Israeli scientists visit AWRI

A symposium titled: Sustainable Management of Iconic Lakes- Lessons Learned from Lake Michigan and Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) was recently held at MSU and AWRI.  Lake Kinneret experts from Israel were paired with Lake Michigan specialists to exchange knowledge and ideas about sustainable management of freshwater resources.  A range of research and management topics and panel discussions about challenges and influences affecting the two water bodies, including aquatic invasive species, tourism, water quality, and the status of each lake’s fishery, were featured. 

The main symposium was held on the MSU campus, but discussions in East Lansing don’t quite capture the beauty and complexity of Lake Michigan, so the second day of the symposium was held at the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI), where we engaged in more detailed conversations and experienced the lake on board the W.G. Jackson, one of AWRI’s research and education vessels.

Lake Kinneret is 13 miles long, has a 33-mile shoreline, and is located entirely in Israel. Lake Michigan is 307 miles long, has 1640-mile shoreline, and is located on the west side of the bi-national Great Lakes Basin. The shores of Lake Kinneret are lush with dates, mangoes, and olives, while Michigan farmers nurture crops like cherries, corn, and potatoes. Despite their differences in size and location, these significant water bodies have a surprising amount in common. Both lakes are important drinking water sources; are popular tourist locations; have historic, spiritual and cultural significance; and play central roles in their respective local economies.

In an era where fresh water is an increasingly vital natural resource, managers and researchers can benefit from sharing lessons learned in adapting to and facing water challenges. These lessons help inform decisions to promote sustainable management and protection of water resources. The organizers of this event hope that this unique scientific and cultural exchange will yield new opportunities and collaborations in the fields of research and management.

Bopi Biddanda hosted the AP Environmental Studies class from North Muskegon High School on September 29 at AWRI.

Michele Smith and Diane VeneKlasen represented AWRI with a booth at the Salmon Festival in Grand Haven on September 17.

Michele Smith and Shirley McIntire represented AWRI at the Muskegon Water Festival held on September 22 and 23.

Al Steinman participated in a meeting of the Advisory Board of the Science Collaborative for NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve Systems held in Ann Arbor on September 7 and 8.

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

Angela Defore, former graduate student who worked with Bopi Biddanda, had an article published in Aquatic Microbial Ecology:
Defore, A.L.**, A.D. Weinke**, M.M. Lindback*, and B.A. Biddanda. 2016. Year-round measures of planktonic metabolism reveal net autotrophy in surface waters of a Great Lakes estuary.  Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 77: 139-153.

Jared Homola, former graduate student who worked with Carl Ruetz, had an article published in Journal of Fish Biology:
Homola, J.J.** C.R. Ruetz III, S.L. Kohler, and R.A. Thum. 2016. Complex postglacial recolonization inferred from population genetic structure of mottled sculpin Cottus bairdii in tributaries of eastern Lake Michigan, U.S.A. Journal of Fish Biology, doi:10.1111/jfb.13101.

Mark Luttenton was a co-author of an article recently published in The Michigan Botanist:
Zuiderveen, G., T. Evans, T. Schmidt, and M. Luttenton. 2016. A survey of the native and invasive genotypes of Phragmites australis along Michigan’s west coast. The Michigan Botanist, 53:82-91.

Rick Rediske is a co-author of an article published in Biology of Sex Differences:
Madenjian, C.P., R.R. Rediske, D.P. Krabbenhoft, M.A. Stapanian, S.M. Chernyak, and J.P. O’Keefe. 2016. Sex differences in contaminant concentrations of fish: a synthesis. Biology of Sex Differences, 7(1):42.

Al Steinman had an article published about the Bear Lake muck fields in Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
Steinman, A.D. and M.E. Ogdahl. In Press. From wetland to farm and back again: water quality implications of a habitat restoration project. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. DOI 10.1007/s11356-016-7485-4.

Presentations

(Presenter listed first)

Bopi Biddanda was an invited seminar speaker for the School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on September 14.  The title of his presentation was “Time-traveling with microbes in Lake Huron’s sinkholes”.  

Rick Rediske was a guest speaker on a Muskegon Lake tour sponsored by the Lakeshore Museum Center on the research vessel W. G. Jackson on September 8.  He spoke about Muskegon Lake history and restoration.

Al Steinman presented to the PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) in Muskegon regarding the Blue Economy on September 14.

Al Steinman presented to the Muskegon In Focus group about AWRI and Michigan’s Blue Economy on September 28.

Kevin Strychar gave an invited presentation to a group called Nourishing the Lakeshore (Weston A. Price Foundation) in Muskegon on September 13.  The title of the presentation was “GMOs: Not just in our food but everywhere in Michigan”.

Al Steinman was awarded the 2016 Kaiser Distinguished Lecturer in Life Sciences from Ohio Northern University.

There were no new grants and contracts for this issue.  Check again next month!

AWRI In the News

“Saving the Biosphere by Conserving Half of Earth”
InterChange Newsletter, GVSU Regional Math & Science, September 2016
This is a book review of “Half Earth: Our Planets Fight for Life” by Edward O. Wilson.  AWRI Professor Bopi Biddanda and students Morgan Lindback and Katie (Ringler) Knapp co-wrote this review for the InterChange.

“Researchers discover invasive snails in Au Sable River”
Petoskey News, September 1, 2016
Mark Luttenton is studying the invasive New Zealand mudsnail found in the Au Sable River.

“Muskegon firm takes on invasive aquatic species via genetic testing”
MiBiz, September 4, 2016
The article is about the small business GenPass, owned and operated by one of our former graduate students, Syndell Parks.  GenPass leases space at AWRI.

“Reports from Grand Valley State University prove new insights into Chalcogens (tracing the seepage of subsurface sinkhole vent waters into Lake Huron using radium and stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen”
NewsEdge (online publication), September 6, 2016

“Captain Tom sails on with tribute: event Saturday will honor ‘schoolship’ founder”
Traverse City Record-Eagle, September 7, 2016
On September 10 there was a public tribute to Inland Seas founder Tom Kelly.  AWRI’s Maggie Oudsema, a former student worker on the Inland Seas, was one of the speakers.

“Symposium to share Lake Michigan and Sea of Galilee knowledge”
Michigan Ag Connection, September 12, 2016
AWRI hosted an Israeli delegation on September 15, 2016.  The main topic of discussion was comparing Lake Michigan with Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).

“How the biblical lake Jesus walked compares to Lake Michigan”
MLive, September 19, 2016
AWRI hosted an Israeli delegation on September 15, 2016.  The main topic of discussion was comparing Lake Michigan with Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).

LMC Events

Sept 1
Muskegon Public Schools held a Professional Development Workshop at the Lake Michigan Center.

Sept 9
Eight grade students from Immaculate Heart of Mary Middle School (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Sept 9
Seminar Speaker: Dr. Mark Rowe, Assistant Research Scientist at University of Michigan, Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystem Research (CILER) and NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory presented:  “Post-dreissenid spatial distribution of chlorophyll in a Lake Michigan biophysical model” 

Sept 13
Goodwill Industries of West Michigan held a Strategic Planning session at the Lake Michigan Center.

Sept 15
An Israeli delegation of scientists and policymakers attended a symposium at the Lake Michigan Center and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.     

Sept 19, 23, 26 &30
Students from Fruitport Middle School (Muskegon County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Sept 28
The Muskegon in Focus group held its annual luncheon presentation and vessel trip on the W.G. Jackson.

Sept 29
Sixth grade students from East Rockford Middle School (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

Sept 29
The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership held a public meeting at the Lake Michigan Center.