AWRI Summer Student Interns

One of the joys of summer at AWRI is our student intern program. This summer, we welcome 8 student interns to the Institute. These students are funded by a variety of sources and work with different principal investigators.

Three interns are being funded through the R.B. Annis Foundation: Bert Carey will be working with Carl Ruetz; Kailey Keenan-Whittemore will be working with Bopi Biddanda; and Anna Tarach will be working with Rick Rediske.

Two interns are being funded through the AWRI Undergraduate Internship: Darrick Gates will be working with Kevin Strychar, and Alexis Hoskins will be working with Charlyn Partridge.  

Three interns will be working at AWRI this summer, funded through various research projects: Rachel Orzechowski will be working with Al Steinman; Riley Duff will be working with Bopi Biddanda, and Safiya Best (not pictured) will be working with Rick Rediske.

A special welcome to all of these bright, young researchers for their hard work and dedication, and a heartfelt thank you to our generous funders!

Ann Hesselsweet, science instructor on the research vessel W.G. Jackson, conducted a macroinvertebrate sampling session along the Grand River for Lakeshore Environmental Education Program (LEEP) students on May 7^th.

Sarah Lamar, graduate student working with Charlyn Partridge, successfully passed her Qualifying Exam on May 14^th.

Molly Lane, graduate student working with Rick Rediske, successfully passed her Qualifying Exam on May 23^rd.

Rick Rediske and his incoming graduate student Matthew Allen hosted a meeting about their proposed research on Little Flower Creek at AWRI on May 19^th.

Carl Ruetz and his graduate student Alan Mock were interviewed for a short documentary on the effort to re-establish Arctic grayling in Michigan, which was produced by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.  Carl and Alan are working with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians to test egg incubator designs and protocols for use in Michigan streams.

Al Steinman was a Co-emcee of the Michigan Environmental Hall of Fame Awards held in Grand Rapids on May 9^th.

Al Steinman attended a CIGLR Council of Fellows meeting via conference call on May 10^th.

Al Steinman had a radio interview with Shelley Irwin, WGVU, on May 11^th.

Al Steinman attended the International Joint Commission (IJC) workshop on Great Lakes Early Warning System held in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on May 14^th and 15^th.

Kevin Strychar attended the Pipeline Safety Advisory Board meeting held in Lansing on May 14^th.  Kevin is one of the researchers for the Line 5 survey.

Janet Vail facilitated a station at the 16^th annual Project WET Community Water Festival held in Big Rapids, MI on May 17^th.  Over 350 3^rd grade students were in attendance.

Jay Zuidema, graduate student working with Jim McNair, successfully defended his master’s thesis on May 4^th.  The title of his presentation was: “Estimating Components of Stream Metabolism Using the Free Water Dissolved Oxygen Method”

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 is a co-author of an article accepted to the publication Ecology:
Schmidt, M., B. Biddanda, A. Weinke**, E. Chiang, F. Januska*, R. Props, V. Denef. In Press. Microhabitats shape diversity-productivity relationships in freshwater bacterial communities.  Ecology.

Al Steinman is a co-author of an article accepted to the publication Chemosphere:
Cao, Q., A.D. Steinman, X. Wan, and L. Xie. In Press. Combined toxicity of microcystin-LR and copper on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Chemosphere.

Al Steinman is a co-author of an article published in Environmental Pollution:
Cao, Q., A.D. Steinman, X. Wan, and L. Xie. 2018. Bioaccumulation of microcystin congeners in soil-plant system and human health risk assessment: A field study from Lake Taihu region of China. Environmental Pollution 240: 44-50.  

Al Steinman is a co-author of an article published in Journal of Great Lakes Research:
Isely, P., E. Sterrett Isely, C. Hause, and A.D. Steinman. 2018. A socioeconomic analysis of habitat restoration in the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern. Journal of Great Lakes Research 44: 330-339.

Presentations

(Presenter listed first)

AWRI was represented at the Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) meeting held in Detroit from May 20^th – 24^th.  AWRI personnel in attendance were: Kaitlyn (Emelander) Dykstra**, Travis Ellens**, Mike Hassett, Mark Luttenton, Dan Myers**, Kim Oldenborg**, Carl Ruetz, and Al Steinman.
AWRI presentations included:
Akey, N.** and M. Luttenton.  Initial assessment of rates of cercariae infections in host snail populations.
Dykstra, K.M.**, C.R. Ruetz III, M.J. Cooper, and D.G. Uzarski.  Poster.  Occupancy and detection of yellow perch in Great Lakes coastal wetlands.
Ellens, T.J.**, C.R. Ruetz III, and S.L. Kohler.  Oral.  Seasonal top-down effects of fish on benthic macroinvertebrates and periphyton in a coldwater Michigan stream.
Geist, J.**, M. Luttenton, J. Wegner**, and S. Tiegs.  Oral.  The New Zealand mudsnail; State of the science and current studies of an early invasion in a Michigan river.
Hassett, M. and A.D. Steinman.  Oral.  Impacts of sediment dredging on phosphorus dynamics in a restored riparian wetland.
Luttenton, M. and J. Wegner**.  Oral.  Population dynamics of New Zealand mud snails in a northern Michigan stream.
Myers, D.**  Poster.  Impacts of an agricultural/urban land cover gradient in a coldwater stream.
Oldenborg, K.A.** and A.D. Steinman.  Oral.  Impacts of sediment dredging on phosphorus dynamics in a restored riparian wetland.
Ruetz, C.R., III.  Oral.  Fish use of Lake Michigan drowned river mouths: a conceptual model of life history types.
Steinman, A.D., H. Seidel, and S. Cho. Oral. Raising water awareness through Science, Music, and Dance.  Al Steinman is one of the collaborators of a live science/music/dance performance titled “Eau de Trois” that was presented at SFS.  Other GVSU collaborators on this project are S. Cho and H. Seidel.

Rick Rediske was an invited speaker for a webinar titled “Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances” held at the University of Michigan on May 16^th.
https://sph.umich.edu/events/event.php?ID=7039

Al Steinman gave an invited presentation titled “Restoration of aquatic ecosystems in West Michigan” at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, NIGLAS (Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology) in Nanjing, China on April 23^rd.

Al Steinman was the keynote speaker with a presentation titled “Managing water resources in Michigan by watersheds: fact, fiction, and frustration” for the Lower Grand Rapids Organization of Watersheds held in Lowell, MI on May 11^th.

Al Steinman gave a presentation titled “Michigan’s Blue Economy” for the National Working Waterfronts Conference held in Grand Rapids, MI on May 17^th.  Some of the participants in the National Working Waterfronts and Waterways Symposium were on the research vessel W.G. Jackson for a tour of the Muskegon Lake waterfront on May 16^th.

Al Steinman gave a presentation titled “Research and monitoring update” at the Project Clarity Annual Meeting held in Holland, MI on May 24^th.

Janet Vail was invited to present on the MEECS Climate Change Unit at the first meeting of the Climate Collaborative held in Allendale on May 31^st.  The purpose of the Collaborative is to share models of collaborative interdisciplinary climate change education. Elena Lioubimtseva is taking the lead on this collaborative effort.

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

Rick Rediske received an award in the amount of $7800 from the Muskegon County Environmental Coordinating Council for Little Flower Creek Erosion and Biological Assessment.

Rick Rediske received an award in the amount of $7000 from the Muskegon County Environmental Coordinating Council for Little Flower Creek E. coli Assessment.

Rick Rediske received an award in the amount of $5000 from the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission for “Muskegon Tributary Monitoring: Ryerson Creek, North Branch Near Mouth and South Branch Near Teledyne”.

AWRI In the News

“Port of Muskegon Tour with Senator Peters”
West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission, April/May 2018, page 4
GVSU-AWRI is listed as a stakeholder, with many other Muskegon businesses and organizations, welcoming U.S. Senator Gary Peters on a tour of the Port of Muskegon. Al Steinman was an invited participant. 

“Arctic grayling project swims on”
Traverse City Record Eagle, May 11, 2018
GVSU is mentioned as one of the partners in this project to re-introduce Arctic grayling in the Manistee River.

“UMich hosting PFAS webinar with viewings in West Michigan”
MLive, May 14, 2018
Rick Rediske was one of three speakers participating in this webinar.  He spoke about the Wolverine World Wide/Rockford PFAS investigation.
Also picked up by:
Grand Rapids News, Muskegon Chronicle, Topix, NewsEdge, and Staten Island Advance

“Local students learn about water during Project WET festival”
Big Rapids Pioneer, May 17, 2018
Janet Vail was interviewed about and also participated at the 16^th annual Project WET “Make a Splash” Water Festival held at Northend Riverside Park in Big Rapids.  Third graders from several local districts were in attendance.

“Experts discuss PFAS contamination in West Michigan at U of M”
WGVU, a service of Grand Valley State University, May 17, 2018
Rick Rediske was one of three speakers participating in this webinar.  He spoke about the Wolverine World Wide/Rockford PFAS investigation.

“Air Quality Lessons Now Available”
InterChange Newsletter (produced by the GVSU Regional Math/Science Center)
Janet Vail is listed as the contact for questions regarding the West Michigan Clean Air Coalition’s Clean Air Action Program, available online.

“McNALMS and MLSA Award Student Grant for 2018”
McNALMS newsletter, Spring 2018
Paige Kleindl, graduate student working with Al Steinman, was the recipient of McNALMS and MLSA’s Lake Research Student Grant.  The money will help to fund her research project.

“White House staffer: release of PFAS study will be a “public relations nightmare””
WGVU, May 21, 2018
Al Steinman was quoted in the article regarding PFAS levels and the current science behind the numbers – the affects of 12 parts per trillion vs 70 parts per trillion on humans and the environment.

LMC Events

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

May 2
Students from Westside Christian Elementary (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 8
Students from the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary School (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 9, 16, 30
Students from Shoreline Elementary (Muskegon County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities.

May 10 & 11
Students from Dutton Elementary (Kent County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 14 & 15
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.

May 16
High school students from the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (Ottawa County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for a presentation and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 17
Students from Scott Elementary (Clinton County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 21, 22, 23, 24
Students from Daisy Brook Elementary (Newago County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.

May 29
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.

May 31
Students from Saint Thomas Aquinas Elementary (Ingham County) visited the Annis Educational Foundation Classroom for hands-on activities and took a vessel cruise on the W.G. Jackson.