AWRI Summer Student Interns

One of the joys of summer at AWRI is our student intern program. This summer, we welcome 7 student interns to the Institute. These students are funded by a variety of sources and work with different principal investigators.

Macy Doster is being funded through the D.J. Angus-Scientech Educational Foundation; she will be working with Bopi Biddanda.  

Five interns are being funded through the R.B. Annis Foundation: Matt Kienitz will be working with Charlyn Partridge; Amanda McCarthy will be working with Rick Rediske; John Smutny will be working with John Koches; Mike MacEachron will be working with Carl Ruetz; and Rebecca Soll will be working with Janet Vail.

Nicole Hahn will be working with Al Steinman on his projects and is funded through a variety of sources.

A special welcome to all of these bright, young researchers for their hard work and dedication, and a heartfelt thank you to our generous funders!

John Koches hosted the 13th Annual Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) Spring Forum on May 6.

John Koches chaired the First Muskegon Area Sustainability Coalition (MASC) Administrators Summit at MAREC on May 12.

Al Steinman was an invited reviewer of the Masters of Science in Natural Sciences graduate programs at SUNY Plattsburgh in New York from May 3 – 5.

Al Steinman hosted members of GVSU’s Office of Development for a tour and discussion on May 10. University Development is planning an event to highlight AWRI to lakeshore residents.

Al Steinman had a meeting with Father Mike Danner on May 12. Graduate students Emily Kindervater and Delilah Clement discussed their research with Father Danner, whose Family Trust helped support part of their research.

Al Steinman attended an event titled “Laker Effects”, hosted by Office of Sponsored Programs, on May 12.

Al Steinman attended a Board of Trustees meeting of TNC in Ann Arbor on May 19 and 20.

Al Steinman attended a meeting with representatives from the U.S. EPA and Great Lakes Commission on May 23 in Grand Rapids, to determine if the Eberhard Center is an appropriate location to host the 2017 AOC Delisting Conference.

Al Steinman hosted a meeting of the project team for the West Michigan Watershed Sustainable Funding project on May 24 at the Lake Michigan Center.

Al Steinman attended the quarterly GVSU Muskegon Group meeting on May 26 at the Muskegon Innovative Hub (formerly MAREC).

Janet Vail served as an advisor for the video-taping session of Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support Climate Unit held at City Middle School in Grand Rapids on May 21.

Janet Vail and Rebecca Soll (AWRI intern) led activities at the Project WET Community Water Festival held in Big Rapids on May 25.

AWRI staff are bolded, undergraduate students are denoted with a single asterisk*, graduate students are denoted with two asterisks**, and post-doc researchers are donated with three asterisks ***.

Publications

There were no new publications for this issue.  Check again next month!

Presentations

(Presenter listed first)

AWRI was represented at the Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) annual meeting held in Sacramento, California from May 21 – 26, 2016.  Attending were: Delilah Clement, Emily Dean, Travis Ellens, Nick Gezon, Mike Hassett, Emily Kindervater, Suse LaGory, Jim McNair, Carl Ruetz, Justin Wegner, and Graeme Zaparzynski.
Clement, D.** and A.D. Steinman.  Oral.  Does phosphorus from agricultural tile drains fuel algal blooms?
Dean, E. M.** and M. R. Luttenton.  Oral.  The effect of seasonal fish migration on energy budgets in two coastal Michigan streams.
Ellens, T.**, C.R. Ruetz III, and S.L. Kohler.  Poster.  Top-down effects of fish on benthic macroinvertebrates and periphyton in a Michigan stream.
Gezon, N.R.**, K.B. Strychar, and I. Hewson.  Poster.  Understanding viral pathogens and their impact on important endemic invertebrate species.
Hassett, M., M. Oudsema, M. Ogdahl, and A.D. Steinman.  Poster.  Muskegon Lake long-term monitoring and stakeholder communication.
Kindervater, E.** and A.D. Steinman.  Poster.  Phosphorus retention in West Michigan two-stage agricultural ditches.
LaGory, S.**, C.R. Ruetz III, and M.E. Altenritter.  Poster.  Leaf packs reduce predation risk for stream invertebrates.
McNair, J., R.A. Thum, and S.R. Parks**.  Oral.  Modeling lake invasions by cryptic watermilfoil taxa and their eco-evolutionary responses to management.
Wegner, J.**, G. Zaparzynski**, and M. Luttenton.  Oral.  Summertime movement and microhabitat use by brook trout in a small Michigan stream.
Zaparzynski, G.**, J. Wegner**, and M. Luttenton.  Oral.  Evaluating foraging habits, prey consumption, and growth of brook trout in a coolwater Michigan stream.

Bopi Biddanda attended a meeting titled “Unseen Partners: Manipulating Microbial Communities that Support Life on Earth” held at the University of Michigan on May 16-17.
Biddanda, B.  Oral presentation and poster.  Life’s gradient:  photosynthesis to chemosynthesis in low-oxygen, high-sulfur ecosystems.

Al Steinman was the plenary speaker for the National Garden Club meeting in Grand Rapids on May 6. He spoke on climate change and water.

There were no new awards and recognition for this issue.  Check again next month!

AWRI students recently received Michigan Space Grant Consortium grants funded through NASA:
Gabrielle Thelen, undergraduate student working with John Koches - Undergraduate Fellowship - $2,500
Nicholas Gezon, graduate student working with Kevin Strychar - Graduate Fellowship - $5,000
Emily Kindervater, graduate student working with Al Steinman - Graduate Fellowship - $5,000

Charlyn Partridge received $405,275 from the USEPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to study the invasive plant Baby’s Breath along the 100 acres of coastal shoreline and wetlands in Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

AWRI In the News

“Senators Stabenow, Peters applaud $1.3 million investment for Great Lakes protection in West Michigan”.
Senator Debbie Stabenow Newsletter, May 4, 2016
Charlyn Partridge’s recently funded project to help fight invasive plants along Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was mentioned.

“A Rare Visitor: big freighter in Grand Haven’s port for first time in 14 years”.
Grand Haven Tribune, May 11, 2016
The research vessel D. J. Angus, being dwarfed by the freighter Captain Hugh Jackman, is pictured on the front page of the Tribune.

“Friends of Silver Lake meeting planned for June 11”
Ludington Daily News, May 18 and 25, 2016
There will be a meeting of the Friends of Silver Lake on June 11, at which USGS/GVSU will summarize their 3 year study.  Al Steinman will be presenting recommendations at the meeting.

LMC Events

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

May 5
Students from Montessori Academy of North Hoffman, IL (Cook County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 9
St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary 4^th graders (Ingham County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 12
Students from Oakview Elementary (Muskegon County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities.

May 13
Immaculate Heart of Mary 8^th graders (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 17
Harrison Park Elementary 6^th graders (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 18, 20 & 31
Students from Shoreline Elementary (Muskegon County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities.

May 19
DeWitt Elementary 4^th graders (Clinton County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 20
The Southwest Michigan Environmental Health Association held a conference at the Lake Michigan Center.

May 23, 24, 26 & 27
Daisy Brook Elementary students (Newago County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 24
The West Michigan Watershed Sustainable Funding project team met on May 24 at the Lake Michigan Center.