AWRI New Field Station Dedication

The Robert B. Annis Field Station was formally dedicated on August 12th at a ceremony that celebrated the generosity of more than 230 donors, who contributed over 2 million dollars in private funds to make completion of the facility a reality. Speakers included GVSU President Tom Haas, Congressman Bill Huizenga, AWRI Director Al Steinman, and Dan Yates, a Trustee of the R.B. Annis Educational Foundation, which made a major gift to the Field Station Campaign.

The Field Station essentially doubles the research space previously available at the Annis Water Resources Institute, allowing them to expand their efforts to preserve and enhance the freshwater resources of the region, nation, and globe. The station includes three new research labs, a mesocosm tank facility that can now operate year-round, expanded storage areas, 4 new faculty research offices and a dedicated graduate student space. In addition, the station was designed with energy efficiency and sustainability in mind.

Major research initiatives already taking place in the new building include Ryan Thums work on hybridization of invasive and native aquatic macrophytes to assess herbicide sensitivity; Kevin Strychars studies on pathogen susceptibility of Diporeia, a small shrimp-like organism that is a key food source for fish, but whose numbers have declined dramatically with the onset of zebra and quagga mussels in the Great Lakes, and sediment phosphorus release as part of wetland restoration efforts by researchers in Al Steinmans lab.

The faculty, staff, and students at AWRI express their sincere gratitude to all the donors who made the Field Station a reality, with special thanks to the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, whose lead gift through an anonymous donor catalyzed this project, and to the Campaigns Honorary Chair, Chuck Johnson II, and its two Co-Chairs, Larry Hines and Mike Olthoff.

Left: Ribbon cutting at dedication ceremony.

Right: Chuck Angus (left), Laurel Angus (center), and Dan Yates (right) in the mesocosm facility.

LMC Events

Aug 1
A Geology class from Western Michigan University was given a tour of the Lake Michigan Center and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Aug 5
The Adventure Camp group from the Muskegon Yacht Club visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and was given a tour of the Lake Michigan Center.

Aug 6
GVSUs College of Education brought a group of students from the West Michigan Hispanic Center Summer Camp for a program at the Lake Michigan Center and a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Aug 7 & 8
AWRI hosted the monthly meeting of the MDNRs Natural Resources Commission here at the LMC on August 7th and 8th. The group had a cruise on the research vessel W.G. Jackson the evening of the 7th and public meetings at the LMC on the 8th.

Aug 8
The teachers group attending the West Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (GLSI) workshop enjoyed a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Aug 15 & 16
Two public vessel trips on the W.G. Jackson were offered as part of the Muskegon Lake Effect Boat Time Event.

Aug 16
The Michigan Water Environment Association (MWEA) Lab Practices Group was given a tour of the Lake Michigan Center. The group took a cruise on the W.G. Jackson after the tour.

Aug 21
The GVSU Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) group was given a tour of the Lake Michigan Center and enjoyed a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

 

Activities

Bopi Biddanda served on a panel of the IL-IN/WI Sea Grant via webinar on August 26.

Carl Ruetz attended the workshop offered by the MSU Extension titled Fishes of the Grand River: pros and cons of dam removal on August 24.

Al Steinman was an invited panelist reviewing proposals submitted to the MN Sea Grant. Proposals were discussed August 30th.

Al Steinman was selected to serve on a technical advisory panel for the US Army Corps of Engineers to review the Comprehensive Efficacy Study investigating the electric barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal.

Janet Vail has been asked to join the Education Committee for the Muskegon Environmental Research and Education Society (MERES).

Janet Vail and the crew of the W.G. Jackson were in Holland on August 23 and 24 for public cruises.

 

Presentations

AWRI was represented at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota from August 4-9. Dave Janetski, Carl Ruetz, and Ryan Thum attended the conference; Dave and Ryan gave presentations:

Janetski, D.J., and C.R. Ruetz III. Oral. Connectivity and metacommunity dynamics: insights from a lake network in Michigan, USA.

Thum, R. and E. LaRue. Oral. Hybridization and the evolution of invasiveness in herbicide-managed lakes.

 

Publications

Jared Homola, who recently completed his MS under the direction of Carl Ruetz, was the lead author of a paper that has received the Stevan Phelps Memorial Award from the Genetics Section of the American Fisheries Society as the best genetics paper for 2013. Following is the citation for that award-winning paper:

Homola, J.J.*, K.T. Scribner, R.F. Elliott, M.C. Donofrio, J. Kanefsky, K.M. Smith, and J.N. McNair. 2012. Genetically-derived estimates of contemporary natural straying rates and historical gene flow among Lake Michigan lake sturgeon populations. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 141: 1374 - 1388.

Geraldine Nogaro has a publication accepted to Freshwater Biology:

Nogaro, G., T. Datry, F. Mermillod-Blondin, A. Foulquie, and B. Montuelle. In Press. Influence of hyporheic zone characteristics on the structure and activity of microbial assemblages. Freshwater Biology.

 

AWRI In the News

GVSU spoof Saturday Night Live Im on a boat video wins national awardMLive, Thursday, August 1, 2013
The article is about a 2013 Circle of Excellence Award that was produced by GVSUs News & Information Services office. AWRIs research vessel D. J. Angus was featured in the video.

Natural Resources Commission to meet in Muskegon on Aug. 8
MI Department of Natural Resources, Monday, August 5, 2013 The DNR held a meeting at AWRI on Aug. 8.

Grand Valley to formally dedicate new Robert B. Annis Field Station
GVNext (a publication of Grand Valley State University), Monday, August 5, 2013 Dedication of the new AWRI Field Station is August 12.

Michigan Natural Resources Council to hold meeting at Annis Water Resources Institute
GVNext (a publication of Grand Valley State University), Wednesday, August 7, 2013 A public meeting of the Natural Resources Commission is scheduled to take place at the Lake Michigan Center on August 8.

Grand Valley dedicates new Annis Water Resources Institute Robert B. Annis Field Station
GVNext (a publication of Grand Valley State University), Monday, August 12, 2013 The formal dedication of the new AWRI Field Station was held August 12.

GVSU taps extra resources for freshwater research
WWMT Newschannel 3, Monday, August 12, 2013 The formal dedication of the new AWRI Field Station was held August 12.

GVSU dedicates new Robert B. Annis Field Station
WZZM13.com, Tuesday, August 13, 2013 The formal dedication of the new AWRI Field Station was held August 12.

New aquatic research findings from Grand Valley State University reported
Life Science Weekly/NewsRx.com, Tuesday, August 13, 2013 The article is about work being done by the Dr. Ryan Thum lab.

Annis Water Resources Institute building in Muskegon formally dedicated
MLive, Tuesday, August 13, 2013 The article gives the highlights of the August 12 AWRI Field Station dedication.

AWRI awarded grant to study bacteria in Silver Lake
GVNext (a publication of Grand Valley State University), Friday, August 23, 2013 AWRI was awarded $32,000 to assess the presence of a specific bacteria in Silver Lake.

AWRI awarded grant to study bacteria in Silver Lake
Holland Sentinel, August 26, 2013 The AWRI was awarded a grant to assess the presence of blue-green algae in Silver Lake.

Mott Foundation backs GVSU water institute study in Muskegon of Michigan's blue economy potential
MLive, Thursday, August 29, 2013 Al Steinman is quoted in this article about the grant AWRI recently received from the C.S. Mott Foundation.

Grand Valley Annis Institute gets Mott Foundation Grant
CBS Detroit, Thursday, August 29, 2013 Al Steinman is quoted in this article about the grant AWRI recently received from the C.S. Mott Foundation.