NSF REU-QUEST SUMMER 2016

Ten bright young scientists from across the United States and Puerto Rico have arrived at AWRI and are hard at work on summer research projects. The students are as diverse as their research topics and include students from North Carolina, Minnesota, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Indiana, Alabama, Missouri, Iowa, and Michigan. They are participating in the second year of a three-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant promoting Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) – QUantitative Environmental Science and Technology (QUEST) at AWRI, awarded to AWRI scientists Drs. Jim McNair and Kevin Strychar. Though open to all students, the program especially targets undergraduates from ethnic and racial groups that are underrepresented in the biological sciences.  It aims to provide them with genuine research experiences, with the expectation that a substantial proportion of the projects will result in peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals. Further information about AWRI’s REU program is available on its website (https://www.gvsu.edu/wri/mcnair/reuquest).

Al Steinman was interviewed about the current high water levels by State Side on June 2.

Al Steinman attended an Ottawa County Groundwater Taskforce meeting on June 13.

Al Steinman attended a Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance workshop on June 14.

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 a co-author of an article accepted for publication to Aquatic Microbial Ecology.  Lead author, Angela Defore, was a former graduate student working with Bopi.
Defore, A.L.**, A.D. Weinke**, M.M. Lindback and B.A. Biddanda.  In Press.  Year-round measures of planktonic metabolism reveal net autotrophy in surface waters of a Great Lakes estuary.  Aquatic Microbial Ecology.

Mark Luttenton was a co-author of a publication accepted to Michigan Botanist:
Zuiderveen, G.H., T. Evans, T. Schmidt and M. Luttenton.  Geographic distribution of native and invasive haplotypes of Phragmites australis along Michigan’s west coast.  Michigan Botanist.

Syndell Parks, graduate student who worked with Jim McNair, had a manuscript accepted to the journal Lake & Reservoir Management.  Ryan Thum and Jim McNair are co-authors.
Parks, S.R.**, J.N. McNair, P. Hausler, P. Tyning, and R.A. Thum.  In Press.  Divergent responses of cryptic invasive watermilfoil to treatment with auxinic herbicides in a large Michigan lake. Lake and Reservoir Management.

Al Steinman is a co-author of a manuscript accepted to Environmental Science and Pollution Research:
Qin, L., Q. Zeng, W. Zhang, L. Xuyong, A.D. Steinman, and X. Du.  In Press.  Estimating internal P loading in a deep water reservoir of northern China using three different methods.  Environmental Sciences and Pollution Research.  DOI 10.1007/s11356-016-7035-0

Kevin Strychar is a co-author of a chapter in a book recently published:
Sammarco P.W. and K.B. Strychar.  2016.  Ecological and evolutionary considerations regarding corals in a rapidly changing environment.  In: S. Goffredo, Z. Dubinsky (eds.), The Cnidaria, Past, Present and Future, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-31305-4_34

Kevin Strychar has a manuscript accepted for publication in Invasive Coral Species:
Sammarco, P.W., D.A. Brazeau, M. McKoin, and K.B. Strychar.  2016.  Genetic structure of populations of Tubastraea micranthus – a new invasive coral in the western Atlantic: Evidence of multiple invasions?  Management of Biological Invasions.  Manuscript ID MBI16-001

Presentations

(Presenter listed first)

AWRI was represented at the 59^th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research held at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada from June 6–10.  AWRI students and staff in attendance were Nick Gezon, Kevin Strychar, and Tony Weinke.
IAGLR activities included:
Kevin Strychar organized and chaired a session titled “Disease and Pathogens of the Great Lakes and Inland Waters”.
IAGLR presentations included:
Gezon, N.**, Strychar, K.B., and Hewson, I.H.  Oral.  Understanding viral pathogens and their role in Diporeia decline in Lake Michigan.
Strychar, K. and M. Luttenton (presenter).  Oral.  Early detection of cercarial dermatitis (swimmer’s itch) and its relationship to nutrients.
Weinke, A.**, D. Koopmans***, S. Kendall and B. Biddanda.  Oral.  Time–series buoy observatory allows monitoring of difficult to track unforeseen episodic lake phenomena. 

Mark Luttenton gave a presentation titled “The Grayling Hatchery Controversy” to The Fishing Club, Wa Wa Sum Biological Field Station in Grayling, MI on May 7.

Rick Rediske gave a presentation and tour to a GVSU class, ENS 201, here at AWRI on June 7.

Rick Rediske gave a presentation on Watershed Management Planning at the Hamlin Lake Association annual meeting on June 24.

Rick Rediske gave a presentation on the Flint Water Crisis to the Scientech Club in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 27.

Al Steinman gave a presentation on final findings from the Silver Lake hydrologic and nutrient study to the public on June 11.

Al Steinman was co-host and attended an eco-summit on ecosystem services in the Great Lakes at CILER in Ann Arbor from June 22–24.

Janet Vail facilitated a MEECS Climate Change workshop on June 20 for the Global Change Teacher Institute at Michigan Tech.

Janet Vail coordinated “MEECS Week” at the Kent Intermediate School District.  There was a MEECS workshop on Air Quality on June 21, Climate Change on June 22, and Water Quality on June 23.  Janet co-taught the Air Quality Unit.

Janet Vail presented a Project WET water festival training and a tour of AWRI to K-12 agriculture teachers after they returned from a demonstration cruise on the W.G. Jackson on June 22. 

Al Steinman attended the annual GVSU Enrichment Dinner in Grand Rapids on June 7.  A posthumous award was presented on behalf of AWRI benefactor Robert B. Annis. Graduate student Suse LaGory (Advisor: Carl Ruetz) introduced Dan Yates, President of the R.B. Annis Foundation, who accepted the award. 

Al Steinman received the Patricia B. Johnson Award for Leadership and Innovative Grantmaking at the Annual Meeting of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County on June 28.

Bopi Biddanda received a $1,500 grant from the NASA Michigan Space Grants Consortium for a project titled “GVSU Affiliate Administrative Grant”. (2016-2017).

Bopi Biddanda received a $40,989 grant from the National Science Foundation, Geobiology Program for a project titled “Collaborative Research - Revealing the interplay between light sulfur cycling and oxygen production in cyanobacterial mats”. (2016-2019).

Emily Kindervater, graduate student working with Al Steinman, received a $1,000 award from Society of Freshwater Science, to be used for her research project.

Mark Luttenton received $72,782 in funding from the National Institutes for Health for Year 3 of his aquatic fungal research.  

AWRI In the News

“Great Lakes levels are up, but no need to panic”
Michigan Radio, June 6, 2016
Al Steinman was interviewed about lake levels in the Great Lakes.

“W. G. Jackson to be making a Michigan City port-of-call”
WIMS AM 1420, June 9, 2016
The W.G. Jackson traveled to Michigan City to do public tours, sponsored by the local Sanitary District.

“Invasive New Zealand mudsnail reaches Au Sable River”
Detroit Free Press, June 10, 2016
Mark Luttenton is quoted regarding New Zealand mudsnails he recently found in sediment taken from the Au Sable River.

“Invasive mud snail gains foothold in second Michigan river”
MLive.com, June 10, 2016
Mark Luttenton is quoted regarding New Zealand mud snails he recently found in sediment taken from the Au Sable River.

“200 years of Muskegon Lake’s shoreline explored in new exhibit”
MLive.com, June 15, 2016
The Lakeshore Museum Center in Muskegon is offering a new exhibit from June 21, 2016 through May 2017 that describes changes in the Muskegon Lake shoreline in the last 200 years.  AWRI assisted in some of the research shown in the display.

“Invasive species, New Zealand mud snail, found in Au Sable watershed”
WZZM, June 20, 2016
Mark Luttenton is quoted regarding New Zealand mud snails he recently found in sediment taken from the Au Sable River.

“Researchers discover invasive snails in Au Sable River”
Petoskey News, June 27, 2016
Mark Luttenton is quoted regarding New Zealand mud snails he recently found in sediment taken from the Au Sable River.

“Silver Lake study results have community members, others researching sewer”
Oceana Herald-Journal, June 29, 2016
Al Steinman and representatives from USGS presented the findings of their three-year study at a meeting on June 11.

LMC Events

June 1 & 2
Students from Northern Trails Elementary (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

June 3
Students from Murray Lake Elementary (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

June 6 & 7
Students from Alto Elementary (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

June 8
Students from a West Ottawa Explorer group (Ottawa County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the D.J. Angus. 

June 22
John Skutnik, graduate student working with Kevin Strychar, successfully defended his master’s thesis at the LMC with a presentation titled:  “Examining the effect of climate change on an upper mesophotic threshold community: Montastraea cavernosa”

June 22
Participants in this year’s Grand Parents-Grand Children-Grand Valley (G3) Summer Camp enjoyed a science program at the Lake Michigan Center and a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.  The G3 is organized by the GVSU Regional Math and Science Center.