Searching submerged sinkholes of Lake Huron for analogs of life in early Earth

Recently discovered submerged sinkholes of Lake Huron hold many secrets.  Here, bathed in low-oxygen, high-sulfur ground water that washes through ancient 400 million year-old marine evaporites, thrive a consortium of photosynthetic and chemosynthetic life that resembles life that may have characterized the anoxic and sulfurous shallow seas during Earth’s turbulent childhood.  Thus, intriguing questions persist about their evolutionary history and geochemical role in the distant past (such as the oxygenation of our planet), as well as their survival strategies and ecological role in the modern day. 

In July of this year, we went on a week-long expedition to explore the submerged sinkholes of Lake Huron.  Working with collaborators from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology from Germany and divers from NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, we conducted studies that characterized the underwater habitat through hydrological surveys and photography, and quantified the benthic activity of the microbial mats, by tracking changes in oxygen and through time-lapse photography of diurnal migration of mat microbes.  In a daily choreographed dance, the photosynthetic purple cyanobacteria rise to the surface seeking sunlight during day time, whereas white chemosynthetic sulfur oxidizing bacteria rise to the surface at night to harvest excess hydrogen sulfide rising from below during darkness.  Perhaps this kind of diurnal vertical migration was crucial for life to gain a firm foothold under extreme conditions in Earth’s early history and subsequently oxygenate the oceans and the air.  Certainly, more work is needed to clarify such a weighty contention.

Lastly, there is a fountain next to the Alpena Public Library in downtown Alpena, where ground water from the same aquifer as that which feeds the submerged sinkholes of Lake Huron wells up providing an aerial 3-D version of a sinkhole with nearly identical communities of colorful microbial mats.  The colorful visuals and the strong hydrogen sulfide smell (a product of sulfate reducing bacteria that consume the sulfate in ground water) have been matters of curiosity for the local community.  This July, in time for the July 4^th celebration, we worked with the local Library and the Sanctuary to prepare an outdoor display explaining the “Science behind the Smell”, and introducing the mysteries of sinkholes in their neighborhood to the public. 

Our study searching for early life analogs in the submerged sinkholes of Lake Huron is supported by the National Science Foundation.

The W. G. Jackson was in Chicago at the 31^st Street Harbor for five days of programs, July 24^th - 28^th, with Shedd Aquarium.

Paula Capizzi and Diane Veneklasen hosted an AWRI booth at the annual Macatawa Water Festival on July 14^th.

Paige Kleindl, graduate student working with Al Steinman, successfully passed her Qualifying Exam on July 30^th.

Dan Myers, graduate student working with Rick Rediske, successfully defended his master’s thesis on July 17^th.  The title of his presentation was: “Investigating Erosion and Ecological Impacts to an Urban Coldwater Stream Using Multiple Techniques”.

Hailee Pavisich, graduate student working with Charlyn Partridge, successfully defended her master’s thesis on July 3^rd.  The title of her presentation was:  “Genetic Structure of Invasive Baby’s Breath Populations in a Michigan dune system”.

Emma Rice, graduate student working with Jim McNair, successfully defended her master’s thesis on July 10^th.  The title of her presentation was:  “Assessment of Invasive Baby’s Breath Control Methods in the Northwest Michigan Dunes”.

Al Steinman hosted events on the W.G. Jackson to provide cruises to the Cummings family from Grand Rapids on July 3^rd and to staff and trustees of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County on July 9^th.

Janet Vail led a field trip on July 30^th for the Groundswell Summer Institute along with Nichol DeMol from Trout Unlimited.

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

Bopi Biddanda was author of a recent “Postcard from the Field” in Eos:
Biddanda, B. A.  2018.  Postcards from the Field: In the estuaries of the Great Lakes, a researcher holds up mooring cables encrusted with mussels and bryozoans.  Eos 99 (7) July 2018.

Presentations

(Presenter listed first)

Matt Allen, graduate student, and Anna Tarach, undergraduate student, both working with Rick Rediske, gave a presentation to the Little Flower Creek Association on July 10^th on the status of their project on E. coli and erosion.

Mike Hassett, a scientific technician working with Al Steinman, presented on July 30^th at the Groundswell Summer Institute and demonstrated a fieldwork technique to measure stream flow. The title of his presentation was: “Nutrient Loading, Runoff, and Harmful Algae Blooms”.

Rick Rediske taught the Plankton and Algae class for the American Water Works Association on July 24^th - 26^th at Wayne State University.

Al Steinman presented on conceptual ecological models in the Everglades at a CIGLR summit in Ann Arbor on June 28^th.  The summit is focused on developing new conceptual models for Great Lakes restoration.

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

Rachel Orzechowski, undergraduate intern in the Steinman lab, received a $3,000 Kindschi Undergraduate Research Fellowship in the Sciences for Academic Year ‘18-‘19 to continue her invertebrate monitoring at three sites in Muskegon Lake.

Rick Rediske received a $14,000 grant from MDEQ to conduct Molecular Source Tracking at two beaches. 

“Postcard from the field”
Eos, July 2018
Bopi Biddanda is pictured with chains covered in mussels and bryozoans that were pulled from the Muskegon Lake Buoy system last fall.

“Verify: Are straws the biggest Great Lakes pollutant?”
WZZM 13, July 9, 2018
Al Steinman is interviewed regarding plastics in the Great Lakes and oceans.

“7 ways to address PFAS contamination in Michigan”
MLive, July 11, 2018
Rick Rediske is quoted regarding PFAS in drinking water and ecosystems.

WGVU, July 13, 2018
Al Steinman was interviewed by Shelley Irwin about the GVSU PFAS website, a first performance of the Raising Water Awareness Project, and a Microplastics project.

“Researcher studying whether food production could be safer with new E. Coli test”
GVNext, July 27, 2018
Kevin Strychar’s Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development grant is discussed.  Undergraduate researcher Darrick Gates is pictured. 

“GVSU researcher gets grant in fight against E. Coli”
WZZM-13, July 30, 2018
A new grant Kevin Strychar has received from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to test fruits and vegetables for E. coli is discussed.
Also picked up by:
WWJ-AM, 7/30/18

“Michigan’s Grand Valley State University seeks to develop rapid detection of E. Coli bacteria”
Daily News/DBusiness, July 30, 2018
A new grant Kevin Strychar has received from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to test fruits and vegetables for E. coli is discussed.

LMC Events

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