Examining alternative reproductive tactics in round gobies across west Michigan

Round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) are an invasive fish from the Black and Caspian Seas, which were first detected in the Great Lakes in 1990, likely introduced by ballast water from Salties, ships that enter the Great Lakes from across the Atlantic Ocean. The introduction of round gobies has had significant negative impacts on native species in the Great Lakes; they eat the eggs of native fish, and take-up vital space in the rocky habitat that many natives use for breeding. Summer interns Alex Florian and Steve Smit are working in Charlyn Partridge’s lab to investigate the reproductive strategies of round gobies to understand what allows them to outcompete native fish and to help inform management strategies.
 
Over the course of the summer Alex and Steve will sample round gobies from the pierheads at Holland, Muskegon, Pentwater, and Ludington, and determine the proportion of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) in each population. ARTs are when two or more mating tactics are present in a population and their presence can have interesting impacts on genetic diversity and population dynamics. During the round goby breeding season, groups of males create and guard nests in rock crevasses where females lay eggs. These males, called territorial males, invest large amounts of energy in attracting mates and defending these nests. But while there is large investment by some of these males, others have discovered there is much to be gained by cheating the system. Rather than contributing this large amount of energy, some males reproduce by sneaking fertilizations in the nests of the larger males and swimming away. These males are called sneaker males. Alex and Steve will examine how different environmental factors across their sampling sites influence the proportion of territorial and sneaker males.  Additionally, they are both working on independent projects to investigate the effects of ARTs on fish populations.

Along with gobies, ARTs are seen in at least 32 other families of fish, including bluegill and salmon. Alex’s project focuses on how ARTs influence the growth of fish populations, and how knowing the proportion of sneakers in a population can inform management decisions. Current management strategies do not take into account the effect sneakers may have on a population.

Steve’s project will be investigating the effect of ARTs on the genetic diversity of the different populations of round gobies. Using DNA analysis, he will examine the relatedness within and across the four sampling populations. With sneakers present in a population, a clutch of a few hundred eggs is not limited to two parents, but can instead by fathered by multiple fish. This may help account for the round goby’s prolific invasion ability.

Katie Knapp, graduate student working with Bopi Biddanda, successfully defended her master’s thesis on June 21^st.  The title of her presentation was: “Dynamic Carbon Cycling in Muskegon Lake – a Great Lakes Estuary”.

Al Steinman attended a Polarity Thinking workshop held on the Allendale campus on June 12^th.

Al Steinman attended a meeting of the Bear Lake-Lake Board on June 13^th.

Janet Vail reported the recent five-day trip (June 7^th–11^th) with the research vessel W. G. Jackson to Michigan City and Hammond, Indiana was a success.  There were sixteen events held during that time.  Participants in Michigan City’s 2019 Conference on the Environment event filled three of the cruises. The Sanitary District of Michigan City and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management have already booked dates for the 2020 visit.

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

Biddanda, B., I. Stone, W. Lusardi and P. Hartmeyer (June 2019).  Diving sinkholes for microbial mats that bury carbon and release oxygen.  Featuring AWRI Technician Anthony Weinke.  Postcard from the Field.  Eos, American Geophysical Union, 27 June 2019. 
https://eos.org/
https://americangeophysicalunion.tumblr.com/tagged/postcards+from+the+field

Sarah Hamsher was lead author of an article accepted to PLOS One:
Hamsher, S.E., K.G. Keepers, C.S. Pogoda, J.G. Stepanek, N.C. Kane, and J.P. Kociolek. In Press. Extensive chloroplast genome rearrangement amongst three closely related Halamphora spp. (Bacillariophyceae), and evidence for rapid evolution as compared to land plants. PLOS One.

Carl Ruetz is a co-author on an article published in Biological Invasions:
Shock, N.T., A.J. Reisinger, L.S. Reisinger, M.J. Cooper, J.J.H. Ciborowski, T.M. Gehring, A.H. Moerke, C.R. Ruetz III, and D.G. Uzarski.  2019.  Relationships between the distribution and abundance of the invasive faucet snail.  Biological Invasions.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-019-02000-1

Xiaomei Su, a recent Ph.D. student from the Chinese Academy of Sciences who worked in the Steinman Lab, had a paper on Spring Lake published in Chemosphere.  Al Steinman, Maggie Oudsema, and Mike Hassett were co-authors.
Su, X.***, A.D. Steinman, M. Oudsema, M. Hassett, and L. Xie. 2019. The influence of nutrients limitation on phytoplankton growth and microcystins production in Spring Lake, USA. Chemosphere 234: 34-42.

Presentations

(Presenter listed first)

Bopi Biddanda gave an invited public seminar at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, MI, titled “From sinkhole to the stars: A show and tell picture show” on June 10^th.
https://www.thealpenanews.com/life/2019/06/sinkholes-to-stars-monday-at-glmhc-in-sanctuary-series/

Sarah Hamsher presented a poster at the 73^rd annual Phycological Society of America conference held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from June 23^rd – 27^th. The Phycological Society of America (PSA) was founded in 1946 to promote research and teaching in all fields of phycology (the study of algae). The society publishes the Journal of Phycology and the Phycological Newsletter.
Hamsher SE, Ellis K, Holen D, and Sanders RW. Poster. Effects of light, nutrients and prey on ingestion and growth of a newly identified mixotroph, Chrysolepidomonas dendrolepidota (Chrysophyceae).

Tyler Harman, graduate student working with Kevin Strychar, was awarded “best presentation” at the Astrangia Research Workshop he attended in Rhode Island from May 29^th – 30^th.  The Astrangia Research Workshop is held every year, and it is the primary meeting covering current research efforts on Astrangia poculata, with a strong focus on the physiology, ecology, genetics, and symbiosis in this temperate coral. The aims of the Astrangia Research Workshop are to provide a platform to increase our knowledge and interest about Astrangia and other temperate corals, and to develop collaborations and partnerships across institutions and disciplines.
Harman, T.E.**  Oral.  Symbiosis and immunology of the northern star coral from future climate change impacts.

AWRI was represented at Evolution 2019, a joint meeting of the Society for the Study of Evolution, American Society of Naturalists, and Society of Systematic Biologists.  The meeting was held in Providence, Rhode Island from June 21^st – 25^th.  Charlyn Partridge and her graduate student Sarah Lamar attended and presented.
Lamar, S.K.** and C.G. Partridge.  Oral.  Biological invasions on a large scale: Investigating population structure and life history traits of invasive baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata) from two distinct ecosystems.
Lamar, S.K.** and C.G. Partridge (presenter).  Oral.  Differential gene expression of invasive baby’s breath populations across distinct ecoregions.

Al Steinman gave a presentation on AWRI to the Padnos International Center, attended by a delegation from the University of Krakow, including its Rector (President) on June 27^th.  The Rector was also a guest on a cruise onboard the research vessel W. G. Jackson later that day.

Janet Vail presented a talk on the MEECS Climate Change Unit and then facilitated two hours of discussion at the Climate Change Education Solutions Summit.  This event was held on the Allendale campus on June 12^th.  Janet was on the planning committee for the summit.

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

Mark Luttenton received a gift in the amount of $1,500 from the Elliot Donn Elley Chapter of Trout Unlimited to continue his research on the Au Sable River.

“Students learn about resource at Make a Splash Water Festival”
Pioneer (bigrapidsnews.com), May 29, 2019
Janet Vail was one of the people interviewed about the water festival.  AWRI is a partner in this annual event.

“Study data from Grand Valley State University updated understanding of environmental research (impact of sediment dredging on sediment phosphorus flux in a restored riparian wetland)”
Ecology Daily News, June 5, 2019
A recent publication from former graduate student Kim Oldenborg, who worked in the Steinman Lab, was discussed.

“‘Sinkholes to stars’ Monday at GLMHC in Sanctuary Series”
The Alpena News, June 6, 2019
Bopi Biddanda is giving a presentation titled “Sinkholes to stars: Diving into Lake Huron’s sinkholes while reaching for the heavens” at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena on June 10^th.

“When the biggest company in town poisons the water”
MLive, June 11, 2019
Rick Rediske and other concerned citizens discuss the history behind the Wolverine World Wide PFAS issue.

“How citizen sleuths cracked the Wolverine tannery pollution case”
MLive, June 12, 2019
Rick Rediske and other concerned citizens discuss the history behind the Wolverine World Wide PFAS issue.

“Spreading the ‘green’ word: conference on the environment stresses city’s success stories”
The News Dispatch, June 18, 2019
The recent visit the research vessel W. G. Jackson made to Michigan City, Indiana was mentioned.

“Alan Steinman, Grand Valley State University – Phosphorus and aquatic ecosystems”
The Academic Minute, carried locally by Classical 89.5, June 19, 2019
Al was interviewed about the effects of phosphorus on ecosystems, and ways to treat or remove phosphorus and restore systems.

“VERIFY: Is the discolored water from the Kalamazoo River polluting Lake Michigan?”
WZZM-13, June 20, 2019
Al Steinman was interviewed about the natural sediment run-off happening in the Kalamazoo River and out into Lake Michigan and the way that social media can be misused to represent scientific information.

“By the people, for the people: Company wanted state-led voluntary cleanup Citizens group took on a giant corporation, city leaders and environmental regulators in its search for the truth about Wolverine tannery pollution”
Grand Rapids Press, June 23, 2019
Rick Rediske and other concerned citizens discuss the history behind the Wolverine World Wide PFAS issue.

“Five faculty members highlighted on national public radio segment”
GVNext, June 24, 2019
Al Steinman was one of five GVSU faculty recently highlighted in a segment for “The Academic Minute”.

“Contamination advisory issued for Lake Michigan at Pere Marquette Park”
MLive, June 25, 2019
AWRI is mentioned as the group doing the water sampling/testing.

LMC Events

June 3 & 4
Students from White Cloud Middle School (Newago County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

June 4
The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership held a public meeting at the Lake Michigan Center.

June 5
Students from Waukazoo/West Ottawa Elementary Explorers (Ottawa County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the D.J. Angus.

June 10 & 11
The Muskegon Area Intermediate School District held a two-day workshop at the Lake Michigan Center.

June 18
Special Seminar Speaker: Dr. Keith Crandall, Director of the Computational Biology Institute at George Washington University, presented: “Computational Approaches to Microbiome Characterization and Infectious Disease Dynamics”.

June 24
The Brickley DeLong accounting firm held a meeting at the Lake Michigan Center.

June 27
The Rector (President) of Cracow University of Economics in Poland visited AWRI for a tour/presentation and enjoyed a vessel trip on the W. G. Jackson.