Delilah Clement, AWRI graduate student working with Al Steinman, is a recipient of this year’s Lake Research Grants Program award, issued by the Michigan Chapter of the North American Lake Management Society (McNALMS) and the Michigan Lake and Stream Associations (MS&LA). The overall goal of this student grants program is to promote student research and outreach for enhancing lake management.

Delilah’s research is examining phosphorus loss via tile drains in the Macatawa Watershed. She plans to collect tile drain effluent, record land and management factors, perform bioassays on algae using the effluent, and determine if soluble reactive phosphorus (bioavailable) concentrations in relation to total phosphorus from the drain tile have a significant effect on algal growth. Her research will lead to a better understanding of the relationship between tile drain phosphate and algal blooms in the Macatawa watershed and Lake Macatawa, and is part of the larger Project Clarity initiative being led by the Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway.  

Tony Fiore did an on-air interview about the rising lake levels and their effect on ship operations with Jon Mills, WZZM TV13 on March 31.

Tony Fiore did an on-air interview about the rising lake levels and their effect on ship operations with Breanna Tinsley, WDET Detroit Public Radio on April 1.

Shirley McIntire and Ann Hesselsweet represented AWRI with a display at the Muskegon Earth Day event on April 25.

Samantha Morsches, an S³ student who worked with Carl Ruetz last summer, completed her honors senior project with Carl on the spatial distribution of fishes in drowned river mouth lakes.

Syndell Parks attended the Wisconsin Extension Lakes Partnership Convention in Wisconsin the week of April 20.

Carl Ruetz attended the Great Lakes Science in Action Symposium at CMU on April 2.

Carl Ruetz and Andrya Whitten attended a kick-off event for the “Spring into Michigan” program at the Inn at Harbor Shores in St. Joseph, MI on April 17.  The Inn has offered to donate $5.00 toward Carl’s fisheries research for every room booked in the next six weeks.

Michele Smith and Ann Hesselsweet represented AWRI at the Earth Day celebration in Grand Haven on April 18.

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

Publications

Bopi Biddanda and his former graduate student Deb Dila have an article in press with Journal of Great Lakes Research.
Dila, K.D.*  and B.A. Biddanda.  In Press.  From land to lake: contrasting microbial processes across a Great Lakes gradient of organic carbon and nutrient inventories.  Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Bopi Biddanda and his former graduate student Nicole Horne wrote an article for the GVSU Regional Math & Science publication InterChange.
Biddanda, B. and N. Horne*.  Freshwater security in a changing world.  Connections for the STEM Classroom.  InterChange.  April 2015.  https://www.gvsu.edu/rmsc/interchange/connections-for-the-stem-classroom-299.htm (outdated link)

Al Steinman has an article published in Lake and Reservoir Management.  Mary Ogdahl is a co-author.
Steinman, A.D. and M.E. Ogdahl.  2015.  TMDL reevaluation: reconciling phosphorus load reductions in a eutrophic lake.  Lake and Reservoir Management 31: 115-126.

Presentations
(Presenter listed first)

Bopi Biddanda gave a seminar titled “Advances in exploration of submerged sinkhole ecosystems of Lake Huron” for the Biology Department at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant on April 23.

Ariana Carlson, Wipperfurth Scholarship winner who worked with Jim McNair fall 2014 and winter 2015, gave a presentation based on her work at AWRI titled “Reducing effects of dispersal on the bias of 2-sample mark-recapture abundance estimators” to GVSU’s Statistics Department on Mar 26.

JayJay Kottutt, R. B. Annis summer intern who worked with Rick Rediske, did a poster presentation titled “Biosand Filters modified with iron filings for arsenic removal”, based on her summer 2014 work at Student Scholarship Day at GVSU in Allendale on April 8.

Jim McNair gave a presentation titled “Biostatistics applications at GVSU’s Annis Water Resources Institute” to GVSU’s Statistics Department on Mar 26.

Syndell Parks, graduate student working with Jim McNair, presented at the Great Lakes Project and Mississippi River Basin Project Joint Panel Meeting in Wisconsin on April 15.
Parks, S.*  Oral.  How genetic methods can influence the way we assess lakes.

Carl Ruetz presented a poster about his sabbatical research at the CLAS Sabbatical Showcase event on April 1.

James Smit’s article (based on his thesis work) is now available online.  Al Steinman is a co-author.
Smit, J.T.*  and A.D. Steinman.  2015.  Wetland sediment phosphorus flux in response to proposed hydrologic reconnection and warming.  Wetlands.

Al Steinman gave a presentation to the Kent County Garden Club titled “Michigan’s Blue Economy” on April 15.

Al Steinman gave a presentation to the River City Wild Ones at Calvin College titled “Current Threats to our Great Lakes and Wetlands with Some Solutions” on April 20.

Al Steinman gave a presentation to a group called AFFEW (A Few Friends for the Environment of the World) in Ludington titled “Climate Change and Great Lakes” on April 23.

Kevin Strychar gave a presentation about GMOs at the Healthy Living Expo held at The Lakes Mall on April 25.

Janet Vail was the featured speaker at the April meeting of the Michigan Botanical Club – White Pine Chapter on April 18. 

Lindsey Schulte, graduate student working with Jim McNair, was selected for the Graduate Dean’s Citation for Academic Excellence for Outstanding Thesis in the Winter 2015 semester. This is an honor given by Grand Valley State University to graduate students who have been nominated by the faculty for outstanding academic performance.

Delilah Clement, graduate student working with Al Steinman, received a Presidential grant for $2000.

Delilah Clement received a grant from McNALMS (Michigan Chapter, North American Lake Management Society) for her thesis research in the amount of $1000.

Travis Ellens, graduate student working with Carl Ruetz, received a Presidential grant for $2000.

John Koches/ISC was awarded an additional $10,000 toward the Upper Muskegon River Watershed Management Plan.

Mark Luttenton was awarded the second year of funding from NIH for the Great Lakes fungal study in the amount of $72,782.

Anthony Weinke, graduate student working with Bopi Biddanda, received a Michigan Space Grant award for $5000.

AWRI in the News

“Lake Michigan water level up 14 inches over last year”
WZZM-TV 13, April 1, 2015
Captain Tony Fiore was interviewed regarding the affect higher lake levels have on Lake Michigan and other local lakes.
Also carried by: UpNorthLive News @ 6:00; Detroit Free Press; Sheboyganpress.com

“Muskegon Lake water cleanup showing results, institute reports”
MLive.com, April 1, 2015
Results of the Muskegon Lake long term monitoring being done by AWRI are discussed.

“Hard work pays off: Muskegon Lake water much improved”
WOOD NewsRadio, April 2, 2015
Results of the Muskegon Lake long term monitoring being done by AWRI are discussed.
Also carried by WTKG TalkRadio 1230 AM

“Earth Day lecture planned for Women’s City Club”
MLive.com, April 3, 2015
Al Steinman is scheduled to give a talk titled “Growing the Blue Economy” on April 15.

“Let’s rebuild Michigan through its greatest asset: its water”
Bridge Michigan, April 7, 2015
AWRI is a co-author of a report released on 4/7/2015 titled Michigan Blue Economy.
Also carried by: enews USA; WIMS Environmental HotSheet; Waste Information & Management Services; WBND-TV, ABC 57 News

“Michigan’s new Blue Water Economy”
WOOD NewsRadio, April 7, 2015
AWRI is a co-author of a report released on 4/7/2015 titled Michigan Blue Economy.
Also carried by WTKG TalkRadio 1230 AM

“New report highlights broad impact of water on Michigan’s economy”
Michigan Radio, April 7, 2015
Al Steinman is quoted regarding the Michigan Blue Economy report released today.  AWRI was a co-author of this report.

“Report: 1 in 5 Michigan jobs is water-related”
Detroit Free Press, April 7, 2015
AWRI is a co-author of a report released on 4/7/15 titled Michigan Blue Economy.
Also carried by WZZM-TV @ 5:00 a.m.

“Ford’s water achievements profiled in Michigan Blue Economy report”
The Auto Channel, April 7, 2015
AWRI is a co-author of a report released on 4/7/2015 titled Michigan Blue Economy.
Also carried by ENP Newswire

“Water equals jobs in Michigan”
WHTC AM 1450 (Holland), April 8, 2015
AWRI is a co-author of a report released on 4/7/2015 titled Michigan Blue Economy.

“Report shows Muskegon Lake improvement”
WGVU, April 8, 2015
Results of the Muskegon Lake long term monitoring being done by AWRI are discussed.

“Report: Michigan’s ‘Blue Economy’ poised to expand worldwide”
DBusiness: Detroit’s Premier Business Journal, April 9, 2015
AWRI is a co-author of a report released on 4/7/2015 titled Michigan Blue Economy.

“New report shows impact of water on Michigan”
WOOD NewsRadio, April 12, 2015
Al Steinman is quoted regarding the Michigan Blue Economy report released today.  AWRI was a co-author of this report.
Also carried by WTKG TalkRadio 1230 AM

“Water, water everywhere”
Grand Rapids Business Journal, April 17, 2015
AWRI is a co-author of a report released on 4/7/2015 titled Michigan Blue Economy.

“Ottawa’s water aquifers prove emphasis for concern, state policies”
Grand Rapids Business Journal, April 17, 2015
Al Steinman is quoted regarding groundwater and agriculture.

“Ottawa County feeling the water pressure”
Grand Rapids Business Journal, April 20, 2015
Al Steinman is quoted regarding groundwater and agriculture.

“New findings from Grand Valley State University update understanding of ecology research (Rating impacts in a multi-stressor world: a quantitative assessment of 50 stressors affecting the Great Lakes).
www.4-traders.com (outdated link), April 22, 2015
Al Steinman is a co-author of an article published in Ecological Applications.

“Happy Earth Day! Events”
Ludington Daily News (online), April 22, 2015
Al Steinman is listed as giving a presentation about Climate Change and the Great Lakes to a group called AFFEW in celebration of Earth Day.

“Water: The New Blue Economy?”
Area Development Online: site and facility planning, April 24, 2015
Al Steinman is quoted regarding the potential for sharing of freshwater from the Great Lakes.

LMC Events

LMC Events

April 3
Lindsey Schulte, graduate student working with Jim McNair, successfully defended her master’s thesis at the LMC with her presentation titled: “Evolution of Invasive Species in Response to Management: Potential for Herbicide Resistance in Watermilfoil”

April 3
Special Seminar Speaker: Dr. Ryan Vannier, Visiting faculty at GVSU’s department of Geology, presented: “Assessing the Spatial Variations and Temporal Trends of Contaminant Loadings to Michigan Inland Lakes”

April 10
Seminar Series Speaker: Dr. David "Bo" Bunnell, Research Fishery Biologist at the USGS Great Lakes Science Center, presented: "Are Lake Michigan prey fishes being "squeezed" by ecosystem-level changes?"

April 17
AWRI held its annual “Diversity Potluck” for all staff and students at the LMC.  

April 27
AWRI held its annual Summer Student Interns Orientation at the LMC.

April 28
DeWitt Elementary (Clinton County) 4^th graders visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.  

April 30
Orchard View Elementary (Muskegon County) 5^th graders visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities.