AWRI was well represented at the annual meeting of the Michigan Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, which was held recently in Bay City.  The annual meeting provided a venue for scientists to discuss their research on fish in Michigan.  Several students and staff working in Dr. Carl Ruetz’s laboratory presented research that focused on drowned river mouths lakes (a prominent feature on Lake Michigan’s eastern shoreline) as well as fish identification:

• Brandon Harris gave an oral presentation on his master’s thesis research that examined the movement patterns of adult lake sturgeon in Muskegon Lake and the Muskegon River.
• Undergraduate Samantha Morsches, graduate student Travis Ellens, and staff member Andrya Whitten each presented posters on their research that was broadly focused on understanding patterns of fish assemblages in drowned river mouth lakes.
• Staff member Greg Chorak presented a poster on his research that used genetic tools to aid in the identification of two fish species that can be difficult to distinguish in the field.

In addition to the presentations, many of the students and staff participated in a continuing education workshop focused on statistical aspects of sampling freshwater fish populations.  Overall, the conference provided a valuable opportunity for AWRI’s students, faculty, and staff to share their research with Michigan’s scientific community, learn about cutting-edge research, and pursue professional development.

Carl Ruetz, Greg Chorak, Travis Ellens, and Andrya Whitten attended the coordinating meeting for Carl Ruetz's EPA-funded Great Lakes coastal wetland monitoring project in Midland, Michigan on January 23.

 AWRI staff are in bold, graduate students are denoted with a *, and undergraduate students are denoted with **.

Publications

Jim McNair has an article accepted in Fundamental and Applied Limnology.  Bopi Biddanda is a co-author.
McNair, J.N., M.R. Sesselmann*, L.C. Gereaux *, A.D. Weinke**, S.T. Kendall, and B.A. Biddanda. In Press. Alternative approaches for estimating components of lake metabolism using the free-water dissolved-oxygen (FWDO) method. Fundamental and Applied Limnology.

Carl Ruetz has an article accepted in North American Journal of Fisheries Management.  Jim McNair is a co-author.
Ruetz, C.R., III, B.S. Harris*, J.N. McNair, and J.J. Homola*.  In Press.  Removal and mark-recapture methods for estimating abundance: empirical and simulation results for mottled sculpin in streams.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management.

Al Steinman has an article accepted in Lake and Reservoir Management.  Mary Ogdahl is a co-author.
Steinman, A.D. and M.E. Ogdahl. TMDL reevaluation:  reconciling phosphorus load reductions in a eutrophic lake. In Press. Lake and Reservoir Management.

Nadia Gillett, a former postdoc in Al Steinman’s lab, has an article accepted in Journal of Limnology. Al Steinman and Mark Luttenton are co-authors.
Gillett, N.D.*, M.R. Luttenton, and A D. Steinman. In Press. Spatial and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton communities in a Great Lake’s drowned river-mouth lake (Mona Lake, USA). Journal of Limnology.

Liqiang Xi, a former postdoc at AWRI, has an article accepted in Toxicology.  Al Steinman is a co-author.
Zhao, Y., Xue, Q., Su, X., Xie, L.*, Yan, Y. and A.D. Steinman. 2015. Microcystin-LR induced thyroid dysfunction and metabolic disorders in mice. Toxicology 328: 135-141. doi:10.1016/j.tox.2014.12.007

Presentations
(Presenter listed first)

AWRI was represented at the Annual Meeting of the Michigan Chapter of the American Fisheries Society held in Bay City, MI from January 19 – 21.  Carl Ruetz, Greg Chorak, Travis Ellens, Brandon Harris, Samantha Morsches, and Andrya Whitten attended this event.
Harris, B.S.*, C.R. Ruetz III, K.M. Smith, and A.C. Wieten*.  Oral.  Seasonal movement patterns and habitat use of adult lake sturgeon in the Muskegon River, Michigan, USA.
Whitten, A.L. and C.R. Ruetz III.  Poster.  Littoral fish assemblages in two Lake Michigan drowned river mouths.
Ellens, T.J.* and C.R. Ruetz III.  Poster.  Temporal patterns of littoral fish populations in a Lake Michigan drowned river mouth.
Morsches, S.M.P.**, D.J. Janetski, and C.R. Ruetz III.  Poster.  Spatial patterns of fish assemblages in Lake Michigan drowned river mouths.
Chorak, G.M., C.R. Ruetz III, R.A. Thum, J. Wesolek*, and J. Dumke.  Poster.  Identification of brown and black bullheads: evaluating DNA barcoding.

Bopi Biddanda, John Koches, Rick Rediske, and Janet Vail hosted two rooms as they presented an AWRI component titled “Light and the Water World” on the occasion of the “UNESCO International Year of the Light” as part of the Super Science Saturday event on the Allendale campus on January 24.

Al Steinman presented to the Muskegon County Environmental Coordinating Council on the blue economy on December 9.

Travis Ellens, graduate student working with Carl Ruetz, received the 2015 Don L. Brumbaugh Scholarship award.  This Scholarship is for $1,000 of Sonotronics equipment to help with his research on Lake Sturgeon.

Rick Rediske received a grant for a project titled “Muskegon Lake mill debris restoration project” in the amount of $96,530, funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission.

AWRI in the News

“Water: The New Blue Economy”
Area Development.com, December 5, 2014
Al Steinman is quoted in this article regarding the blue economy.

“AquaGen”
Crain’s Detroit Business, December 7, 2014
A brief overview of AquaGen, part of AWRI-GVSU.

“Grad students receive Dean’s Citation Awards”
GV Now (a publication of Grand Valley State University), December 9, 2014
James Smit received an award for Academic Excellence in the Major, and Nicholas Albrecht received an award for Outstanding Master’s Thesis.

“Ottawa County appoints first female road commissioner”
Holland Sentinel, December 9, 2014
Betty Gajewski, who works part time in the AWRI Information Services Center, was appointed an Ottawa County Road Commissioner.
Also carried by WHTC-AM

“Ottawa County appoints first woman to serve in Road Commission”
MLive, December 11, 2014
Betty Gajewski, who works part time in the AWRI Information Services Center, was appointed an Ottawa County Road Commissioner.

“Invasive snail species deadly to ducks more widespread than first thought”
Holland Sentinel, December 16, 2014
Al Steinman and Carl Ruetz were each quoted regarding an invasive snail appearing in the Great Lakes.

“Scientists: Invasive faucet snails spreading in Great Lakes region, carry fatal duck parasite”
Daily Journal, December 16, 2014
Al Steinman and Carl Ruetz were each quoted regarding an invasive snail appearing in the Great Lakes.
Also carried by Times-Post, Pendleton, IN, December 16, 2014
WILX-TV
WXMI-TV

“Hard to kill: invasive faucet snails, dangerous to ducks, found throughout Great Lakes basin”
MLive, December 16, 2014
Al Steinman and Carl Ruetz were each quoted regarding an invasive snail appearing in the Great Lakes.

“Snail harmful to ducks spreading in Great Lakes”
Seattlepi.com, December 16, 2014
Al Steinman and Carl Ruetz were each quoted regarding an invasive snail appearing in the Great Lakes.

“Researchers track invasive snail in Great Lakes”
UpNorthLive.com, December 18, 2014
Al Steinman and Carl Ruetz were each quoted regarding an invasive snail appearing in the Great Lakes.
Also carried by Theory of Life – Science – Technology – Business

“Invasive and deadly snail found in Great Lakes”
Woodradio.com, December 17, 2014
A brief discussion of the faucet snail.
Also carried by: WKAR (Michigan State University)
WTKG (Grand Rapids Talk Alternative)

“Outdoor briefs”
Heraldpalladium.com, December 19, 2014
Al Steinman and Carl Ruetz were each quoted regarding an invasive snail appearing in the Great Lakes.

“Invasive snail population grows in the Great Lakes: waterfowl die-offs cause concerns”
The (Toledo) Blade, December 21, 2014
Al Steinman and Carl Ruetz were each quoted regarding an invasive snail appearing in the Great Lakes.

LMC Events

Dec 12
Series Seminar: Dr. Gary Lamberti, professor of biology at the University of Notre Dame, presented: “Pacific salmon in natal Alaska and introduced Great Lakes habitats:  The good, the bad, and the ugly”

Dec 18
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians held a “Sea Lamprey/Lake Sturgeon Task Force Meeting” at the LMC.

Jan 13
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources held a “Recreation Grants Workshop” at the LMC.

Jan 16
Series Seminar:  Dr. Jennifer Moore, assistant professor of biology at GVSU, presented: “Understanding dispersal and mating in Michigan’s black bears”

Jan 29
The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership held a public meeting at the LMC.