 16. Video
archives of previous talks and more information about the series
can also be accessed through the speaker series Web page.
4. Michigan Sea Grant - Great Lakes shoreline and wetlands:
Task force issues report
Jennifer Read, Assistant Director for Michigan Sea Grant participated
in a special task force studying state and federal regulations on
wetlands in Michigan. Recently, the task made recommendations to
the regulatory agencies to allow shoreline property owners access
to their waterfront while maintaining the ecological value of the
areas. Michigan State University Extension and Michigan Sea Grant
representatives were asked to coordinate and facilitate the process
and were designated as the group's spokespersons.
The Shoreline Task Force identified areas of inconsistency in existing
Army Corps of Engineers and Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) permitting processes and recommended that the agencies
work together to alleviate these inconsistencies. It identified
and enumerated the activities that shoreline property owners can
undertake without requiring a permit from either the state or federal
regulatory agency. The task force issued a consensus document that
includes a set of recommendations for regulatory agencies, including
the federal Corps of Engineers and state DEQ, as well as other agencies
and organizations with a Great Lakes research mandate and interest
in Great Lakes and coastal wetland issues.
The task force enumerated those activities that are allowable under
General Permit (DEQ), proposed Permit by Rule (DEQ) or Nationwide
Permit (Corps). These permit types impose considerably less red
tape on a landowner than individual permits because they do not
require a public notice period and generally have lower fees.
"The consensus document and recommendations are a major step
forward in addressing this important issue and balancing the rights
of property owners and the public trust," said Dr. Jennifer
Read, assistant director of Michigan Sea Grant. "The task force
recommendations will provide direction and clarification about what
activities are permitted on Great Lakes bottomlands."
The task force's primary goal was to develop a consensus document
that identifies opportunities to allow shoreline property owners
to access and enjoy their waterfront while maintaining the ecological
value of the new wetland areas around the state. The Shoreline Task
Force Consensus Document is available online at: http://www.lre.usace.army.mil
under "Hot Topics," click on Saginaw Bay. The consensus
document will be presented to members of the Michigan legislature,
which is currently considering legislation addressing this issue.
5. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant - Tri-State Planners Focus on
Long-Term Water Supply
URBANA, IL--A precedent-setting intergovernmental effort to assure
long-term water supply planning and management for Wisconsin, Illinois,
and Indiana is now underway.
The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) hosted a meeting
on April 29, convening water managers from the tri-state region
to organize a regional water supply consortium. "This is an
essential effort toward assuring a dependable and high-quality water
supply in our greater region," says Ronald Thomas, NIPC executive
director. "This meeting brought together people to talk about
the formative strategies to identify and prioritize the larger issues
related to water planning and management that need to be understood
and addressed by governments and policymakers."
Attendees included Marcia Jimenez, Commissioner of the Chicago
Department of Environment, and Derek Winstanley, Chief of the Illinois
State Water Survey, as well as representatives of local, county,
and state water management and planning agencies, and three regional
planning commissions.
The consortium is a direct result of the landmark Wingspread Accord
(signed in 2002), bringing together four regional planning agencies
covering 17 counties, nearly 8,000 square miles and more than 1,500
government entities around Lake Michigan. The effort also implements
recommendations contained in NIPC's Strategic Plan for Water Resources
Management, adopted by the commission in September 2001.
Lead funding is being provided by the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
College Program (www.iisgcp.org). "Water-supply planning and
management are rapidly becoming front-burner issues," said
Dick Warner, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant director. "Sea Grant
and its partners are pleased to help usher in these foresighted
planning activities that will certainly prove to be strategic in
coming decades."
Despite Lake Michigan's prominence as one of the world's largest
fresh-water sources, it will not alone meet the needs of the entire
tri-state regional population. In areas that are dependent on water
supplies other than Lake Michigan, such as inland surface waters,
experts say there is a potential for scarcity.
Discussion at the April meeting centered on water planning and
management in the three states and the commonalities and the benefits
of a consortium. "Now the work begins," says Sarah Nerenberg,
director of NIPC's natural resources program. "We are starting
by building a network of regional water supply planners and managers
and interested parties. Some initial efforts will be on educating
the public and regional, county, and municipal decision-makers and
legislators on how water and land resources are linked." This
group plans to meet three times to organize the collaborative process.
6. Tidbits
OH Sea Grant - 2002 Great Lakes Charter Captains Survey Project
Update
Data collection for the 2002 Great Lakes Charter Captains Survey
is complete for Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New York.
Return rates for the responses to the survey were 45% for Wisconsin,
59% for Minnesota, 43% for Pennsylvania, and 47% for New York. The
Ohio, Michigan and Illinois-Indiana surveys are ongoing. Survey
returns for OH and MI are 53% and 51% respectively. A total of 838
Great Lakes charter captains have returned usable surveys. For more
information contact Frank Lichtkoppler at lichtkoppler.1@osu.edu
or 440-350-2582.
OH Sea Grant - Unique Opportunity: Plan Your Next Meeting
or Retreat at Stone Laboratory
Did you know that The Ohio State University's Island Campus - Stone
Laboratory - is available for your upcoming summer meeting, retreat,
or small conference. The Lab will open it's doors during the summer
to groups that want to take advantage of its unique location. Located
on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie's Put-in-Bay harbor, Stone Laboratory
is an ideal setting for your strategic planning session, staff meeting,
or small conference. Past participants have included the Ohio State's
Board of Trustees, Council of Student Government, OSU Extension,
the Alber Enterprise Center, the Nature Conservancy, Rotary Clubs,
and other groups. The Laboratory can accommodate approximately 50
people during the summer; a conference room, AV equipment, and meals/refreshments
are available. Limited housing is available for 15 people; additional
lodging can be found in the town of Put-in-Bay. For more information,
contact
Laboratory Manager John Hageman at hageman.2@osu.edu or 614-247-6500
or 419-285-2341.
OH Sea Grant - Special Opportunity: Summer Workshops at Stone
Laboratory
Stone Laboratory, The Ohio State University's Campus, is offering
it's exciting workshop program to groups during Summer 2003. Located
on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie's Put-in-Bay harbor, Stone Laboratory's
1-day workshops include several hands-on activities including a
science cruise in Lake Erie, laboratory sessions, and specialized
island activities such as bird walks, edible plant walks, and seining.
Other activities can be included based on the needs of your group.
The Workshops can accommodate up to 30 people: middle school, high
school, and adult groups. Meals and refreshments are included. Past
participants have included boy scouts/girl scouts, Glen Helen Ecocamp,
Bowling Green State University Governor's Summer Institute, Ohio
EPA, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, various Soil and Water Conservation
Districts, the Ohio Farm Bureau, and others. For more information
and to schedule your trip, contact Laboratory Manager John Hageman
at hageman.2@osu.edu, 614-247-6500 or 419-285-2341.
7. Publications
OH Sea Grant - The March/April Twine Line http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/pdfs/tl-ma-03.pdf
Nitrates and Sunlight are Keys to Pesticide Degradation in Lake
Erie
FYI: Water Levels, Announcements
Ask Your Agent: African-American Fishing Clubs
Publications: Selected Titles from Ohio Sea Grant
Freshwater Shrimp Farms in Ohio?
Friends of Stone Laboratory news
WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio programs for this
week - http://ewradio.org
- Natural Understanding - Opinion polls show that only three out
of ten Americans understand what biological diversity is and why
it's important. (5/12/03)
- Staying on Good Terms - Many foods have the word "organic"
on their labels, but other terms can also help environmentally conscious
consumers. (5/13/03)
- Fleas and Pharmaceuticals - Our bodies don't always break down
the pharmaceutical products we consume, and the residue can end
up in the water and change the lives of aquatic organisms. (5/14/03)
- Sudden Death for Some Big Trees - Government agencies are fighting
a microbe that is killing oak trees along the Pacific Coast. (5/15/03)
- Product Stewardship - A Massachusetts program works with industries
and consumers to make products better for the environment. (5/16/03)
Earthwatch Radio is distributed on CD to more than 125 radio stations,
reading services and other broadcasters throughout North America.
Scripts are sent daily by email, and you can sign up for this free
service at: http://ewradio.org/subscribe.aspx
8. Awards
Ohio Sea Grant's "Guides to Lake Erie's Historic Shipwrecks:
The Adventure, W.R. Hanna, and F.H. Prince" took top honors
at the National Sea Grant Week Conference. The Guides earned the
"Blue Ribbon Award" in the "Partnership" category.
In addition to content and design, the Guides were critiqued by
the contribution of each partner, how the partnership and product
worked to serve the audience, and why the product was created in
this form to serve the audience. The partners included the Ohio
Sea Grant College Program, Great Lakes Historical Society, Lake
Erie Shipwreck Research Center, Maritime Archaeological Survey Team,
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Coastal Management Program,
Ohio Historical Society, and Bowling Green State University. The
Guides are a collection of three underwater diver slates packaged
in a waterproof envelope; each one features a site map, schematic
diagram, diving information, vessel data, and ship history. For
price and ordering information, contact the Ohio Sea Grant office
at 614-292-8949 or e-mail cruickshank.3@osu.edu.
Michigan Sea Grant earned two first place awards at National Sea
Grant Week -- A first place award in the newsletter category for
Upwellings and a first place award in the Web site category for
www.miseagrant.umich.edu
Wisconsin Sea Grant won a Blue Ribbon Award for Earthwatch Radio
in the "radio" category at Sea Grant Week. Also, Stephen
Wittman received recognition at SG Week -- the SGA President's Award
for Meritorious Service.
MN Sea Grant and IL Sea Grant both earned a blue ribbon award at
Sea Grant week in the "compact disk" category for the
"Exotics to Go!" CD
New York won two people's choice awards: for the Program Guide:
Fundamentals of a Sea Grant Extension Program and promotional products:
"Disappearing" Marine and Great Lakes habitat mug.
MN Sea Grant's Marie Zhuikov, communications coordinator; Mike
Cousino, graphic designer; Sharon Moen, editor; and Debbie Bowen,
information specialist, received a bronze award for publishing Minnesota
Sea Grant's "Seiche" newsletter from the Agricultural
Communicators in Education (ACE) Critique and Awards Program. The
award will be presented at the ACE group's international meeting
in Kansas City in June.
At the 2003 Outdoor Writers of Ohio Convention, Ohio Sea Grant
District Specialist Fred Snyder was awarded second place in the
"Best Magazine How-To Article" category for his article
"Walleye Anglers Keep Pace with Changing Lake Erie." The
story originally appeared in the July/August 2002 issue of Ohio
Sea Grant's newsletter Twine Line and can be accessed at http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/pdfs/tl-ja-02.pdf.
9. Staff News
Brian Miller, Associate Director, IL-IN Sea Grant, successfully
defended his dissertation and received his Ph.D. at Purdue University.
Robin Goettel, Communications Coordinator, IL-IN Sea Grant, received
her Master's of Education degree from the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign.
Jennifer Read, MI Sea Grant, gave birth to Kathleen Grace Donahue.
Katie weighed in at a whopping 11 pounds, 1 ounce.
|
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April 2003
Contents
1. IL-IN Sea Grant - River Restoration Workshop
2. MN Sea Grant - Superior Seminar Endocrine Disruptors
3. NY Sea Grant - Aquatic Invaders and Diving
4. WI Sea Grant - Mercury-contaminated diet may interfere with reproduction
5. IL-IN Sea Grant - Control of Purple Loosestrife Now a National
4-H Project
6. WI Sea Grant - Lubner Teaches Aboard Schooner
7. Web News
WI Sea Grant - New Earthwatch Web Site Appeals to Radio Station
Managers
WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio this Week
WI Sea Grant - University of Wisconsin Center Launches Online Store
8. Publications
MN Sea Grant - Seiche - March 2003
MN Sea Grant - Journal Reprints - steelhead trout and northern pike
genetics.
IL-IN Sea Grant - The ABC's of PCB's
10. Staff News
IL-IN Sea Grant - New Faces
WI Sea Grant - Coastal Engineer Keillor Retires
1. IL-IN Sea Grant - River Restoration Workshop
River Restoration: Practices and Concepts--Beyond the Basics of
Dam Removal and Modification
Overview: People recognize that obsolete, unsafe dams can be removed
cost effectively. This workshop provides tools needed when considering
a dam removal project. June 4, 2003 at Elgin Community College,
Elgin, Illinois. For info, contact Leslie Dorworth, Illinois-Indiana
Sea Grant 219-989-2726 dorworth@calumet.purdue.edu
2. MN Sea Grant - Superior Seminar Endocrine Disruptors
Coffee Beans, Laundry Soap, and Fish Sexuality: What Comes Around,
Goes Around - Deborah Swackhamer, professor with the University
of Minnesota Twin Cities School of Public Health.
The things we eat, drink, and wash with can mess up a fish's sex
life. As they work through our lives and down our drains, some common
chemical compounds can scramble the hormonal signals that rule fish
development and reproduction. Dr. Swackhamer, an expert on these
endocrine disrupters, will discuss her research on these chemicals
and their impact on fish in the Duluth-Superior Harbor.
A video of the presentation was posted to www.seagrant.umn.edu/speakerseries/index.html.
on April 10. Video archives of previous talks and more information
about the series can also be accessed through the speaker series
Web page.
This Lake Superior-related speaker series was made possible by
a grant funded under the Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA's Office
of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in conjunction with Minnesota's
Lake Superior Coastal Program.
3. NY Sea Grant - Aquatic Invaders and Diving
On Saturday, April 12, shipwreck explorers and scientists shared
a stage at SUNY Oswego for Great Lakes Underwater. Hosted by Oswego
Maritime Foundation and New York Sea Grant (NYSG), this seventh
annual event included adventurous underwater tales and discussions
on existing diving preserves in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence
and future ones in Lake Erie and the Niagara River. Also, NYSG's
Coastal Education Specialist, Helen Domske, explained how exotic
invaders are affecting the sport of diving, which raked in $108
million in revenue for New York's Great Lakes in 1999. Figures are
projected higher over the last few years, but exotics are still
a concern.
"As a diver, it's great that zebra mussels have gotten into
the ecosystem," says Domske. "The visibility is remarkable.
But if you were a fish or member of the plankton community, you
wouldn't think so highly of them." And, once divers see how
these filter feeders are encrusting diving wrecks and natural features,
they too hold their applause. Divers are at risk of harm from zebra
and quagga mussels as well, as the invaders' razor-sharp shells
can damage equipment and puncture through protective gear.
"It is a shame that we can't even see the form of some of
these wrecks," says Domske. "These mussels are ruining
some of the most historic and best preserved wrecks in the world."
So, how can divers help abate this pervasive problem? Thoroughly
clean SCUBA gear, bait buckets, boat hulls, engines, and bilge waters,
sumps, and live wells. Trailers need to be checked for any sign
of these hitchhikers as well. This means removing all visible mud,
plants, fish, and animals.
Since 1990, at least 4,500 non-indigenous species have established
free-living populations in the US. About 15% of these - including
zebra mussels, the fishhook water flea, and Asian carp - have caused
severe harm to agriculture, industry, human health, and the environment.
The cumulative effect of these invaders has compromised the biological
integrity of the Great Lakes and other water bodies nationwide,
causing ecological instability.
"Exotic species have contributed to the biological artificiality
of the Great Lakes ecosystem and have had impacts on virtually every
ecological niche," says Ed Mills, Director of Cornell University's
biological field station at Shackelton Point along Oneida Lake.
Since the early 1990s, Mills, an internationally renowned researcher
on invasive species, has overseen over a half dozen NYSG-funded
research projects.
Another example of an invader-induced scenario is the botulism
connection between quagga mussels and round goby. Quagga mussels
first appeared in New York's Great Lakes waters in 1991, becoming
more abundant than zebs within two years. These mussels are fed
heavily upon by round gobies, which are then preyed upon by other
fish, which are in turn eaten by waterfowl such as loons. While
botulism has been prevalent in the system for some time, this process
has assisted in its spread up through the food chain. The upward
mobility of these toxins is mostly to blame for the loss of approximately
half Lake Erie's loon population in the last few years. This raises
serious concerns, as the loon is one of the Lake's keystone species,
crucial to its ecosystem stability.
A more in-depth analysis of these issues will appear in the Fall
'03 issue of NYSG's Coastlines.
4. WI Sea Grant - Mercury-contaminated diet may interfere with
reproduction
Excerpt from Littoral Drift
It is well-documented that eating large amounts of fish contaminated
with mercury can cause neurological or developmental disorders in
loons, minks, humans, and other organisms. However, scientists know
little about mercury's effects on the fish themselves. Mark
Sandheinrich, Ronald Rada and two colleagues at the University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse recently looked into that question in a study
funded by UW Sea Grant. The scientists examined how eating mercury-contaminated
food affected the reproductive success of fathead minnows.
"Fathead minnows are the white rats of the fish world,"
Sandheinrich said. "They breed well in captivity and they reach
sexual maturity relatively quickly-in about nine months,"
he said. That makes them easier to work with in the laboratory than
hard-to-breed species like bass or walleye. In a simplified description
of the researchers' experiment, one group of minnows ate a
standard fish diet, while other groups ate the same food contaminated
with a range of methylmercury concentrations. The range of methylmercury
concentrations encompassed the concentrations found in the diets
of fish in North American lakes. Most mercury enters aquatic systems
in its pure form, as byproducts of fossil fuel combustion. Bacteria
then convert it to methylmercury, a toxic form that accumulates
in organic tissues. The minnows were placed on the experimental
diets when they hatched. When they reached reproductive age, they
mated with other fish that had received the same diet.
The results suggest that mercury adversely affects not only animals
that eat fish, but also the fish themselves. Compared to pairs of
fish raised on normal diets, those that ate contaminated diets spawned
less successfully (i.e., fewer spawned), they spawned later, and
they produced fewer eggs. In the wild, those effects could spell
trouble for fish populations, according to Sandheinrich. Normally,
many fish species hedge their reproductive bets by producing hundreds
or thousands of young. If mercury contamination reduces the number
of spawning fish, and if those that do spawn produce fewer eggs,
then fewer larval fish would be given a chance to reach adulthood.
Also late-hatching fish may find themselves faced with larger predators
or scarcer food resources than normal. Ultimately, any of these
factors could cause a fish population to decline. For many reasons,
however, these experiments merely suggest that these possibilities
could occur among wild fish; they do not prove that they are occurring,
Sandheinrich noted. First, fathead minnows may respond to dietary
mercury differently in the wild than they do in a laboratory. Second,
other species of fish may tolerate mercury better (or worse) than
fathead minnows. Finally, producing fewer offspring may not necessarily
result in fewer juveniles reaching adulthood. Reduced numbers of
eggs could result in a higher percentage of those eggs reaching
adulthood, because competition for food and shelter would be lessened.
For all these reasons, Sandheinrich said it is important to "avoid
a knee-jerk reaction" to his results. They are merely a first
step toward understanding how mercury in the environment might affect
fish in the wild, he said.
Sandheinrich and Rada are now extending this work in another Sea
Grant-supported study. They are attempting to correlate the effects
of methylmercury on reproduction with its effects on gonadal development
and concentrations of plasma testosterone and estrogen-measurements
that fishery managers can make in wild populations. Such "biomarkers"
could help fishery managers determine whether wild fish are suffering
the same adverse reproductive effects from ingesting mercury that
fathead minnows show in the laboratory. Sandheinrich and Rada's
first project was described in Environmental Science and Technology,
2002, Vol. 36, No. 5.
5. IL-IN Sea Grant - Control of Purple Loosestrife Now a National
4-H Project
Excerpt from Press Release
In the near future, purple loosestrife, an attractive but invasive
wetland plant, may have nowhere to run. A biological control program
to introduce the natural enemy of purple loosestrife, the Galerucella
beetle, into local wetlands, has been accepted into the National
4-H Collection of youth development curricula. The "Biological
Control of Purple Loosestrife" will be used by 4-H volunteers
across the United States.
"This program provides 4-H field volunteers the opportunity
to hatch thousands of these plant-eating beetles, to release them
into nearby wetland areas where purple loosestrife is a problem,
and to monitor the success of their efforts," said Natalie
Carroll, Purdue University associate professor in 4-H and in the
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. "Through
this project, the youth are learning a great deal about environmental
issues and developing relationships with other organizations, such
as local watershed groups," said Carroll. "The 4-H volunteers
see their involvement in this project as providing a community service
and doing something good for the environment."
Purple loosestrife was brought to this country from Europe as a
horticulture plant and as seeds in ships' ballast, and it has since
escaped to wetlands across the United States and Canada where it
has no natural predators. "It forces out native vegetation,
and does not provide a food or a nesting source for native wildlife,
said Pat Charlebois, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant biological resources
specialist. "Invasive aquatic species such as purple loosestrife
reduce biodiversity and can also change water chemistry and flow."
The 4-H project to beat back purple loosestrife was developed by
Carroll and Purdue University 4-H in partnership with the Illinois
Natural History Survey, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Michigan Sea
Grant, and Minnesota Sea Grant. It has been implemented in several
Great Lakes states, but now will be available to 4-H programs nationwide.
The youth who take part in this program commit to two years of activity-based
training and field work. They learn about wetlands, invasive species,
biological control and monitoring. "At the beginning of their
involvement, the volunteers measure the diversity in a nearby wetland.
After the release of the beetles they go back and assess whether
there are any changes," explained Carroll. "The 4-H program
has been instrumental in involving youth in efforts to introduce
the Galerucella beetle into degraded wetlands," said Charlebois.
"These volunteers can provide a critical role in the control
purple loosestrife."
If you would like more information about the purple loosestrife
4-H program, contact Natalie Carroll at (765) 494-8344. To access
the "Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife" curriculum,
go to www.sgnis.org
on the Web or call (888)398-4636.
6. WI Sea Grant - Lubner Teaches Aboard Schooner
Wisconsin Sea Grant Marine Education Specialist Jim Lubner taught
an introductory oceanography course aboard the wooden schooner
Denis Sullivan in January. Sailing round-trip from Florida to
the Bahama Islands, he introduced seven University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
students to taking water samples, making Secchi disk measurements,
and towing plankton nets. The students learned about currents,
waves, and weather, and they learned about life in the age of
sail. "They did stuff
they never imagined they'd do," Lubner said, "like
climbing out on the bowsprit to handle sails, steering the boat
in all kinds of weather, and standing watch around the clock."
Above all, the students learned confidence, Lubner said. "At
one point, one student said she would not have gone on the trip
if she had known much work it would be. By the end of the trip,
though, she said she'd go again, "no problem."
Based in Milwaukee, the Denis Sullivan is a three-masted wooden
schooner similar to those that plied the Great Lakes during the
19th and early 20th centuries. The ship is scheduled to return
to Milwaukee in late May. For more information, see www.pierwisconsin.org.
7. Web News
WI Sea Grant - New Earthwatch Web Site Appeals to Radio Station
Managers
Excerpt from Littoral Drift
Wisconsin Sea Grant is pleased to announce a fresh, new online presence
for the Earthwatch Radio project at http://ewradio.org.
The new site for Earthwatch Radio features a section designed specifically
for radio station managers. It features online audio for several
programs to help station managers listen to the program easily and
evaluate its fit with their station formats. The new Web site also
has a form for station managers to order demo CDs by email, and
since the site went "live" on January 3, more than a dozen
station managers have done just that. The new site also takes advantage
of a first-level domain name on the Internet. The Earthwatch Radio
project is a joint production of Sea Grant and the Gaylord Nelson
Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
During 2002, the project marked its 30th anniversary, and it also
obtained federal protection for "Earthwatch" as a trademark
of the UW-Madison for radio programming; "The trademark issue
was complicated by negotiations with the Earthwatch Institute in
Massachusetts over the use of a name that our project has carried
since 1972," said Richard Hoops, radio producer and principal
investigator on the project. "The Earthwatch Institute agreed
not to contest our registration of 'Earthwatch' as a trademark for
radio programming in return for our agreement not to use 'Earthwatch'
as a first-level domain name on the Web." However, Sea Grant
was able to successfully register a related URL using the "org"
suffix to replace the previous address which was a subdirectory
of the main Sea Grant site. "The new URL is a lot easier to
tell people when you're talking to them than something that has
to include a separate Web address and backslashes," Hoops said.
"We're hoping this new site and URL will help us raise the
profile of Earthwatch Radio across the radio industry."
WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio this Week
Earthwatch Radio programs for this week are now available online
at: http://ewradio.org.
- Deaf Fish - Loud noises created by people might leave a lot
of fish without a sense of sound. (4/14/03)
- Managing Marlin - Some populations of marlin are shrinking because
they're caught accidentally by commercial fishing operations.
An endangered species law might not be the best way to protect
this big ocean fish. (4/15/03)
- Bounded by Water and Fire - The Boundary Waters Canoe Area in
Minnesota is undergoing subtle changes due to a lack of natural
fire. (4/16/03)
- An Act of Conservation - Famed conservationist Aldo Leopold
comes to life in a traveling one-man act. (4/17/03)
- Unwelcome Island Visitors - Native plants and animals on some
tropical islands have a particularly hard time surviving invasions
by foreign species. (4/18/03)
WI Sea Grant - University of Wisconsin Center Launches Online
Store
The UW Aquatic Sciences Center, home of the Sea Grant and Water
Resources Institutes at the University of Wisconsin, recently launched
an online commerce site to provide easier access to and broader
distribution of its publications and other products. The ASC Online
Store features popular publications, posters, book marks and other
materials as well as technical papers and reports on all things
related to water in Wisconsin. The site allows visitors to access
publications from either the Sea Grant or Water Resources Institute
and features products that are free-of-charge as well as those that
are for sale. Visitors have the option of using a credit card on
the secure site, or sending their payment in the mail. Visit the
store at http://aqua.wisc.edu/publications.
8. Publications
MN Sea Grant - Seiche - March 2003 - http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/seiche/mar.03/index.html
- Minnesota Sea Grant Awards $678,500 for Aquatic Research
- 17th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology
- Romancing the Sea Lamprey (Love Potion Number 3KPZS)
- Outstanding Local Conservation Projects Lauded
- Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
- Essay Contest for Minnesota's High School Students
- Giving Exotic Species a Taste of Their Own Medicine
- Invasive Aquatic Plant Field Guide
MN Sea Grant - Journal Reprints - steelhead trout
and northern pike genetics. http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/pubs/jrorder.html
Ardren, W. and Kapuscinski, A. (2003) Demographic and Genetic Estimates
of Effective Population Size (Ne) Reveals Genetic Compensation in
Steelhead Trout. Molecular Ecology 12:35-49. Free. JR 487
Miller, L. and Senanan, W. (2003) A Review of Northern Pike Population
Genetics Research and Its Implications for Management. North American
Journal of Fisheries Management 23:297-306, Free. JR 484
IL-IN Sea Grant - The ABC's of PCB's
Multilingual (English, Spanish, Polish and Korean) brochure on the
basic facts of PCBs and their occurrence in Great Lakes fish. Single
copies are free and multiple copies are $1.00/ea. For ordering,
please request IISG-02-06 by contacting Cyndi Moore at 800-345-6087
or publicationsPlus@uic.edu
10. Staff News
IL-IN Sea Grant - New Faces
Kate Beardsley is the Great Lakes Ecosystem Extension Specialist
for the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program. She is located
at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National
Program Office (GLNPO) in Chicago, Illinois. She works with GLNPO
to further develop extension programs and strategies that will enhance
the delivery of their research-based information to coastal community
decision-makers, natural resource managers and agency professionals.
Chad Dolan, Fisheries Extension Specialist, is a joint employee
of the Illinois Natural History Survey and Illinois Department of
Natural Resources-Technical Support Section. His major duties include
educating stakeholders of issues surrounding Great Lakes fisheries,
promoting the Great Lakes Sea Grant Fisheries Leadership Institute
(a program aimed at developing effective communication and interaction
between leaders of fisheries-related organizations and researchers
or managers), and compiling information on Great Lakes fisheries
habitat for use as Institute curriculum.
Charlie Felkner, Aquaculture Extension Educator, with Illinois-Indiana
Sea Grant, is working closely with the aquaculture industry associations
in both states to assess current needs of aquaculturists and the
Extension agents that serve them. Charlie is also a staff member
of the Morgan County Cooperative Extension Service at Purdue University.
WI Sea Grant - Coastal Engineer Keillor Retires
Excerpt from Littoral Drift
J. Philip Keillor, coastal engineering specialist with the Wisconsin
Sea Grant Institute since 1975, retired at the end of February.
He took with him unique skills and expertise; Keillor was the only
Sea Grant-supported coastal engineer in the Great Lakes region.
Phil has always been exceptional. He also holds the first master's
degree in ocean engineering ever conferred by the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. When Phil came to Madison in 1972, he had been
a working professional for 12 years. A mechanical engineering major
from the University of Minnesota, he'd worked as a project
engineer at 3M for almost a decade. Before 3M, Phil had been an
engineering intern at General Mills Mechanical Division, where he
worked next door to a lab in which engineers were designing Alvin,
the Navy's first underwater research vehicle. Phil was fascinated
by the project - and elated. He'd finally figured out
what he wanted to do: ocean engineering. "I suddenly realized
I could combine my typical Midwestern boyhood fascination with the
sea, and engineering," he said.
The field of ocean engineering seemed to offer everything he'd
always wanted to study and work on: a neat combination of his personal
interests and his work, the culmination of a long-standing love
affair with the ocean, ships, lighthouses and all things nautical
- things that fascinated him since his boyhood on the Minnesota
prairie. But why would a young man with a passion for the sea pursue
an ocean-related degree at Wisconsin? "It was because of a
chance conversation with a neighbor in St. Paul who told me that
the UW had a brand new program in ocean engineering," Phil
said. It turned out to be a marriage made in heaven. Wisconsin Sea
Grant needed Phil Keillor, and Phil found great reward in working
for Wisconsin Sea Grant. "Phil made a significant impact on
Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Great Lakes Region," said UW Sea
Grant Institute Director Anders Andren. "He will be sorely
missed."
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March 2003
Contents:
1. HOLD-THE-DATE --Exciting, interactive panel session to be held
at IAGLR 2003
2. MN Sea Grant - 17th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation
Biology
3. MN Sea Grant - Superior Science for You! seminar
4. Ohio Sea Grant - Call for Research Preproposals
5. NY Sea Grant - Shipboard Course on Lake Ontario
6. Minnesota Sea Grant - Aquatic Research Grants Awarded
- How Physical and Chemical Stresses Affect Survival of Spiny
Waterflea Eggs
- Fortified with Iron - Enhancing the Break-down of PCBs
in Great Lakes Sediment
- What the Nose Knows - Determining What Lures Steelhead
Trout Home
- Taking Stock of Steelhead Stocking
- Lake Trout Lairs and Nurseries - Discovering What Determines
Reproductive Success
- Watching the Wake of Storms in Lake Superior and Beyond with
Remotely-Activated Water Quality Samplers
- Using Fathead Minnows to Screen for Estrogens and Androgens
in Rivers
- The Impacts of E. coli From Soil on the Lake Superior Watershed
- Male Minnows and Estrogen Exposure - Does it Pose a
Threat to Their Reproductive Health?
7. WI Sea Grant - Record Low Waters Possible on Great Lakes This
Summer
8. Publications
OH Sea Grant - Jan/Feb Twineline
MN Sea Grant - Journal Reprint - Fish Genetics
1. HOLD-THE-DATE --Exciting, interactive panel session to be
held at IAGLR 2003
Are you planning to attend the International Association for Great
Lakes Research Conference in
June 2003? If yes, then plan to participate in the following panel
session:
Biological Invasions: How Media Communications Can Impact Policy
and Research Agendas
When: Wednesday, June 25th
Time: 4:20 p.m.
Where: IAGLR Conference, Chicago
Moderated by IAGLR Past-President Dr. Gail Krantzberg, this panel
discussion will focus on the exchanges between researchers and the
media. The session will highlight past and current coverage of a
two major invasive species issues in the Great Lakes: the Asian
Carp and Ballast Water. The session will explore how media coverage
and communications can have an impact on policy and research priorities.
A panel of reporters and researchers involved in Asian carp and
ballast water initiatives will be part of an interactive discussion
with the session participants.
Sponsored by: Great Lakes Commission, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
College Program, International Joint Commission, and Ohio Sea Grant
College Program
2. MN Sea Grant - 17th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation
Biology - Duluth, MN, June 28-July 2
Excerpt from Press release
Coastal pollution, loss of coral reefs, the struggle to maintain
biodiversity these challenging natural resource issues and
many others faced across the world today are strongly linked to
the interaction between land and water. The management and understanding
of land, freshwater, and marine systems are essential to effectively
deal with these problems. These situations, in addition to current
estimates that by 2005, two-thirds of the world's population will
be living with serious water shortages or almost no water at all,
led the United Nations to designate 2003 as the International Year
of Fresh Water.
An international gathering of more than 1,200 biologists will convene
this summer in Duluth, MN, to discuss interactions between land
and water for the 17th Annual Society for Conservation Biology Meeting.
The event will run from June 28 through July 2, and is hosted by
the University of Minnesota Duluth's Natural Resources Research
Institute and Continuing Education Program, and the University of
Minnesota's Sea Grant Program and Conservation Biology Graduate
Program.
"It's fitting to host this meeting on the coast of Lake Superior,"
said Carl Richards, director for Minnesota Sea Grant. "It's
one of the largest lakes in the world in a region with an extremely
high density of inland lakes, rivers, and wetlands next to urban,
agricultural, and forested areas. The areas where land meets water
are dynamic. Most are home to unique species and are exposed to
many human and natural disturbances. Through this meeting, we will
encourage dialogue on land-water interactions as well as a host
of other conservation biology topics," Richards said.
Plenary presentations will be given by Michael Dombeck, Pioneer
Professor of Global Environmental Management at the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point and former director of the U.S. Forest Service;
Jane Lubchenco, Valley Professor of Marine Biology and Distinguished
Professor of Zoology at Oregon State University; David Schindler,
Killam Memorial Professor of Ecology at the University of Alberta;
and Joy Zedler, Aldo Leopold Professor of Restoration Ecology at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The scientific program will include 15 symposia focusing on a wide
variety of conservation issues, including coastal wetlands, climate
change, wide-ranging species, land-use planning, and marine reserves.
Over 700 abstracts have been reviewed for presentation at the meeting,
and several workshops and organized discussions are planned.
The meeting will be held at the Duluth Entertainment Convention
Center. The early registration fee (deadline May 1) is $200 for
Society members, and $300 for nonmembers ($100 for students). Meals,
field trips, and entertainment are extra. For more information,
you can access the conference Web site at www.conservationbiology.org/2003,
or contact the conference administrator, Kris Lund at (218) 726-7810
or 2003@conbio.org.
3. MN Sea Grant - Superior Science for You! seminar
Wetlands They're Not Just for Mosquitoes Anymore
- Janet Keough, associate director for science with the EPA in Duluth
Although they are small in proportion to the open lake, the coastal
wetlands of Lake Superior generate significant biological activity.
The EPA is examining the mechanics and ecology of these often over-looked
habitats of Lake Superior. Dr. Keough explains how wetlands contribute
to life in the lake and their relationship with Lake Superior's
seiches.
Try listening through your computer! Video of the presentation
and previous talks in the series are posted to
www.seagrant.umn.edu/speakerseries/index.html.
4. Ohio Sea Grant - Call for Research Preproposals
The Ohio Sea Grant College Program is requesting preproposals for
one to three year research projects on Great Lakes and marine problems
with particular significance to Ohio. Funding should not exceed
$60,000 per year and projects will begin on March 1, 2004 or March
1, 2005. An information session for investigators interested in
submitting preproposals will be held Tuesday April 8, 2003 at 1:00
p.m. in our Columbus office. The preproposal deadline is Wednesday,
May 14, 2003. The preproposal is available on the Ohio Sea Grant
web site at: www.sg.ohio-state.edu,
or send your request to cruickshank.3@osu.edu
and type "send preproposal" in the subject line. Note
- GLERL cannot received Sea Grant funding, though GLERL collaborators
are always welcome on Sea Grant projects.
5. NY Sea Grant - Shipboard Course on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario Environmental Science (Sunday, July 20 - Saturday
26, 2003) is being offered for undergraduate science majors and
science educators through Niagara University with the support of
NY Sea Grant, US FWS, and US EPA. This experiential course takes
place on the Lake Guardian. Participants will study fish biology,
environmental issues such as toxic contamination, Areas of Concern
- including the Niagara River and the Oswego River, and invasive
species such as zebra mussels and the round goby. The course will
include lectures, lab work and several off-ship field trips to study
environments on the shores of Lake Ontario. The course will be co-taught
by William Edwards (Niagara Univ), Helen Domske (NYSG @ Buffalo),
and Mike Weimer (USFWS @ Amherst).
6. Minnesota Sea Grant - Aquatic Research Grants Awarded
Minnesota Sea Grant Program recently chose nine research projects
involving Lake Superior and Minnesota's inland lakes for funding.
The award money, which is provided by the National Sea Grant College
Program and matched by the University of Minnesota, collectively
totals $678,500. The following projects that focus on coastal ecosystems
and economies, Minnesota's fisheries problems, new technologies,
and communities and urban coasts, will be funded through University
of Minnesota departments for 2003-2005:
- How Physical and Chemical Stresses Affect Survival of Spiny
Waterflea Eggs: Donn Branstrator and Lyle Shannon, University
of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Department of Biology.
The spiny waterflea (Bythotrephes longimanus) is a voracious predatory
zooplankton that is an aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes,
including Lake Superior. Current control efforts for this pest focus
mainly on the adult life stage, even though the resting egg stage
is more likely to be accidentally dispersed by recreational boaters
on their equipment. Researchers plan to conduct lab experiments
that will simulate different methods (extreme temperatures, drying,
chlorine, and salt) boaters could use to kill any resting eggs on
their equipment. Lake managers and policy specialists will find
the results useful in containing the spread of this invasive species.
- Fortified with Iron - Enhancing the Break-down of PCBs
in Great Lakes Sediment: Paige Novak, University of Minnesota
Twin Cities (UM), Department of Civil Engineering.
To explore ways to speed the breakdown of PCBs in Great Lakes,
researchers will team elemental iron with microscopic organisms
that dechlorinate PCBs in contaminated sediment. Previous studies
found that particular microorganisms in Baltimore Harbor's sediment
degrade PCBs more quickly when corroding iron releases hydrogen
gas, which is food for these microorganisms, into the water. The
researchers anticipate that similar microorganisms live in Lake
Superior's PCB-contaminated sediments and will also respond to iron.
They hope to stimulate PCB dechlorination in less-contaminated sediments
by seeding them with iron and the Baltimore Harbor microorganisms.
Speeding the ability of natural microorganisms to dechlorinate PCBs
might complement or replace expensive and controversial dredging
procedures and increase the ability of remediation personnel to
manage contaminated sediment.
- What the Nose Knows - Determining What Lures Steelhead
Trout Home: Allen Mensinger, UMD Department of Biology, and
Peter Sorensen, UM Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation
Biology.
Steelhead trout, a variety of rainbow trout, are prized recreational
fish. Exactly what draws them to their native streams to spawn remains
a mystery, but knowing these factors could help fishery biologists
better manage this migrating species. Researchers plan to build
upon a previous Sea Grant study to develop a remote telemetry system
that will allow them to continuously record impulses from nerves
in the nose (olfactory nerves) of free-swimming steelhead trout
in a lab setting. An electrode will be implanted into the olfactory
nerve of several steelhead trout. Impulses from the regenerated
nerve will be matched to different scents that the fish are exposed
to and their associated behaviors. Eventually, researchers hope
to use this technology in natural aquatic habitats to determine
which cues are important to steelhead during stream migration.
- Taking Stock of Steelhead Stocking: Loren Miller and Anne
Kapuscinski, UM Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation
Biology.
Working with the MN Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Lake
Superior Area and French River Fish Hatchery, researchers will use
mating records, captures at fish weirs, and genetic data to compare
the reproductive success of hatchery-stocked steelhead trout to
that of Lake Superior's naturalized steelhead. Simultaneously, they
will examine the survival rate of juvenile steelhead produced by
naturalized parents, hatchery parents and mixed crosses in isolated
reaches of North Shore rivers. Building on a previous Sea Grant
study, the researchers hope to guide the MN DNR's rehabilitation
program for Lake Superior steelhead and examine the genetic and
ecological effects of supplemental stocking on naturalized populations.
- Lake Trout Lairs and Nurseries - Discovering What Determines
Reproductive Success: Thomas Hrabik and Donn Branstrator, UMD
Department of Biology; Nigel Wattrus, Brian May, Elise Ralph, and
Stacy Stark, Large Lakes Observatory.
A team of researchers will identify habitat characteristics favored
by spawning and juvenile lake trout over two shoals of the Apostle
Islands in Lake Superior through remote sensing technology. This
study will generate new information about how interactions among
substrate size and stability, water movement, and sedimentation
influence the reproductive success of lake trout. An understanding
of water conditions coupled with high-resolution GIS information
about habitat selection and use will help natural resource managers
direct efforts to manage populations of these commercially-important
native fish. The researchers will also analyze the diets of fish
in the areas where juvenile lake trout gather to examine how young
trout fare both in competition and as prey.
- Watching the Wake of Storms in Lake Superior and Beyond with
Remotely-Activated Water Quality Samplers: George Host and Richard
Axler, UMD Natural Resources Research Institute.
Researchers plan to develop a device that automatically collects
water quality samples in response to signals from sensors that could
be miles away. A prototype sensor-sampler system will activate water
sampling in Lake Superior's St. Louis River Estuary when the sensor
detects storm-induced changes in the water's conductivity and turbidity.
After the researchers couple the system with equipment allowing
them to collect samples from a variety of depths, they will move
the sensor-sampling system to an inland lake to measure the extent
to which storms stir bottom sediments and mix deeper high-phosphorus
water to the surface where it can cause algae blooms. These characteristics,
which can affect natural resource personnel's success at managing
water quality and restoring aquatic systems, will be the criteria
for comparing the new sampling system to more traditional and labor-intensive
monitoring techniques.
- Using Fathead Minnows to Screen for Estrogens and Androgens
in Rivers: Ira Adelman and Vivek Kapur, UM Department of Fisheries,
Wildlife and Conservation Biology.
Through this project, researchers hope to identify which genes
in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) respond to estrogens
and androgens. These compounds may occur in runoff from agricultural
lands and sewage treatment plants. Researchers will develop a sensitive
and specific genetic test and determine its effectiveness in evaluating
the presence of estrogens and androgens in rivers. This test will
provide a means of early detection of environmental stressors, allowing
natural resource managers a timely way to reduce the impact of these
contaminants and preserve the health of the ecosystem.
- The Impacts of E. coli From Soil on the Lake Superior Watershed:
Michael Sadowsky, UM Department of Soil, Water, and Climate; and
Randall Hicks, UMD Department of Biology.
This project seeks to determine whether E. coli bacteria,
an indicator of fecal pollution, comes from humans or from sediments
that erode into the Duluth-Superior harbor and Lake Superior. Although
sewage or treated effluents are often blamed as sources of E.
coli, many of these bacteria filter into aquatic environments
from livestock in agricultural areas, warm-blooded animals in natural
ecosystems, as well as from soils and sediments. As a result, the
extent of human influences on coastal ecosystems and health risks
may be over-estimated. Researchers will look at whether E. coli
released into natural environments from soils and sediments survive
and persist, and will identify what factors might influence their
survival and reproduction. Using DNA fingerprinting, they hope to
build on a previous Sea Grant project by identifying the original
sources of E. coli found in the sediment, soil and nearshore
environments of Lake Superior and to estimate the impact this has
on fecal coliform measurements in the lake and harbor. Results will
be useful to regional wastewater plant operators and government
agencies both locally and in other coastal regions.
- Male Minnows and Estrogen Exposure - Does it Pose a Threat
to Their Reproductive Health?: Peter Sorensen, UM Department
of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Heiko Schoenfuss,
St. Cloud State University.
Male fathead minnows will be raised in water with concentrations
of estrogen-mimicking compounds similar to those that researchers
find to be released by sewage treatment plants and pulp mills along
the Great Lakes. The researchers will examine whether these relatively
low levels of estrogen-mimicking chemicals change any aspect of
the minnows' development-particularly by monitoring the presence
of a female yolk precursor protein, vitellogenin. Based on a combination
of field and laboratory studies, the researchers plan to determine
if typical effluent from treatment facilities will impair the ability
of small populations of male fish to reproduce.
7. WI Sea Grant - Record Low Waters Possible on Great Lakes
This Summer
Excerpt from Press Release
MADISON, Wis. (2/20/03)-Unusually low water levels in the Great
Lakes for this time of year may combine with lingering El Nino conditions
to yield the lowest summertime water levels in decades, according
to Philip Keillor, coastal engineering specialist at the University
of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute.
"This is the first time since the 1960s we've had such low
late-winter water levels on Lake Michigan coinciding with El Nino
conditions," Keillor said. "The last time that happened,
we had some of the lowest water levels on record." El Nino
conditions occur every three to four years, and they usually bring
warmer and drier-than-average weather. That's been the case so far
this winter, Keillor said, and it will probably hold true into spring,
keeping water levels down.
As of last week, all of the lakes were lower than last year at
this time, according to Marie Strum, water resource engineer with
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit. Lake Michigan was six
to seven inches below last year's levels and 22 inches below average
for February. Lake Superior was two inches lower than last year
and eight inches below average for February. Water on the Great
Lakes normally cycles from a low in the winter to a peak in the
summer. The Corps of Engineers predicts Lake Michigan will peak
this summer between six inches above and two inches below its 2001
high water mark, which was its lowest since the 1960s. The lake
generally peaks around mid July. Lake Superior is predicted to peak
within five inches of its 2000 high water mark, which was the lowest
peak for that lake since the 1920s. Lake Superior usually peaks
in late August.
During most springs, the lakes rise from melting snow and rain.
But both sources of water may be in short supply this spring. So
far this winter, little snow has fallen in the Great Lakes basin.
Precipitation across the basin was 25 percent below average in November,
29 percent below average in December and 41 percent below average
in January, the corps reported. Compounding the problem are very
dry soils in much of the Great Lakes basin, according to Mark Svoboda
of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska
in Lincoln. Dry soil will absorb more melted snow and rainwater
than usual, leaving less to replenish the lakes, Svoboda said. High
rates of evaporation this winter have contributed to the current
low lake levels. This winter's warm weather has been punctuated
by several bursts of very cold, dry weather, producing ideal conditions
for evaporation. Evaporation on the lakes is greatest when the water
is warm and overlying air is cold and dry. The mild winter has also
limited ice cover on the lakes, further promoting evaporation.
8. Publications
OH Sea Grant - Jan/Feb Twineline - http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/pdfs/tl-jf-03.pdf
- 2002 Program Highlights
- Ask Your Agent - Water Levels
- President Signs Sea Grant Reauthorization Act
- Residents Appear to Favor Farmland Protection
- Knauss Fellowship Opportunity
- Range of the Zebra Mussel
- FOSL - Research Endowment Receives $2.1 Million
- Make Plans to Attend Stone Lab's Annual Open House Sept
6-7
MN Sea Grant - Journal Reprint - Fish Genetics
Ardren, W. and Kapuscinski, A. (2003) Demographic and Genetic Estimates
of Effective Population Size (Ne) Reveals Genetic Compensation in
Steelhead Trout Molecular Ecology 12:35-49. Free. JR 487
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February 2003
Contents
1. OH Sea Grant - Invitation - "Lake Erie Sport Fishing with
Some Science"
2. WI Sea Grant - Call for Abstracts - 3rd International Percid
Fish Symposium
3. MI Sea Grant - Director Position Posted
4. WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio
5. MN Sea Grant - Superior Science For You - Water Levels Seminar
6. MI Sea Grant - Muskies infected with a rare disease in Lake St.
Clair
7. MI Sea Grant - Zebra Mussels Spread in Michigan's Inland Lakes
8. Web News
MN Sea Grant - Survival in Cold Water: Hypothermia Prevention
MI Sea Grant - Aquatic Nuisance Species on the Web
9. Publications
WI Sea Grant - January/February Littoral Drift
OH Sea Grant - Nov/Dec TwineLine
NY Sea Grant - Coastlines Fall 2002
OH Sea Grant - Non-technical publications
OH Sea Grant New Journal Reprints
WI Sea Grant New Reprints
NY Sea Grant - Reprints and Other Publications
10. Staff News
MI Sea Grant - New Address for Ann Arbor Office
WI Sea Grant - Assistant to the Director Delphine Skinner retires
1. OH Sea Grant - Invitation - "Lake Erie Sport Fishing
with Some Science"
The Friends of Stone Laboratory and the Ohio Sea Grant College Program
present their Fifth Annual Winter Lecture and Silent Auction. Tuesday,
4 March 2003 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Fawcett Center, Ohio State University
Columbus Campus.
Feature Presentations
"The Lake Erie Ecosystem, the Dead Zone and Invasive Species"by
Dr. Jeff Reutter, Director, Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab
"2003 Fishing Outlook and Smart Fishing Tactics" by Fred
Snyder, Ohio Sea Grant Extension Specialist
"Central Basin Angling: Steelhead and More" by Dave Kelch,
Ohio Sea Grant Extension Specialist
Learn from the experts about how, when and where to fish on Lake
Erie and the educational opportunities and the science that goes
on behind the scenes in the Ohio Sea Grant College Program and Stone
Laboratory on Gibraltar Island, Put-in-Bay, Ohio. A silent auction
will be held beginning at 7 p.m. to benefit the Friends of Stone
Laboratory. Auction items include vintage refurbished microscopes
and other Lake Erie related items.
Please RSVP by calling the Ohio Sea Grant office at 614.292.8949
or e-mail to cordi.2@osu.edu
by February 26th.
2. WI Sea Grant - Call for Abstracts - 3rd International Percid
Fish Symposium
The Third International Percid Fish Symposium will be held July
20-24, 2003 in Madison, Wis. The goals of the symposium are
to update and publicize current knowledge of percid fishes (genera
Perca, Stizostedion and Gymnocephalus), identify priority research
areas, and increase international collaboration and exchange among
researchers. The Sea Grant programs of Minnesota, Ohio and
Wisconsin are co-sponsoring Percis III with numerous other organizations.
The deadline for submitting abstracts is March 15. For more information
see www.seagrant.wisc.edu/percis.
3. MI Sea Grant - Director Position Posted
The University of Michigan invites applications and nominations
for the position of Professor of Natural Resources and the Environment
and Director of the Michigan Sea Grant College Program. The University
is seeking a mid-career tenured faculty member to provide intellectual
leadership for one of the four major themes in the School of Natural
Resources and the Environment (SNRE) - the Great Lakes - and to
direct the Michigan Sea Grant College Program, which has recently
been transferred to SNRE. Candidates who enjoy interdisciplinary
research and teaching and who have a broad background in the aquatic
sciences are encouraged to apply. Read the full position description:
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/news/director03.html
4. WI Sea Grant - Earthwatch Radio
Programs for this week are now available online at: http://ewradio.org.
- From Vicious to Vulnerable -- The United Nations puts the Great
White Shark on a list for protection under an international treaty.
(2/17/03)
- Mercury on the Move -- Scientists in California discover that
part of the state's problem with mercury in the water starts on
the other side of the Pacific Ocean. (2/18/03)
- The Rain in Spain -- Global climate change means drier weather
for Mediterranean countries, according to a Spanish scientist.
(2/19/03)
- Conservatism and Conservation -- The roots of conservative politics
include a rationale for the protection of nature. (2/20/03)
- Local Response to Foreign Species -- An environmental law group
lays out some of the legal means that state governments can use
to fight invasions by foreign plants and animals. (2/21/03)
5. MN Sea Grant - Superior Science For You - Water Levels Seminar
Superior Science for You presentations are available via streaming
video at www.seagrant.umn.edu/speakerseries/index.html.
Current titles:
- It's a Fish-Eat-Fish World by Professor James Kitchell, Department
of Zoology and Institute for Environmental Studies, University
of Wisconsin-Madison
- Romancing the Sea Lamprey by Assistant Professor Weiming Li,
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University
- Lake Superior's "Canaries" - Detecting Ecological
Change by Professor Lucinda Johnson, Center for Water and the
Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), University
of Minnesota Duluth
- Three Quadrillion Gallons, Give or Take a Foot by Al Klein,
area engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Duluth,
MN
This Lake Superior-related speaker series was made possible by
a grant funded under the Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA's Office
of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in conjunction with Minnesota's
Lake Superior Coastal Program.
6. MI Sea Grant - Muskies infected with a rare disease in Lake
St. Clair
From Detroit News - 2/3/2003
http://www.detnews.com/2003/outdoors/0302/03/c01-75588.htm
Lake St. Clair's most prized game fish, the muskellunge, has been
infected with a bacterial disease found in only one other part of
the country. A rash-like disease called piscirickettsia has been
discovered on some muskellunge caught in Lake St. Clair, said Mohamed
Faisal, professor of aquatic and animal medicine at Michigan State
University. "We also have to find out how widespread it is,"
Faisal said. "It can be harmful to the fish. The lesions are
also on their reproductive organs. It depends on their resistance."
Mike Thomas, a state biologist assigned to Lake St. Clair, first
discovered the lesions two years ago when he caught a muskie in
trap nets. But he was unsure what the quarter-size sores were. When
he found more muskies last year with the sores, he asked Faisal
to diagnose the disease. "It's an emerging disease ... that
means it's new," Faisal said. "We have it only in several
places, one in California and one here in Michigan. It's always
like this with a new disease. I guess it will show up in other states."
Thomas said some fishermen might be unaware that they have caught
a muskie with piscirickettsia. "It's very likely a fisherman
may look at these and think they are a healing lamprey scar,"
Thomas said. "The lamprey scars have teeth marks dragged across
the skin, and it's flat. But the (piscirickettsia) is raised and
some of the lesions have fungus associated with it. "We have
to look at this more and see how prevalent it is."
7. MI Sea Grant - Zebra Mussels Spread in Michigan's Inland
Lakes
Lakefront property owners and resource managers found adult colonies
of zebra mussels in 11 new inland lakes in Michigan in 2002, bringing
the total number of colonized lakes to 177. The mussels were found
clinging to hard surfaces such as boats, docks, dams, water pumps
and rocks.
"Inland lakes that have a high level of transient recreational
boating and are in close proximity to infested waters are particularly
vulnerable," says Mike Klepinger, Michigan Sea Grant Extension.
Klepinger also says that citizen monitoring, especially for adult
zebra mussels, has helped increase scientists' knowledge and understanding
of how and why invading organisms spread once they
arrive in the Great Lakes basin.
For more information about citizen lake monitoring and zebra mussels,
including Sea Grant's data base of all monitored and confirmed infested
lakes in Michigan, visit http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/ans/lakes.html.
8. Web News
MN Sea Grant - Survival in Cold Water: Hypothermia Prevention
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/tourism/hypothermia.html
Hypothermia is a risk for anyone who enjoys activities like boating,
fishing, swimming, hiking, or skiing. It can occur quickly and it
can be fatal. Learn how to be safe from this threat by visiting
this Minnesota Sea Grant site.
MI Sea Grant - Aquatic Nuisance Species on the Web
Redesigned Web pages provide new information, photos and relevant
web links on aquatic nuisance species in the Great Lakes. See:
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/ans
9. Publications
WI Sea Grant - January/February Littoral Drift
http://seagrant.wisc.edu/communications/news/documents/DriftJanFeb03.pdf
- Student Work Aids Lake Trout Cause - New Population Model Used
to Revise Quotas
- Celebrate Wisconsin's Water in 2003
- New Earthwatch Website Appeals to Radio Station Managers
- Sea Grant Says Goodbye to Delphine Skinner
OH Sea Grant - Nov/Dec TwineLine http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/pdfs/tl-nd-02.pdf
- A Tale of Two Forts - Forts on Sandusky Bay
- Ask Your Agent - What is the Stelhead Survey?
- Fishhook Waterflea Found in Lake Erie's Central Basin
- Research Review: Ghost of Summers Past
- Researching, Learning, and Living aboard the RV Lake Guardian
NY Sea Grant - Coastlines Fall 2002 http://www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/Pages/Coastlines/fall02.pdf
- Extension Responds
- Touring Around the State
- NEMO Rising
- The Real Fish Story
- In the Breach
- CoastWatch: Restoring Beaver Dam Creek
- On the Level (Ontario Water Levels)
- Restoring Great Lakes Wetlands
- Small Grants, Big Impacts (Long Island Sound Study & NY-NJ
Harbor Estuary Program)
- New York's "Least Wanted"
- Lake Ontario Algae Workshop
- Angling Around New York's Marine District
- Reeling in Weakfish
OH Sea Grant - Non-technical publications
E-Mail your requests to cruickshank.3@osu.edu.
Please type "Publication Request" in the subject line.
Include the publication title and the item number.
- Lake Erie's Water Levels (revised 2001) Fact Sheet. Adapted
from "Who's Responsible for Lake Erie's Water Levels"
that appeared in Twine Line, Jan./Feb. 2001 issue. FS-025a
- Guides to Lake Erie's Historic Shipwrecks: The Adventure , W.
R. Hanna, and F. H. Prince (2002). A set of three sturdy, plastic,
waterproof slates packaged in a waterproof envelope. Each slate
measure 9.5" x 6.25" and features a site map, schematic
diagram, diving information, vessel data, and ship history. ($15.00)
GS-020
- South Bass Island Lighthouse print (2002). This is a limited
edition pen and ink print by artist and Emeritus Professor Dr.
John Crites. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist and
produced on acid free paper. ($250 donation to the Crites Research
Fellowship at Stone Laboratory). Contact our office for information
on other prints by Dr. Crites. PR-005a
OH Sea Grant New Journal Reprints
E-Mail your requests to cruickshank.3@osu.edu.
Please type "Publication Request" in the subject line.
Include the publication title and the item number.
- Changes in zooplankon populations in western Lake Erie after
establishment of Dreissena polymorpha (2001). RS-272
- Cadmium and iron-stress-inducible gene expression in the green
alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: Evidence for H43 protein function
in iron assimilation (2002). RS-273
- Photoinduced degradation of carbaryl in a wetland surface water
(2002). RS-274
- Recolonization and possible recovery of burrowing mayflies (Ephemeroptera:
Ephemeroptera: Hexagenia spp.) in Lake Erie of the Laurentian
Great Lakes (2000). RS-275
WI Sea Grant New Reprints
Abstracts can be found at the National Sea Grant Library Web site,
http://nsgd.
gso.uri.edu Email linda@seagrant.wisc.edu
for reprints.
- Phil Moy and Jill Ladwig, "Protect Our Waters" (aquatic
invaders brochure), University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute,
2002 (WISCU-G-02-002)
- L.S. Weil, T.P. Barry and J.A. Malison, "Fast Growth in
Rainbow Trout is Correlated with a Rapid Decrease in Post-stress
Cortisol Concentrations," Aquaculture, 193:373-280, 2001
(WISCU-R-01-019)
- J.W. Williamson, R. McColl, D. Mathews, J.H. Mitchell, P.B.
Raven and W.P. Morgan, "Brain Activation by Central Command
During Actual and Imagined Handgrip Under Hypnosis," Journal
of Applied Physiology, 92(3):1317-1324, 2002 (WISCU-R-02-012)
NY Sea Grant - Reprints and Other Publications
Please send requests to: Sea Grant Communications, Oregon State
University, 322 Kerr Administration Bldg., Corvallis OR 97331-2131
1.800.375.9360, sea.grant.communications@orst.edu
- Comparison of acoustic and Miller high-speed sampler estimates
of larval fish abundance in Oneida Lake, New York. L. G. Rudstam,
A. J. VanDeValk, and M. D. Scheuerell. 2002. Fisheries Research
57:145-154.
- Differential effects of Aureococcus anophagefferens isolates
("brown tide") in unialgal and mixed suspensions on
bivalve feeding. V. M. Bricelj, S. P. MacQuarrie, and R. A. Schaffner.
2001. Marine Biology 139:605-615.
- Sustaining fisheries yields over evolutionary time scales. D.
O. Conover and S. B. Munch. 2002. Science 297:94-96.
- Agritourism in New York: A Market Analysis. Duncan Hilchey and
Diane Kuehn. 2002.
- Botulism in Lake Erie Workshop Proceedings. Ohio, Pennsylvania
and New York Sea Grant Offices. 2002. 87 pp.
- Impacts of Barrier Island Breaches on Selected Biological Resources
of Great South Bay, New York. J. Tanski, H. Bokuniewicz and C.
Schlenk, Editors. 2001. 103 pp.
- National Coastal Ecosystem Restoration Manual. Oregon, Louisiana
and New York Sea Grant Offices. 2002. 464 pages. $30 (payable
to Oregon State University)
- NEMO Fact Sheets ( 2nd printing) E. Keenan. 2002.
- Impacts of Development of Waterways: Linking Land Use to
Water Quality.
- Nonpoint Source Pollution: New York's Primary Water
Quality Program.
- The New York NEMO Program.
- Recreation Conflicts and Compatibility Between Motorboat Owners,
Personal Watercraft Owners, and Coastal Landowners along New York's
Great Lakes Coast. Cheng-Ping Wang and Chad P. Dawson. 2000. 14
pp.
- Travel Tips for Recreational Boaters, RV Owners, and Motorists.
New York Sea Grant and NYS Seaway Trail, Inc. 2002.
10. Staff News
MI Sea Grant - New Address for Ann Arbor Office
As part of Michigan Sea Grant's transfer to the University of Michigan's
(UM) School of Natural Resources and Environment, its administrative
office is moving, effective March 1, 2003, to the following address:
401 E. Liberty, Suite 3300, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2298. The offices
are located on the third floor of the TCF Bank building in downtown
Ann Arbor adjacent to UM's Central Campus. The move affects administrative
and communications staff based at UM.
WI Sea Grant - Assistant to the Director Delphine Skinner
retires
After serving morethan 30 years as assistant to the director, Delphine
Skinner has retired from her position at Wisconsin Sea Grant.
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January 2003
Contents
1. IL-IN Sea Grant - New RFP for Coastal Resources and Regional
Growth
2. OH Sea Grant - Summer 2003 Lake Erie Water Levels to be Lower
Than Last Year
3. Web News
Michigan Sea Grant - Regional Sea Grant Web Site Honored
WI Sea Grant - New Earthwatch Radio Website
4. Publications
MN Sea Grant - Seiche
5. Staff News
WI Sea Grant - Phil Keillor announces retirement
_______________________________________________________________________
1. IL-IN Sea Grant - New RFP for Coastal Resources and Regional
Growth
The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program requests preproposals
in the areas of Coastal Resources and Regional Growth. Priority
areas include (1) the development of analytical methods or models
that can better identify, forecast, and assess the physical, social
or economic impacts of regional development on critical coastal
resources and habitats; (2) the creation and evaluation of new regulatory
and/or market-based management techniques and institutions that
can better reconcile the protection of critical coastal resources
with the promotion of needed new residential, commercial and industrial
development; and (3) the
formulation and assessment of improved forecasting, shoreline stabilization
and improvement, and capital facilities planning techniques that
can better address the metropolitan-scale and longer-term resource
sustainability challenges posed by regional growth and global climate
change impacts in the southern Lake Michigan basin.
Priority will be given to researchers in Illinois and Indiana.
While NOAA/GLERL cannot be funded directly by this NOAA/Sea Grant,
GLERL collaborations are always welcome.
Preproposals are due February 24, 2003. Awards of $40,000-$60,000
per year will be made for the 2004-2006 biennium. The complete RFP
can be found at http://www.iisgcp.org/funfell/.
Questions or comments should be addressed to Lisa
Merrifield.
2. OH Sea Grant - Summer 2003 Lake Erie Water Levels to be Lower
Than Last Year
Columbus, OH-- Lake Erie water levels will continue a downward
trend, according to the January lake level forecast from the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. "The Corps is calling for June water
levels to be about 8 to 9 inches lower than June 2002 levels, and
this is similar to levels observed in June 2001," states Fred
Snyder, District Extension Specialist for the Ohio Sea Grant College
Program in Port Clinton.
Roughly 90 percent of Lake Erie's water is provided by inflow from
the Detroit River, coming from the three upper Great Lakes. Therefore,
adequate winter precipitation in the upper Great Lakes basin is
a key factor in maintaining Lake Erie's water level.
According to the Corps' report, precipitation in the upper Great
Lakes Basin has been below average this winter. December precipitation
for the Lake Superior Basin was 67 percent lower than normal. In
the Huron-Michigan Basin, the December precipitation rate was 57
percent lower than normal. So far in the first three weeks of January,
the Superior Basin has received only 6 percent of normal precipitation
and the Huron-Michigan Basin received only 9 percent of normal precipitation.
Snyder adds that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Climate Prediction Center links the unfavorable precipitation
forecast to the now mature phase of the current El Nino condition
dominating the tropical Pacific Ocean. The Center predicts that
the remainder of the northern winter will see drier-than-average
conditions over the Ohio Valley and much of the Great Lakes. Much
of the upper Great Lakes region currently is classified as being
in moderate to severe drought, with drought conditions expected
to intensify and expand at least through April 2003.
Unless precipitation increases substantially over the next two
months, which appears unlikely, Lake Erie boaters will see low water
levels and increased boating hazards similar to those experienced
in 2001. "Lake Erie boaters should remain aware of minimum
water depths in their boating areas and of underwater obstructions
such as reefs and shoals," cautions Snyder. Also be careful
while boating on days with strong westerly and southwesterly winds,
which can temporarily lower the lake level further, making shallow
harbors difficult to re-enter.
3. Web News
Michigan Sea Grant - Regional Sea Grant Web Site Honored
The Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Web site was named site of the
month for January by the Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN),
see
http://www.greatlakesseagrant.org.
"We are pleased with the recognition of Sea Grant's regional
outreach efforts, including the distribution of a variety of publications
about aquatic nuisance species," said Elizabeth LaPorte, Communications
Director for Michigan Sea Grant. "The regional Web site is
a great outreach tool to let educators and others within the region
connect to all eight of the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network programs."
The site, redesigned in September, focuses on two main content
areas: aquatic nuisance species and fisheries. These two areas have
provided the greatest opportunity for collaboration within the regional
network, a cooperative effort of seven Sea Grant programs that combine
research, education and outreach for public service in the Great
Lakes region.
Other features include a searchable directory that taps into the
National Sea Grant database and is configured to search specifically
the Great Lakes Sea Grant program members; and the implementation
of a standard regional template design, as approved by National
Sea Grant's webmasters and communicators. This template meets section
508 guidelines for Web site accessibility by people with disabilities.
For more information about accessibility guidelines, see http://www.section508.gov/.
The Great Lakes Sea Grant Network promotes better understanding,
conservation, and use of Great Lakes resources. Through Sea Grant
extension agents, communicators and educators, the network plays
a central role in supplying the region and the nation with science-based
information to better manage Great Lakes resources for present and
future generations.
The Great Lakes Sea Grant Network is part of a nationwide network
of 30 university-based programs that works with coastal communities
and is supported by NOAA. For more information about Sea Grant see
http://www.seagrantnews.org.
WI Sea Grant - New Earthwatch Radio Website
Earthwatch Radio has a new website http://ewradio.org.
Check it out!
4. Publications
MN Sea Grant - Seiche - December 2002 (http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/seiche/dec.02/index.html)
- Lake Superior's Deep-Water Donut Mystery
Huge rings lie in the deepest regions on the floor of Lake Superior.
Scientists at the University of Minnesota and in the United Kingdom
are looking into how they were formed.
- Siscowet Trout: A Plague of Riches
Despite Lake Superior's chilly temperatures and relatively low productivity,
it has a lot of fat fish! Fisheries professor Jim Kitchell discusses
the impacts siscowet trout have on Lake Superior's food web dynamics.
- Voyage of the Mary Sears
Staff member Bruce Munson shares his experiences aboard a naval
vessel as part of a program designed to enhance marine science teaching.
- One Million Exotics ID Cards Available!
We recently completed a print run of 1.1 million aquatic nuisance
species "watch" identification cards that are being distributed
in the U.S. and Canada to help in the fight against the spread of
two species: Eurasian watermilfoil and purple loosestrife.
- Updated Publications List Available
Our publications brochure, which lists over 50 products we offer
to provide information about aquatic issues and Lake Superior, has
been updated and is available for free.
- Glossary of the Great Lakes
We've reduced the price on this glossary, which is a quick and easy
reference designed especially for the public and agency people to
help sort out the different agencies and interpret the various acronyms
at work in the Great Lakes. Cost is $2.50. The definitions are also
available online at
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/pubs/ggl/index.html
for free!
5. Staff News
WI Sea Grant - Phil Keillor announces retirement
February 26 will be Phil Keillor's last day. He notes "I have
enjoyed this work very much and leave it reluctantly, but voluntarily.
I decided that it's time to bring this long-running, fulltime effort
of more than 27 years to a halt. I still find coastal engineering
interesting and will be taking some time to decide if, or how, to
continue my involvement in the field."
Phil plans to remain in Madison and can be reached after February
26 at the following email address: philk@chorus.net
or by phone at: 608-238-8930.
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