FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENT ACTIVITIES

 

Muskegon Lake Observatory (www.gvsu.edu/buoy/) is out of the water and getting winterized.

Biddanda Lab has concluded field work in Muskegon Lake and Lake Huron for the season. Shifting work towards sample and data analyses, and report/manuscript writing and proposal preparation mode.

Biddanda, BA. 2023. Session Moderator, Michigan Space Grants Consortium Fall Conference. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI. October 21, 2023.

Biddanda, B. A. 2023. Panelist, “Climate Resilience at GVSU: Scholarship, Stewardship and Leadership”. GVSU Quest Series, Allendale, MI. October 26, 2023.  https://www.gvsu.edu/provost/gvsu-quest-series-315.htm#Climate 

Bopi Biddanda coordinated proposal preparation and submission of all proposals from GV students and faculty applicants to NASA-Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) fellowship and grant opportunities for the 2024-2025 round.  Bopi serves as GVSU’s Representative to NASA-MSGC and serves on the Executive board of MSGC.

Amanda Buday communicated with representatives from the Gun Lake Tribe, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa Indians, and MDHHS to build an advisory group for NOAA HAB grant proposal.

AWRI hosted four workshops in October and November on the recently revised Water Quality and Ecosystems & Biodiversity units of Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support (MEECS). These FREE workshops were open to all, including but not limited to formal and informal educators, pre-service educators, and homeschool educators. Attendees received the MEECS curriculum, curriculum materials kit, and SCECHs. Attendees spent time indoors and outdoors experiencing activities from these new MEECS units and will leave prepared to offer these learning experiences to their students. One workshop for each unit was offered in both Muskegon (at AWRI) and Grand Rapids (on the Pew Campus). Christina Catanese and Amanda Syers offered training on the Ecosystems & Biodiversity unit at the MEECS workshops on the Pew Campus on November 2, and on the Water Quality unit on the Pew Campus on November 15 and at AWRI on November 16.

Sarah Hamsher volunteered at the undergraduate research fair to interact with students and tell them about research opportunities in Biology and AWRI departments at GVSU.

Sarah Hamsher performed teaching observations and PDDR preparation as part of her service to the Biology Department personnel committee.

Mark Luttenton conducted a field trip on Higgins Lake for a Lansing Girl Scout troop.

Mark Luttenton conducted a training course on electrofishing in Lovells, MI.

Mark Luttenton assisted with the Fisheries and Aquatic Science student club during their visit to AWRI on October 2.

Mark Luttenton provided the Higgins Lake Foundation with a summary report of his findings for 2023.

Mark Luttenton finished a summary report of the North Branch Au Sable River trout telemetry project.

Mark Luttenton attended the North American Lake Management Society’s annual conference in Erie, PA. October 22-26.

Mark Luttenton attended the regular monthly meetings of the Au Sable River Structured Decision-Making management group.

Mark Luttenton attended the regular monthly meetings of the Lower Muskegon River Watershed Management study group.

Mark Luttenton was a panelist for the Great Lakes Science Initiative, Place Based Education conference in Grand Rapids.

Jim McNair attended the annual meeting of the American Water Resources Association in Raleigh, NC, Nov. 6-8.  He gave an oral presentation titled “Validity assessment of Michigan’s proposed qPCR threshold value for monitoring E. coli contamination at beaches”.

Ryan Otter and his lab (Lexy Porter, Brian Scull, and Renee Tardani) attended the Great Lakes Beach Association Conference in Sturgeon Bay, WI on October 16 – 18. The team delivered multiple presentations.  Lexy Porter gave the opening remarks for the conference.

Ryan Otter attended the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North American 44^th Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky on November 12 – 16.

Carl Ruetz, as Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences Program Coordinator, completed the following: Organized a research cruise on the W.G. Jackson on October 2, which was attended by 17 students; worked on addressing comments from the CLAS Curriculum Committee on the Aquatic Sciences minor proposal; and drafted advising guidelines for undergraduates interested in professional certification by the American Fisheries Society.

Carl Ruetz attended GVSU’s Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences Club meeting (as faculty advisor) on October 5.

Carl Ruetz attended a Program Coordinators Meeting in the Biology Department on October 11.

As Program Coordinator for the FAS major, Carl Ruetz is working on addressing comments from the CLAS Curriculum Committee on the Aquatic Sciences Minor. He also put together a guidance document for undergraduates interested in seeking professional certification by the American Fisheries Society.

Al Steinman attended the Alliance for Great Lakes Board meeting in Chicago on October 6-7^th.

Al Steinman attended the Grand River Coastal Corridor Visioning Session in Muskegon on October 11^th.

Al Steinman attended Goodwill and Goodtemps Board meetings in Muskegon on October 16^th.

Al Steinman attended the Great Lakes Protection Fund meeting, virtually on October 19^th.

Al Steinman attended regular biweekly meetings for the Mona Lake celery flats project.

Al Steinman is an invited Member: NOAA’s Science Advisory Board - Ecosystem Sciences and Management Working Group.

Al Steinman is serving as a Journal Reviewer for Water Research and Science of the Total Environment.

Al Steinman attended biweekly University Development meetings (virtual).

Al Steinman attended a meeting with members from the Outdoor Discovery Center in Holland, MI on October 27.

Al Steinman met virtually with members of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Independent Science Review of Everglades Restoration on October 31, 2023.

Al Steinman met with the Ottawa County Groundwater Board in West Olive, MI on November 8^th.

Al Steinman attended monthly Goodwill Board and committee meetings (virtual).

Al Steinman attended the West Michigan Symphony Governance Committee meeting on November 6.

Al Steinman virtually attended a meeting of the Alliance for the Great Lakes Board on November 10.

Al Steinman is an invited Member: NOAA’s Science Advisory Board - Ecosystem Sciences and Management Working Group.

Al Steinman is serving as a Journal Reviewer for Water Research and Science of the Total Environment.

Kevin Strychar is serving in the University Academic Senate.

Kevin Strychar will lead the Meteorology event for Science Olympiad in 2025.

Kevin Strychar was elected to serve on the Muskegon County Conservation District Board of Directors.

Sean Woznicki attended meetings with USEPA regarding contaminant transport modeling at the Lower Darby Creek Area (PA) Superfund site. He serves as an advisory role reviewing the modeling methods for hydraulic and water quality modeling. He is currently reviewing methods for incorporating observations from Hurricane Isaias.

 

Presentations and Publications

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 ***.

Presentations

Bopi Biddanda presented at the Maritime Museum:
Biddanda, B. A. “Exploring Great Lakes’ Hidden Geoparks: Lake Huron’s Sinkholes.”, Working Waterfront Lecture Series. Maritime Museum. South Haven, MI. October 18, 2023.
https://www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/event-detail/working-waterfront-lecture-series-exploring-great-lakes-hidden-geoparks-lake-hurons-sinkholes/

Amanda Buday presented at the Place-Based Education Conference:
Block, M. and A. Buday. “What’s in the creek? Stream monitoring in your community.”, Place-Based Education Conference. Grand Rapids, MI. November 11, 2023.

Christina Catanese and Amanda Syers presented at the Place-Based Education Conference:
Catanese, C., and A. Syers. “The Annis Water Resources Institute: Water Resources Outreach & Education Program.” (Oral Presentation), Place-Based Education Conference, presented by the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. Grand Rapids, MI. November 10, 2023.

Mark Luttenton gave a presentation on AWRI to the Golden Kiwanis in Grand Rapids, MI.

Jim McNair presented at the American Water Resources Association meeting:
McNair, J.N. 2023. (Oral Presentation), “Validity assessment of Michigan’s proposed qPCR threshold value for monitoring E. coli contamination at beaches.” 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Water Resources Association. Cary, North Carolina. November 6-8, 2023.

Charlyn Partridge and Keely Dunham (Charlyn’s graduate assistant) presented at the Michigan Space Grand Fall Conference:
Dunham, K**, Partridge, C.G. (Oral Presentation), “Using airborne eDNA methods to investigate hemlock woolly adelgid impacts on communities in Michigan coastal systems.” MI Space Grant Fall Conference. Kalamazoo, MI. October 21, 2023.

Keely Dunham was asked to present some of her thesis work at the HWA MI Celebration in December.

Charlyn Partridge was asked to present at the 2025 Annual Invasive Species Forum hosted by the Invasive Species Centre in Canada. The Forum is virtual and takes place from Feb 12-14^th.

Al Steinman presented to the Grand Forum:
Steinman, A.D. “The Restoration and Revitalization of Muskegon Lake.”, The Grand Forum. Grand Rapids, MI. October 4, 2023.

Al Steinman presented to the Congregation B’Nai Israel:
Steinman, A.D. “Climate Change.” (Oral, and Zoom Presentation), Adult Learning, Congregation B’Nai Israel. Muskegon, MI. October 15, 2023.

Al Steinman and Katie Lucas (Al’s graduate assistant) presented to the Michigan Space Grant Consortium Symposium:
Lucas, K.** and A.D. Steinman. “Impact of Climate Change and Restoration on Phosphorus Loading in Impaired wetlands.” (Poster Presentation), Michigan Space Grant Consortium Symposium. Kalamazoo, MI. October 21, 2023.

Al Steinman and Jacquie Molloseau (Al’s undergraduate student) presented at the 2023 West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference:
Molloseau, J.* and A.D. Steinman. “Assessing the role of sediments and groundwater in the road salt pollution of an urban lake system.” (Oral Presentation), 2023 West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference. Grand Rapids, MI. November 4, 2023.

Alison Romanski (Al Steinman’s undergraduate student) presented to Grand Valley’s Chemistry Department:
Romanski, A.*. “Monitoring Periphyton Growth in Response to Treatments That Control Cyanobacterial Blooms.” (Oral Presentation), GVSU Department of Chemistry. Allendale, MI. November 10, 2023.

Al Steinman presented to the West Michigan Environmental Action Council:
Steinman, A.D. “Climate Change.” (Virtual Recording), West Michigan Environmental Action Council. November 7, 2023.

Kevin Strychar presented to the West Michigan Environmental Action Council:
Strychar, K.B. “Climate Change and the Great Lakes.” (Oral Presentation), West Michigan Environmental Action Council. Muskegon, MI. October 25, 2023.

Kevin Strychar and his lab attended the Great Lakes Beach Association meeting in Wisconsin. He and three of his students gave oral presentations and one student gave a poster presentation (winning 2^nd prize for best poster):
Strychar, K.B. 2023. Development of Image Flow Cytometry (IFCM) to rapidly assess viable vs. non-viable Escherichia coli (E. coli) along coastal beaches of Lake Michigan. Great Lakes Beach Association, Sturgeon Bay, WI. Oct. 16-18, 2023.
Kotkowicz*, C., B. Scull, K.B. Strychar, R.R. Rediske. 2023. Use of Propidium Monoazide (PMA) to characterize environmental Escherichia coli. Great Lakes Beach Association, Sturgeon Bay, WI. Oct. 16-18, 2023.
Haney*, E., K.R. Anderson**, K.B. Strychar, R. R. Rediske. 2023. Live/Dead analysis of E. coli in Michigan beaches using Imaging Flow Cytometry.  Great Lakes Beach Association, Sturgeon Bay, WI. Oct. 16-18, 2023.
Anderson**, K.R., J.J. Hart**, K.B. Strychar, R.R. Rediske.  The development of an Imaging Flow Cytometry (IFCM) beach monitoring method over time. Great Lakes Beach Association, Sturgeon Bay, WI. Oct. 16-18, 2023.

Jillian Greene and Jamshid Jalali (Sean Woznicki’s graduate assistants) presented at the American Geophysical Union Conference:
Greene**, J.I. and J. Jalali** (Poster Presentation). The American Geophysical Union Conference. San Francisco, CA. December 11-15, 2023.

Sean Woznicki presented at the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering seminar series:
Woznicki, S.A. “Land use and climate change as drivers of water scarcity in the Serbian Danube River Basin.” (Oral Presentation), MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering seminar series. Lansing, MI. December 5, 2023.

 

Publications

Peer Reviewed Publications:

Bergstrom, R.D., L.B. Johnson, R.W. Sterner, J.D. Lenters, M. Twiss, and A.D. Steinman. Submitted. Climate Change: A Bibliometric Study of the Great Lakes Basin. Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Dugener, N. M.**, I.P. Stone, A. D. Weinke, and B. A. Biddanda. 2023. Out of oxygen: Temperature and loading drove hypoxia during a warm, wet, and productive year in a Great Lakes Estuary. J. Great Lakes Res 49: 10: 1015-1028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2023.06.007 (In: Special issue on Hypoxia in Lake Erie, October 2023 https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-great-lakes-research/vol/49/issue/5).

Foley, E.**, and A.D. Steinman. 2023. Urban lake water quality responses to elevated road salt. Science of the Total Environment. 905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167139  

Forest E., D. Adams, C. Partridge, G. Wilkinson, and A. Russell. Relative telomere length is associated with chronological age and differential DNA methylation in Pteropus bats". Ecology & Evolution (submitted)

Fray, D.**, C. McGovern*, D. Casamatta, B. Biddanda, and S. Hamsher. Metabarcoding reveals unique microbial mat communities and evidence of biogeographic influence in low-oxygen, high-sulfur sinkholes and springs. Ecology and Evolution (submitted).

Gabel, C*. and B. Biddanda (2023). Book review of The Three Ages of Water: Prehistoric Past, Imperiled Present and a Hope for the Future by P. Gleick. PublicAffairs, New York, NY. 368p. Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin 32 (4): 152-153.https://doi.org/10.1002/lob.10599

Linz, D., I. Struewing, N. Sienkiewicz, A.D. Steinman, C.G. Partridge, K. McIntosh, J. Lu, and S. Vesper. In Review. Periodic addition of glucose suppressed cyanobacterial abundance in additive lake water samples during the entire bloom season. Submitted to Water Research.

Mader, M.M.**, C.R. Ruetz III, S.A. Woznicki, and A.D. Steinman. 2023. Land cover and water quality in Drowned River Mouths: evidence of a latitudinal gradient in Eastern Lake Michigan. Journal of Great Lakes Research.

McNair, J.N., D. Frobish, J.J. Hart**, M.N. Jamison**, R.R. Rediske, and D.C. Szlag. 2023. A survey of the theoretical basis of qPCR and ddPCR sample concentration estimates. In preparation.

McNair, J.N., I. Ciarrocchi**, D. Frobish, J.J. Hart**, M.N. Jamison**, and D.C. Szlag. 2023. How to analyze censored concentration data using statistical methods of survival analysis. In preparation.

McNair, J.N., D. Frobish, E.K. Rice**, and R.A. Thum. 2023. Alternative study designs and nonparametric statistical methods for adaptive management studies of invasive plants. In preparation.

McNair, J.N., J. Suh, and D. DeNicola. 2023. Scale-dependent effects of disturbance on stochastic patch and community dynamics. In preparation.

Sheets, K., M. Hasset, R. Orzechowski, and A.D. Steinman. In Review. Ecological status of a retired mine lake in a protected dune ecosystem. Submitted to Water.

Vesper, S., D. Linz, I. Struewing, N. Sienkiewicz, A. Steinman, C. Partridge, K. Mcintosh, J. Lu. Periodic Addition of Glucose Suppressed Cyanobacterial Abundance in Additive Lake Water Samples During the Entire Bloom Season. Harmful Algae (submitted)

Wijesinghe**, R.U., J.J. Hart**, J.N. McNair, and Y. Feng. 2023. Persistence of Bacteroidales in stream water microcosms as determined by propidium monoazide assisted quantitative PCR. In preparation.

 

Other Publications:

Biddanda, B. 2023. Water Q & A. GVMagazine, Fall 2023. https://www.gvsu.edu/gvmagazine/bopi-biddanda.htm

Dugener, N* and B. Biddanda (2023).  Warming and Eutrophication’s Child: Rising Hypoxia in Earth’s Natural waters. InterChange 30 (4), November, 2023.
https://www.gvsu.edu/rmsc/interchange/2023-november-stem-connections-1752.htm

McKee, K*, N Dugener**, K. Dennis**, C. Gabel*, A.Weinke and B. Biddanda (2023). A Dockside Mini-Observatory keeps watch over a Troubled Lake. Postcard from the Field. American Geophysical Union Tublr https://americangeophysicalunion.tumblr.com/post/732096221245784064/a-dockside-mini-observatory-keeps-watch-over-a

Grants, Contracts, Awards, and Recognition

Awards

Nate Dugener, Bopi Biddanda’s former Graduate Student, was awarded the Outstanding Publication Award for 2023 citation from the GV Grad School.
Dugener, N. M., A. D. Weinke, I. P. Stone and B. A. Biddanda. 2023. Recurringly hypoxic: Bottom water oxygen depletion is linked to temperature and precipitation in a Great Lakes Estuary. Hydrobiology, 2, 410–430. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrobiology2020027

Davis Fray, Sarah Hamsher’s former graduate student, was awarded Outstanding Master’s Thesis from the GV Grad School.  His thesis title was “Characterizing Biodiversity and Interspecific Interactions of Microbial Mat Communities in Low-oxygen, High-sulfur Springs of Michigan and Florida”.

Grants and Funding

No new grants or funding to report this month.

 

AWRI News and Events

AWRI IN THE NEWS

Crains West Michigan interview with Kate Carlson on Muskegon Lake development plans where Al Steinman commented on the redevelopment of the old Sappi site: October 24, 2023: https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/220m-paper-mill-redevelopment-will-require-major-environmental-cleanup/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter-Morning5-20231107

MLive, Published November 19, 2023
Muskegon, MI - See what trash robot collected from Muskegon beach last summer – Jamie Cross, an educator at AWRI, reported to the Muskegon City Commission about the BeBot, a remote controlled roving sand sweeper.
See what trash robot collected from Muskegon beach last summer - mlive.com

Crain’s Grand Rapids Business, Published November 6, 2023
Muskegon paper mill redevelopment comes with major environmental hurdles – Al Steinman, professor at GVSU, was quoted about environmental mitigation efforts on Muskegon Lake over the years.
Muskegon paper mill redevelopment will require major environmental effort | Crain's Grand Rapids Business (crainsgrandrapids.com)

 

LMC Events

Oct. 6     – Wet Lab Staff Meeting (10:00-11:00 am)

Oct. 13   – Wet Lab Staff Meeting (10:00-11:00 am)

Oct. 13   – Seminar (2:00-3:00 pm)

Oct.17   – AWRI work on roof (8:00 am-12:00 pm)

Oct. 20   – GVSU Flu Shot Clinic (MPR) (9:00-10:00 am)

Oct. 20   – Wet Lab Staff Meeting (Bultema) (10:00-11:00 am)

Oct. 20   – Woznicki Lab Meeting (Bultema) (11:00 am-12:00 pm)

Oct. 24   – MSU Safe Serv Training (MPR) 8:00 am

Oct. 26   – MEECS (MPR) 12:00 pm

Oct. 27   – Wet Lab Staff Meeting (Bultema) (10:00-11:00 am)

Oct. 27   – Woznicki Lab Meeting (Bultema) (11:00 am-12:00 pm)

Nov. 22-26 - Thanksgiving Break

Nov. 27 - Matt Silverhart Thesis Defense Presentation (MPR) 2:30 pm-3:00 pm

Dec. 1 – New Graduate Assistant Presentations and Holiday Potluck (MPR) 12:00 pm-2:00 pm