Moira Harrington

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/hart-wins-prestigious-outreach-award-in-honor-of-service-to-wisconsin/

Great Lakes, Great Read shared-reading initiative announces book selections

On: April 22, 2024

In: Anne Moser, Great Lakes, Great Read, Laura Sauser, literacy, WiLS, Wisconsin Library Association, Wisconsin Water Library

As part of today’s Earth Day commemorations, the Wisconsin Water Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, supported by Wisconsin Sea Grant, and the Wisconsin Library Association announced the books selected for a basin-wide shared-reading experience, Great Lakes, Great Read.

“The Water Walker” by Joanne Robertson is the children’s selection and the adult selection is “The Best Part of Us” by Sally Cole-Misch.

Illustration of person walking past pine trees.

“The Water Walker” is the story of a determined Ojibwe grandmother, a “nokomis,” named Josephine Mandamin who walks to raise awareness of the need to protect “nibi” (water). Robertson wrote and illustrated the book, which was published in 2017.

Published in 2020, Sally Cole-Misch’s award-winning novel, “The Best Part of Us”, explores a family’s ties to an island in the Canadian waters of an inland lake just north of Lake Huron—how those ties are tested both through natural processes and family dynamics. A calm lake and an island in the background.

“The Great Lakes have shaped Wisconsin as we know it. These inland seas provide drinking water and fuel our agriculture, shipping, manufacturing and recreation,” said WWL Senior Special Librarian Anne Moser. “These two books will bring the lakes alive in new and evocative ways. We hope readers will reflect on the lakes and be inspired, become passionate and feel more connected to them.”

WLA Executive Director Laura Sauser said, “All Wisconsinites are encouraged to read these titles, and we also hope to be a catalyst for libraries throughout the upper Midwestern states and Canadian provinces to engage patrons through a range of activities.”

Both selected authors will be featured in a free webinar series happening on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 and 9. All events will start at 6 p.m., CT, and will be open to the public.

Both selected authors will be featured in a free webinar series happening on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 and 9. All events will start at 6 p.m., CT, and will be open to the public. In November, the authors will visit Wisconsin for a variety of events. Please check the Wisconsin Great Lakes, Great Read webpage, https://go.wisc.edu/85b96h, later this summer to learn more.

Currently, the website offers further details on the authors, their books, book discussion questions, an email list signup option and other resources.

This initiative is supported by an Ideas to Action grant from WiLS. Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute support the Wisconsin Water Library.

The post Great Lakes, Great Read shared-reading initiative announces book selections first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/great-lakes-great-read-shared-reading-initiative-announces-book-selections/

New federal funding will boost holistic PFAS research

On: March 28, 2024

In: Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science, PFAS, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan

Person wearing a suit jacket standing at a podium with clasped hands. A second tall person stands in the background.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan announcing a nearly $1 million investment in PFAS research. Photo by Wisconsin Sea Grant.

During a press event at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Water Sciences and Engineering Lab (WSEL) yesterday, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan announced $963,000 in funding for a new Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science.

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of chemicals used in everyday items such as nonstick cookware, food packaging and stain-repellent products. Many PFAS resist degradation and are highly mobile in the environment. As a result, these chemicals have been detected across the globe and are directly impacting drinking water, as well as fisheries. They are known to cause negative health effects in people.

“UW-Madison is one of the premier research institutions in the United States and it was an honor to secure these federal funds for them,” Pocan said, “PFAS chemicals have been detected throughout our water table, contaminating both surface and groundwater systems. This funding will be used to help conduct research to improve the quality of Wisconsin’s drinking water by removing these harmful PFAS chemical compounds from the environment.”

Sea Grant Interim Director Christy Remucal will lead a new Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science. Photo by Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Sea Grant Interim Director Christy Remucal will lead the new center. She was unable to attend yesterday’s event but provided information to be shared on her behalf. “This support will allow researchers to advance actional research on PFAS. This is necessary to safeguard water quality and protect public health,” she wrote.

The center will be housed at WSEL, which currently offers the only accessible instrumentation on campus for measuring PFAS in environmental samples. In a proposal first suggesting the center, Remucal wrote, “Typical funded research projects support one researcher at a time. This funding will support multiple scientists through a collaborative Center of Excellence framework, enabling scientists to take a holistic approach to address this complex issue for the first time.”

Despite joking that he could explain the chemical makeup of the more than 9,000 PFAS and how the new center would address them, Pocan turned to others at the event during a tour of the lab to gain an understanding of current and future work.

That work will be expanded thanks to the purchase of a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer, using a portion of the new funding. Standard techniques allow researchers to now measure only about 40 different PFAS. The new instrumentation will allow researchers to study more PFAS chemicals.

The new instrument will also have high-resolution capabilities that let scientists detect and identify PFAS they currently can’t measure. This will advance the field of environmental forensics, which uses PFAS chemistry to identify the sources of contamination. This is critical for cleaning up and preventing PFAS contamination.

Three people standing in a line talking.

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan learns about current PFAS instrumentation from Zhao Yang (center) and Kaitlyn Gruber (left) in Christy Remucal’s lab. Photo by Wisconsin Sea Grant.

This investment also means researchers will increase the quantity of samples processed in the lab. Sample preparation is very time consuming and often limits how many samples can be analyzed. Through the center, Remucal plans to purchase things like automated extraction equipment that will let researchers process more samples.

In her supplied remarks, Remucal noted that researchers are making progress in learning about PFAS and coming up with solutions to address them, especially here in Wisconsin.

Remucal noted the number of researchers in Wisconsin who study PFAS has grown dramatically in the last five years. She wrote that work is ongoing to understand the fate of PFAS and how they are impacting the Great Lakes, quantify the amount of PFAS in waste materials, determine toxicity, find new detection techniques and, finally, conceive of ways to contain or remediate the chemicals.

Sea Grant is currently funding PFAS research in Lake Superior to determine if PFAS accumulate at higher levels at the surface water in foams and ice as compared to lower water depths. If that is the case, it can complicate representative sample collection. A second project will provide a quantitative understanding of PFAS moving through groundwater near Lake Michigan. A final effort is looking at toxicity and bioaccumulation of different types of PFAS in larval fish.

The post New federal funding will boost holistic PFAS research first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-federal-funding-will-boost-holistic-pfas-research/

New federal funding will boost holistic PFAS research

On: March 28, 2024

In: Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science, mass spectrometer, PFAS, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan

Group of people standing behind another person in forefront who is speaking. — U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan announcing nearly a $1 million investment in PFAS research. Photo by WRI.

University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute Interim Director Christy Remucal will lead the new center. She was unable to attend yesterday’s event but provided information to be shared on her behalf. “This support will allow researchers to advance actional research on PFAS. This is necessary to safeguard water quality and protect public health,” she wrote.

Close-up of person with shoulder-length brown hair. — WRI Interim Director Christy Remucal will lead a new Center of Excellence in PFAS Environmental Science.

Three people wearing lab safety glasses stand and have a conversation. — U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan learns about current PFAS instrumentation from Zhao Yang (center) and Kaitlyn Gruber (left) in Christy Remucal’s lab. Photo by WRI.

In her supplied remarks, Remucal noted that researchers are making progress in learning about PFAS and coming up with solutions to address them, especially here in Wisconsin.

Remucal also noted the number of researchers in Wisconsin who study PFAS has grown dramatically in the last five years. She wrote that work is ongoing to understand the fate of PFAS and how they are impacting the Great Lakes, quantify the amount of PFAS in waste materials, determine toxicity, find new detection techniques and, finally, conceive of ways to contain or remediate the chemicals.

Through WRI, a researcher is also currently studying PFAS levels in subsistence goods relevant to Indigenous communities—walleye, maple sap and wild rice.

Another current PFAS project is quantifying PFAS export from contaminated soil to underlying groundwater aquifers, and determining how long the contaminated soil can serve as a source of PFAS in the future.

The post New federal funding will boost holistic PFAS research first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/new-federal-funding-will-boost-holistic-pfas-research/

Water Resources Institute recognized for strong science, science communication and student support

On: March 27, 2024

In: evaluation, five-year, USGS

Every five years, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI) is evaluated to determine eligibility for continued support under the federal Water Resources Research Act of 1984, which is administered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

WRI recently received the results of that review of 2016-20 research, student support and information transfer. The headline is the USGS found that WRI is “performing at an outstanding level.”

The USGS review panel assessed WRI’s effectiveness in using its federal grant, as well as required matching funds, which come from the state of Wisconsin. The panel also called out notable features in how WRI operates:

The support for high-quality research, with a special call-out to collaborative work on mercury cycling with UW-Madison and the USGS’s Mercury Research Lab. Another factor that was praised was the support for early faculty in the request for proposal process. In fact, the panel complimented the entire proposal review process that effectively draws on subject matter experts to evaluate what prospective investigators would study.
An active and innovative information transfer effort that results in quality products. Reviewers particularly appreciated podcasting as a way to convey science stories.
The focus on training post-graduates through fellowships with state agencies.
The large-scale engagement with USGS, including at least five collaborations and 14 co- authored publications and joint work with students.

“We work every day to leverage our federal and state funding effectively to help communities across Wisconsin, and it is truly a collective team effort,” said Jennifer Hauxwell, WRI’s research director. “From the dozens of researchers at Wisconsin universities across the state who step up to address our shared water challenges to institute staff who coordinate our research program, create student training opportunities, manage the distribution of funding and communicate stories and archive findings, we are so very grateful. We still have a lot to learn about Wisconsin’s water resources and community needs, and we look forward to tackling future challenges and opportunities together.”

Person in a red cap standing in a corn field with a tool for scientific study. — A WRI researcher prepares a tool to survey groundwater in an area of southern Wisconsin prone to flooding. Photo by WRI.

WRI is one of 54 national water research institutes. For 60 years, it has been a locally focused state and federal partnership supporting unbiased research and information transfer, which leads to safeguarding Wisconsin’s water quantity, quality and management. Some of the research projects supported during this evaluation period looked at naturally occurring contaminants like strontium, radium and manganese. Other projects explored land use practices and the resulting levels of nitrate in groundwater.

The post Water Resources Institute recognized for strong science, science communication and student support first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/water-resources-institute-recognized-for-strong-science-science-communication-and-student-support/

In: 2024, Driftless Area, drinking water sources in Wisconsin, Groundwater Awareness Week, Groundwater Research Advisory Council, PFAS, private wells, public water systems, Waukesha water supply and radium, Wisconsin Water Library, Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, Wisconsin's annual average water withdrawal

During Groundwater Awareness Week (March 4-10), consider the tide under your feet

On: March 1, 2024

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water in Wisconsin. Image credit: David Nevala

When you turn on a faucet and a stream of cool, clear water pours out, that convenience can mask where the water comes from—underground. It’s there, and in great quantities. In fact, Wisconsin has so much groundwater – 1.2 quadrillion gallons – that if it were on the surface, it would submerge Packer fans in 100 feet of the wet stuff.

Just because groundwater is out of sight, doesn’t mean it’s out of mind – or use. Where does your drinking water come from? For 70 percent of us in the state, it’s thanks to the vast stores of groundwater in aquifers that not only quench our thirst but also fuel the operations of our power plants, breweries, factories and farms. The remaining 30 percent of Wisconsinites get their drinking water from the Great Lakes.

Wisconsin has more than 800,000 private wells and in excess of 11,000 public water systems. In all, Wisconsin’s annual average water withdrawal is 1.91 trillion gallons (some of that comes from surface water, such as lakes Michigan and Superior).

With so much demand and use, groundwater is clearly valuable. And, just as in the case of surface water, we need to be responsible stewards of it. That’s worth noting as the 2024 Groundwater Awareness Week (March 4 – 10) rolls around.

One manifestation of that stewardship is the work done by our sister organization, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI). WRI runs a statewide research competition through the Groundwater Research Advisory Council (GRAC). As its basic function, the GRAC ensures that Wisconsin citizens have an adequate supply of high-quality groundwater and it funds university scientists to look into current topics such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) in numerous Wisconsin communities and pathogens in drinking water in the Driftless Area.

An example of past impactful GRAC research looked into naturally occurring radium in drinking water serving residents of Waukesha, which led to a binational decision a few years ago to allow that city to secure water from Lake Michigan, even though it lies outside of the Great Lakes Basin.

WRI also offers a robust information transfer program highlighting the work of water scientists through news stories, podcasts and videos. Finally, the WRI supports the Wisconsin Water Library, a resource with more than 30,000 holdings of all types of water-related material free for circulation to any state resident. The library further curates and distributes water-themed learning kits for children in the K-12 educational system.

To access these resources about the veritable tide below your feet—groundwater—and other water information, visit wri.wisc.edu.

The post During Groundwater Awareness Week (March 4-10), consider the tide under your feet first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/during-groundwater-awareness-week-march-4-10-consider-the-tide-under-your-feet/

Sea Grant to fund $4.6 M in Great Lakes research, education and outreach

On: February 1, 2024

In: 2024-26 research, Christy Remucal

The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program today announced the investment of $4.6 million into Great Lakes research, education and outreach for 2024-26.

In that time, Sea Grant will fund 11 research projects and one education project, totaling $2.8 million, along with 46 outreach projects on seven Universities of Wisconsin campuses.

Interim Sea Grant Director calls the Great Lakes a true treasure and praises the investment of research dollars to study them.

“The inland seas and their coastal ecosystems are true treasures. This investment is a critical one as we seek to more deeply understand the Great Lakes, enhance their use and foster conservation,” said Christy Remucal, interim director of Sea Grant. “In a 2022 analysis, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coastal Management valued the Great Lakes regional economy at $3.1 trillion. So, for the actual dollar value of the lakes, as well as the perhaps more intangible cultural value, all Wisconsin residents will see a return on investment from this new freshwater-focused work.”

Thanks to funding from Sea Grant, other entities will participate in the research projects—the Wisconsin Historical Society conducting shipwreck research; Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission engaging in microplastics and contaminants research; Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Community determining more efficient ways to cultivate walleye; and governmental bodies, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Health Services and town of Campbell, on investigations into PFAS in waterways and various questions surrounding the Great Lakes fishery.

Researchers will also look into microbial pollutants on recreational beaches, angler ice safety, creating a tool to measure the levels of microplastics in the Great Lakes, flooding and the 2,000-year-old history of Great Lakes fishing.

In all, nearly 100 scientists, staff and students will be engaged in this work. It is also rewarding, Remucal said, to see new researchers as part of the portfolio. Eight of the 11 projects will be led by scientists who have not previously secured Sea Grant funding.

The participating campuses within the Universities of Wisconsin system are Green Bay and its campus in Manitowoc, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Stevens Point and Superior.

The NOAA, Department of Commerce, provides funding for this work through the National Sea Grant College Program.

The post Sea Grant to fund $4.6 M in Great Lakes research, education and outreach first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-to-fund-4-6-m-in-great-lakes-research-education-and-outreach/

Moen honored by Wisconsin’s commercial fishers

On: January 19, 2024

In: cisco, food-fish coordinator, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, lake whitefish, Sharon Moen, Sweden, Wisconsin Commercial Fisherman’s Association

Last week, Sea Grant’s Sharon Moen was the recipient of an Appreciation Award from the Wisconsin Commercial Fishing Association to honor her work to secure the overseas market for whitefish and cisco roe in Sweden.

In 2021, Moen responded to Wisconsin commercial fisher and fish processor requests for help in addressing challenges to the export of Great Lakes lake whitefish and Lake Superior cisco roe to Sweden. Negative sustainability ratings developed by the World Wildlife Fund-European Union prompted ICA Sweden–the largest grocery market chain in the country–and other markets, to remove the roe from shelves.

Moen, food-fish outreach coordinator, intervened and due to that educational outreach spanning roughly two years, the rating was changed last fall so sales valued at $15 million annually can resume.

Two people standing next to each other in a room. One person is holding a microphone. The other person is holding an award.

Sharon Moen accepts an award from the president of Wisconsin’s commercial fishing industry in honor of her work to restore a $15-million overseas market for Great Lakes fish products. Photo: Cindy Hudson, Michigan Sea Grant.

“I’m so pleased Wisconsin Sea Grant could facilitate the flow of evidence-based information in a way that helped the commercial fishing industry,” Moen said. “Sustainable fisheries management is an important topic and one our commercial fishers, fisheries managers and Sea Grant takes seriously.”

About Moen’s contribution, the association’s president Daniel Schwarz, said, “Moen’s commitment to this global project was extraordinary. No matter the size of the obstacle thrown her way, she managed to effectively tackle it and successfully conquer it. It is rare these days to see someone who truly cares to the point of no option for failure. Moen took the time to understand the issues at hand directly meeting with fishermen, processors/exporters around the upper Great Lakes in addition to reaching out to regulating government offices to collect updated correct information regarding the current status of the upper Great Lakes fishing industry.”

He continued, “Moen then effectively communicated all this information to Scandinavian regulatory agencies as well as consumers to build back the confidence in and credibility of the Great Lakes products. This enormous undertaking by one person took great leadership and communication skills, determination and passion.”

Schwarz is the owner of Dan’s Fish Inc., which is based in Sturgeon Bay. Wisconsin’s tribal and state-licensed commercial fishers primary catch lake whitefish, cisco and lake trout from Lake Superior. In Lake Michigan, state-licensed commercial fishers target lake whitefish and yellow perch. Burbot, rainbow smelt and chubs also make up part of Wisconsin’s Great Lakes commercial catch.

The post Moen honored by Wisconsin’s commercial fishers first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/moen-honored-by-wisconsins-commercial-fishers/

In: climate impacts on city parks, Moira Harrington, Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change report

Communicating about climate

On: January 16, 2024

The calendar has flipped to 2024. Our staff members are already tackling new projects. Before they move too deeply into the new year, however, some staff members took a moment to retain the glow of their favorite 2023 project. Moira Harrington, assistant director for communications, shared her thoughts.

I make my living by communicating things—research findings, how we wisely spend the money we get through two federal grants and the activities of my coworkers who give advice on topics like water quality, Great Lakes fish or bluff erosion. Communicating is my job but it’s also personally meaningful and rewarding work.

Moira Harrington. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

I don’t make a living serving as a volunteer member of the Board of Park Commissioners in my hometown. It’s not a job but it, too, is meaningful and rewarding work.

In 2023, Sea Grant work and volunteer work came together. Upon reflection, it was one of my most rewarding experiences for the year. Six of my colleagues contributed to a far-reaching and valuable resource, the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change report (2021). For my day job, I’ve communicated about the report, and I recently had the chance to share its findings with city staff and fellow park commissioners.

We focused on the report’s tourism and outdoor recreation chapter, talking about how changes in the climate would affect our decisions and policymaking surrounding things like park infrastructure, scheduling recreational sporting events, what plant species in our conservation parks will flourish or fail and ADA access when perhaps more amenities are affected by storms or flooding.

It was a good feeling to see a tangible use for a report my coworkers put so much effort into and that I could spotlight for those serving my city who, before this, had not been familiar with the resource. All around, it was communication satisfaction.

The post Communicating about climate first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/communicating-about-climate/

Variable fellowship brings learning and results for all involved

On: January 4, 2024

In: contaminants, flooding, Jacquie Cronin, Jennifer Hauxwell, Roy Irving, Sarah Gravlee, Sarah Yang, Water Science Policy Fellow, Wisconsin Department of Health Services

In the roughly six months she has been the 2023 Water Science Policy Fellow, Sarah Gravlee’s throughline has been science, in many forms. It’s been her head-down task to complete a literature review of the hurdles facing public water systems. Gravlee’s been checking for lead water-service lines to a location where someone has applied for day care certification. She’s been fielding phone calls from people across Wisconsin with questions about contaminants in their private wells. There was also the meth house.

Person standing next to a tree, wearing a blue shirt with trees in the background. — Fellow Sarah Gravlee is connecting Wisconsin residents with information water.

“I joined one of our toxicologists in the field a few months ago,” Gravlee said. “We went to a home where someone used to smoke meth. We tested it to ensure it was safe for children to resume living there. It passed with flying colors. Well, not flying colors. There was a negligible amount of residue detected. We used a test similar to a PCR test (a DNA polymerase chain reaction test). We wiped windowsills down and mixed these samples with a chemical solution. The solution was dropped on a tester that uses color indication to quantify the meth levels.”

Gravlee’s two-year fellowship is supported by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI). Her indisputably wide range of tasks in such a short amount of time is precisely the intention of the sponsoring organizations.

Jennifer Hauxwell, WRI associate director and a co-mentor for Gravlee, noted the initial call for applicants stated that the fellow would capitalize on many opportunities to help communities facing hazardous conditions.

The mentor team is rounded out by Drs. Roy Irving and Sarah Yang at DHS and Environmental Health Capacity Evaluator Jacquie Cronin, also at DHS. This fellowship/co-mentoring model, Hauxwell said, serves the interests of all three participants, the university, agency and fellow.

The university, through WRI, contributes to workforce development—training the next generation of scientists to do community-engaged science. Then, “Agencies make progress on a water challenge for the people of Wisconsin and attract talent for a project, and potentially longer-term positions.” Hauxwell continued, “Fellows apply technical skills to real-world problems, learn how to engage partners and communities and are invited to step outside of a comfort zone.”

For Gravlee’s part, she’s ticking the boxes Hauxwell described. “I like working at the intersection between water and public health. I’ve enjoyed fielding questions from the public about water contaminants, sitting in on meetings about newly identified water contamination, and assisting in projects focused on reducing Wisconsin’s environmental health hazards. I’ve learned a lot about how DHS functions and collaborates with its partners, including the DNR, DATCP (Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection), UW-Extension and local health departments.”

She also offered: “I know the DHS fellowship is a little different than other fellowships that are focused on a singular project. I love that I have a variety of tasks, so every day is different. DHS has been great about providing professional development opportunities and involving me in work that is in line with my interests.”

As for longer-term positions that could result from a fellowship, Gravlee isn’t yet sure of her future direction. “I never pictured myself working in public health before this fellowship, but I think it’s been a good fit. I could see myself continuing environmental health work or transitioning to work focused specifically on contaminated water resources.”

In the meantime, she’s soaking up the experience and providing solid contributions to, for example, implementing a wide-ranging Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant on building environmental health capacity. According to the DHS, 83% of community water systems in the state serve small populations, 3,330 or fewer people. Through a mini-grant program on which Gravlee works, local public health departments and tribal health agencies are getting assistance to address health hazards such as high nitrate levels, flooding and contaminants.

Based on that grant, Gravlee has been preparing for a conference presentation in March. It will focus on her and Cronin’s environmental health capacity support for local health departments investigating and resolving water-related issues. The pair is refining a presentation they previously delivered at a statewide conference in the fall.

The post Variable fellowship brings learning and results for all involved first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/4058-2/

2023 year in review

On: December 12, 2023

In: 2023 years in review, holiday greetings

Two buildings near water. 2023 is closing out, providing a time to pause to celebrate everyone who promotes the understanding and conservation of Wisconsin’s inland seas, our treasured Great Lakes. Here is a year in review of Sea Grant initiatives, along with others by our sister organization, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute.

The post 2023 year in review first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/2023-year-in-review/

2023, Year in Review

On: December 12, 2023

In: holiday greetings, year in review

Two buildings near water. 2023 is closing out, providing a time to pause to celebrate the researchers and water managers who promote understanding and conservation of Wisconsin’s liquid assets. Here is a year in review of University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute projects, along with others by our sister organization, the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program.

The post 2023, Year in Review first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/2023-year-in-review/

Great Lakes, Great Read program announced

On: December 11, 2023

In: Anne Moser, community read, Great Lakes Great Read, Laura Sauser, Wisconsin Library Association

Will connect Wisconsinites to the Great Lakes basin through reading

The Wisconsin Water Library (WWL) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) today announced plans for Great Lakes, Great Read, a basin-wide community read program scheduled to launch in 2024.

The WWL is supported by the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute and its sister program, Wisconsin Sea Grant. Water Library director Anne Moser said the program is based on the need for greater education about the Great Lakes as an important natural resource. While approximately 34 million people in the U.S. and Canada live in the Great Lakes basin, recent surveys, such as the International Joint Commission Great Lakes Regional Poll in 2021, show a lack of understanding of the threats facing the greatest freshwater resource in the world.

“It’s difficult to care about something you know nothing about,” said Moser. “Education, in this case, environmental literacy, is central to cultivating stewardship of the Great Lakes and of water resources more broadly.”

WLA Executive Director Laura Sauser said the “one book, one community” model, already adopted by many libraries, is a natural fit for the idea of a basin-wide community read, and Wisconsin is the perfect state to pilot this idea, catalyzing other Upper Midwestern states and and Canadian provinces to engage and inspire passion and connection to the freshwater seas through reading.

Close-up of smiling person standing in front of book shelves.

Laura Sauser. Contributed photo.

“Wisconsinites have a deep connection to water through culture, economy, tourism and way of life. This connection, coupled with the WLA’s network of academic, public and special libraries, gives us a strong foundation for success,” Sauser said.

Supported by a grant from WiLS, the Great Lakes, Great Read program will officially kick off on Feb. 1. The selected titles will be announced on Earth Day (April 22) 2024. Two books, one for adults and one for children, with themes related to the Great Lakes will be announced.

All Wisconsinites will be encouraged to read these titles, and libraries around the state will be encouraged to engage their residents through book discussions and related activities. While program designs are still being finalized, Moser said the plan is to host public presentations by the selected authors and to host a website that includes book discussion questions and other ideas for engagement for anyone interested.

Join the Great Lakes, Great Read 2024 email list for program updates: Great Lakes, Great Read email list.

The post Great Lakes, Great Read program announced first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/great-lakes-great-read-program-announced/

Keillor Fellow, reviewing resilience of coastal wetlands

On: November 27, 2023

In: Climate change, Keillor Fellowship, Mike Smale, wetlands, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Person wearing a plaid shirt and smiling with water in the background.

Mike Smale is assessing 38 wetlands in the Wisconsin part of the Lake Superior watershed to see what vulnerable plant and animal species are present. Submitted photo.

If Mike Smale were king of the world for a day, he might just decree that all city buses in Madison, Wisconsin, be outfitted with front racks to hold kayaks, in addition to bikes, as they are now. That way, a person could stow their kayak, climb onto the bus, ride to a nearby body of water, remove the kayak and have a paddle. This would be the convergence of two things Smale is passionate about – embracing mass transit to reduce emissions and enjoying water.

“I’m kind of a nerd in that way (supporting eco-friendly trains and buses) on top of being a water nerd,” Smale said.

While filling the role of the J. Philip Keillor Great Lakes – Wisconsin Sea Grant Fellow focused on climate change and coastal wetlands, Smale may not really don the royal mantle and order what’s affixed to buses, but he can embrace his love of water. He took on the 18-month fellowship based at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Madison in mid-June and has a dual-focused appointment.

First, he is tackling what he calls “oddball” tasks, such as collaborating with people in the DNR’s Drinking Water and Groundwater Program, attending conferences and assisting with Sea Grant’s review process to determine a biennial research package. His second focus is assessing how climate change is affecting 38 wetlands in the Wisconsin portion of the Lake Superior watershed.

Smale said, “We are coming up with methods for a framework to evaluate the climate sensitivity of these wetlands. That involves finding out what data is available, working with experts to establish those methods, and how that framework could be representative of true climate sensitivity. And then some mapping (of the wetlands).” The end point will be a scoring table for the sites.

He is looking through the lens of four shifts expected to affect wetlands under a changing climate as identified by the 2021 Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Report:

Warmer temperatures
Increased precipitation
Lake level fluctuations
Increased lake wind and wave action

Those shifts are being incorporated into a whole-picture analysis of a wetland. Smale elaborated, “Based on communities that are present (in a wetland), we can estimate which wetlands are more or less likely to shift – which wetlands are going to change the most. We’re starting with vegetation, and we are going to move into looking at the climate sensitivity of fish habitat and birds, and also culturally important beings.”

With that data in hand, Smale and his team will next determine how, “Those components or communities will translate, or not translate, into adaptive capacity. We’re asking, ‘How well could these wetlands, even though they’re sensitive, how well could they cope with the change in climate’?”

Smale’s work can also inform assessments throughout the Great Lakes Basin because one source of data is the Coastal Wetland Monitoring Data Program, which includes insights about the region’s fish, frog, bird, macroinvertebrate and vegetation populations, along with water quality. The program is based at Central Michigan University and is supported by contributions from binational governmental agencies, universities and a private business.

Person wearing waders and standing in brown and green vegetation. Submitted photo.

Smale said through the fellowship he has, “Learned that I like these actionable positions where you’re doing something that is having a visible effect on people’s lives. ” Submitted photo.

“We’re building the framework (in Wisconsin) to, at a very minimum, work with that dataset so it could be extrapolated to all the Great Lakes. We’re finding ways where we could include state data or from other sources to fill out gaps or make it a little bit more robust, more applicable, but other states could also use this data, tweak it to their own framework using their own data sources,” said Smale.

Speaking of tweaks, Smale said he’s so far encountered one in his own fellowship. “When I first started this position, it really seemed like I jumped into Sophie’s (his predecessor in the fellowship, Sophie LaFond Hudson) work. I thought ‘Oh, wow, this is halfway done. What am I going to be doing?’”

As he dug deeper, though, Smale realized he should adjust LaFond Hudson’s work in the aquatic invasive species (AIS) category – to view AIS as an indicator of stress in a wetland not as a community on par with, say, the state of fish and frogs. For example, if nonnative cattails are present, the wetland is near a tipping point toward a monoculture that should be reflected in an individual wetland’s resiliency score.

Adjusting that part of the framework, “Felt like I was regressing back in the project,” he said. “Here, I thought I was halfway done and actually I’m back working on the basics of the project. But after talking it through with Cherie Hagen, who’s my supervisor at the DNR, she’s like, ‘Oh no, this is exactly what you should be doing. You’re building it up more. You’re incorporating exactly the feedback you’re supposed to.’”

In light of this, Smale said, “I guess I was surprised at how much more influence I would have on this project and also kind of the depth that we are working on.”

In addition to the DNR’s Hagen, the Lake Superior basin supervisor in the Office of Great Waters, Smale is also mentored by Madeline Magee, monitoring and beach coordinator in that same DNR office; Sea Grant’s Associate Director Jennifer Hauxwell; and Titus Seilheimer, Sea Grant’s fisheries outreach specialist.

The post Keillor Fellow, reviewing resilience of coastal wetlands first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/keillor-fellow-reviewing-resilience-of-coastal-wetlands/

Honor for former WRI director

On: November 13, 2023

In: Groundwater Coordinating Council, Jim Hurley, Jim Zellmer, PFAS, radium

Former director of the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI), Jim Hurley, last week received a certificate of appreciation for his service on the State of Wisconsin’s Groundwater Coordinating Council (GCC).

Hurley spent 11 years as a member of the body that was created by the state legislature in 1984 to both facilitate interagency cooperation of those departments that have jurisdiction over water and foster research, monitoring and education around Wisconsin’s 1.2 quadrillion gallons of groundwater. Hurley was the GCC representative from the Universities of Wisconsin.

In highlighting his contributions, Jim Zellmer said Hurley was invaluable to “funding efforts, placement of postgraduate fellows and really supporting all of the research, education and outreach that has benefited the Groundwater Coordinating Council, the agencies that participate in the council and the state as a whole.”

Two people standing together and both holding a certificate. — Jim Hurley (left) received a certificate of recognition from Jim Zellmer, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, on behalf of the Groundwater Coordinating Council.

Zellmer chairs the GCC and is a deputy division administrator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), overseeing drinking water and groundwater and water quality programs, as well as the Office of Great Waters.

Hurley said the GCC is an amazing resource that brings entities together to solve problems. He said many other states look to Wisconsin as a model for cooperative groundwater study and ongoing monitoring.

In particular, he called out the research that led to better understanding the scope of naturally occurring radium compromising drinking water in Waukesha, Wisconsin. That work led to the unprecedented approval from Great Lakes governors and premiers to allow residents of this southeastern Wisconsin community outside of the basin to draw drinking water from Lake Michigan as a solution to protect public health.

Hurley also invoked a study about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that was released in early November. He complimented the research team for recognizing the value of drawing on both state and federal agency knowledge along with that of academia. The study presented an important picture of PFAS prevalence and levels in private drinking water wells across the state.

“It was great to see how quickly the state, and a little bit of the feds in there too, and universities responded to PFAS” in the groundwater, Hurley said.

In October, Hurley retired as the WRI director. During his years on the GCC, he managed a groundwater research competition that allows potential investigators to submit to several funding sources simultaneously. Then, the WRI arranges for peer review of all submitted proposals, easing funding decision-making for those providing the dollars for the eventual projects.

During Hurley’s tenure there were 82 research projects funded by the universities and the state of Wisconsin departments of Natural Resources, as well as Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The research topics were diverse but can be broadly characterized as addressing groundwater quantity, quality and management.

In addition to the DNR, DATCP and the universities, other GCC members include the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey and the state of Wisconsin departments of Safety and Professional Services, Health Services and Transportation.

The post Honor for former WRI director first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/honor-for-former-wri-director/

In: Anne Moser, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission W, Maadagindan! Start Reading!, Wisconsin Library Association, WLA President's Volunteer Award

Water librarian releases torrent of information, programming and goodwill

On: October 26, 2023

Wins 2023 Wisconsin Library Association award

In a ceremony this evening at the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) annual meeting, Anne Moser will accept the 2023 WLA President’s Volunteer Award.

“I am truly humbled to receive this award from the Wisconsin Library Association, and I share it with all the other dedicated librarians that contribute their time and passion to making WLA such a great organization,” Moser said.

Group of three people standing outside in the wind and looking at a piece of paper.

Anne Moser (center) works with Racine middle-school students on an activity designed to explain Lake Michigan coastal processes. Photo: Bonnie Willison

Moser is the senior special librarian for the Wisconsin Water Library, supported by Sea Grant and its sister organization, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. The Water Library holds a collection of more than 30,000 materials related to rivers, lakes, oceans and groundwater.

In addition to managing that collection, Moser engages in extensive outreach activities with a focus on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics as a librarian as well as the Sea Grant education coordinator.

In announcing the award, the WLA referred to Moser as “well known and well-loved among public librarians all around Wisconsin, and their patrons, for the cheerful, fun and educational programs she presents on STEM and water-related topics.” This reflects her tireless travels across the state to bring programming to places as far flung as the northwestern community of Deer Park (population 249), to Beloit in southern Wisconsin, then east to cities and towns along Lake Michigan.

For her part, Moser credits the organization that is honoring her: “As a solo librarian, I have relied on WLA and other professional organizations for support, mentorship and friendship during my career. I encourage all new professionals to get involved!”

Moser herself supports new professionals through her work. Every year, she hosts a student from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, including students enrolled in the iSchool. In turn, she draws out skills from those students, including their contributions to one of Moser’s favorite projects—Maadagindan! Start Reading! It’s a book club focused on children’s literature written by Native authors, focused on Ojibwe culture and the Great Lakes. Educators, librarians and parents—in fact, all—are welcome to attend and discuss the book and learn from an invited honored Indigenous guest during these monthly virtual meetings. The club is a collaboration with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and supported by a grant from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

The WLA also cites Moser’s skill at linking science and art. She has brought exhibits of stirring student underwater photography to libraries. Working with the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac to celebrate the sport and culture surrounding lake sturgeon, Moser led the effort to install “Ancient Survivors.” She partnered with the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison on programming to raise awareness about marine debris and plastic pollution.

Moser is a member of the Association of Wisconsin Special Libraries, a division of WLA, and is currently serving as past chair of the group. She has also served on the WLA Board of Directors and chaired the board’s Professional Development Committee.

The post Water librarian releases torrent of information, programming and goodwill first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/water-librarian-releases-torrent-of-information-programming-and-goodwill/

In: Anne Moser, Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Commission, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Maadagindan! Start Reading!, Wisconsin Library Association, WLA, WLA President's Volunteer Award

Water librarian releases torrent of information, programming and goodwill

On: October 26, 2023

Wins 2023 Wisconsin Library Association award

In a ceremony this evening at the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) annual meeting, Anne Moser will accept the 2023 WLA President’s Volunteer Award.

Moser is the senior special librarian for the Wisconsin Water Library, supported by the Water Resources Institute and its sister organization Wisconsin Sea Grant. The Water Library holds a collection of more than 30,000 materials related to rivers, lakes, oceans and groundwater.

Person standing at a table filled with colorful teaching objects. — Anne Moser demonstrating how microplastics move through a wastewater treatment system. Photo: Sarah Congdon.

The post Water librarian releases torrent of information, programming and goodwill first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/water-librarian-releases-torrent-of-information-programming-and-goodwill/

Remucal named interim director of Sea Grant

On: October 23, 2023

In: Christy Remucal, Cynthia Czajkowski, interim director, Wisconsin Idea

University of Wisconsin-Madison Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Cynthia Czajkowski named Christy Remucal as interim director of the Aquatic Sciences Center, which is home to the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI). Both programs support multidisciplinary research, education and outreach for the protection and sustainable use of Wisconsin’s water resources. The appointment was effective Oct. 22.

Remucal’s appointment comes after the retirement of Aquatic Sciences Center Director Jim Hurley.

“Since I’ve been at the UW, I have benefitted from so many things at the center—funding opportunities, working with the outreach and communications staff, mentoring undergraduates through the Water@UW REU program,” Remucal said. “The center has helped me grow my own research group, and I’m looking forward to working on the other side. I see this as a way to give back to the water community.”

Christy Remucal is the new interim director for Wisconsin Sea Grant. Contributed photo.

A professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, and the Freshwater and Marine Science Program, Remucal’s research focus is on contaminants that impact water quality and processes to remove those contaminants. Some of her recent studies have been on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). She serves as the only Universities of Wisconsin representative on the state’s PFAS Action Council.

“We are grateful for the commitment to the Wisconsin Idea and the leadership that Jim Hurley has provided in aquatic sciences research, and outreach and education in support of sustainable uses of our state’s natural resources while serving as director of the Aquatic Sciences Center for the past 11 years,” said Cynthia Czajkowski interim vice chancellor for research and graduate education. “And we welcome Christy to her new leadership role as interim center director. She has as a strong leadership background and ran excellent, relevant research experience that makes her perfectly qualified to serve in this capacity.”

When tapped for the interim center directorship, Remucal was leading the Aquatic Chemistry group at UW-Madison and was acting as the director of the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory. In addition to managing the center, she will continue to teach, mentor and conduct research. Remucal’s mentoring background includes mentoring 20 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

WRI came to the state 59 years ago. Wisconsin Sea Grant was founded 55 years ago. The programs with their similar missions merged in 1998 and created a highly efficient and cost-effective model for drawing out the best from Wisconsin’s aquatic scientists who, collaboratively, make a difference statewide, nationwide and around the world. Areas of particular strength for the programs are ecosystems contaminant research, extension service to coastal residents and fostering scholarship and training of the next generation of water science leaders.

Remucal is only the fourth WRI and Sea Grant director in the history of the programs, which is evidence of the steady leadership provided by previous directors that has been marked by excellence. In their most recent reviews by federal funders, both programs ranked top in the nation among their peers.

Remucal wants to continue seminal successes, build on them and seek research and outreach opportunities in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, and how compromised water quality may disproportionately affect some communities.

In terms of other research priorities, she called out emerging contaminants and microplastics. “There is so much that needs to be done. These water quality challenges are incredibly complex and there is a real need for outreach and communication to help the public understand these issues,” Remucal said.

“There is also a need for basic water research, fundamental work that addresses research questions. At the same time, there is a need to do research that serves the state agencies and the people of Wisconsin. It’s not always possible to have those align, but in many cases they can. Increasing knowledge and conducting actionable research is very valuable,” she said.

Person wearing white lab coat and safety goggles.

Remucal is a prominent researcher on contaminants in water. Photo by Bonnie Willison

Remucal holds degrees in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California-Berkeley (master’s and Ph.D.) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Bachelor of Science). Before joining Madison’s faculty in 2012, she completed a post-doctoral position in the Institute for Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Her background and passion have brought her to the center and Remucal summed it up: “Water is such a critical issue for people in Wisconsin. It is necessary for life and people in our state really do value our water resources. Because there is such a clear importance and relevance for water, this a great opportunity for outreach. It comes back to embracing the Wisconsin Idea and sharing our research with people in Wisconsin.”

Sea Grant is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and WRI is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The post Remucal named interim director of Sea Grant first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/remucal-named-interim-director-of-sea-grant/

Remucal Named Interim Director of WRI

On: October 23, 2023

In: Christy Remucal, interim director, Wisconsin Idea

University of Wisconsin-Madison Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Cynthia Czajkowski named Christy Remucal as interim director of the Aquatic Sciences Center, which is home to the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI) and the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program. Both programs support multidisciplinary research, education and outreach for the protection and sustainable use of Wisconsin’s water resources. The appointment was effective Oct. 22.

Remucal’s appointment comes after the retirement of Aquatic Sciences Center Director Jim Hurley.

Smiling person learning against a pillar. — New WRI Interim Director Christy Remucal. She officially took over the 59-year-old program yesterday. Contributed photo.

Person in lab coat and safety goggles in a lab. — Remucal in her water research lab. She focuses on contaminants. Photo: Bonnie Willison

WRI is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey and Sea Grant by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The post Remucal Named Interim Director of WRI first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/remucal-named-interim-director-of-wri/

Sea Grant education on fishery expected to lead to $15 million in exports to Sweden

On: October 10, 2023

In: cisco, commercial fisheries, Lake Superior, löjrom, roe, Sharon Moen, skirom, Sweden, whitefish

Dish and small spoon. Dish contains orange-pink fish eggs, known as caviar.

Wisconsin commercial fishermen will again have access to a lucrative European market for their fish roe, otherwise known as caviar, thanks to Wisconsin Sea Grant. Photo: Sharon Moen

Swedish hospitality wouldn’t be complete without a spread of crackers or bread and accompanying roe, the eggs from fish and also known as caviar. Because of Sea Grant’s role in facilitating the exchange of information, some of this roe will be coming from the Great Lakes.

A Sept. 28 decision from the World Wildlife Fund-Sweden to rank Wisconsin commercial lake whitefish and cisco fisheries as “best choice” with regard to sustainability means the roe from these fish can grace Swedish tables as a tasty, salty treat of skirom or löjrom without obstacles.

Prior to that release of a “green, best choice” ranking for commercial fisheries in the Wisconsin and Michigan waters of Lake Superior the lake whitefish fishery, which yields sikrom, was in jeopardy. The cisco fishery of Lake Superior, which yields löjrom, was also in question. Great Lakes commercial fishers rely on the international sale of roe, a high-value product, to make ends meet.

Sharon Moen, Sea Grant’s food fish outreach coordinator, explained: “About two years ago, I was contacted by a fish processor/seafood importer/exporter operating in Door County. Because lake whitefish and cisco were rated red (unsustainable) by the World Wildlife Fund-Sweden, roe sales were plummeting as the products were being pulled from Swedish markets. The vigor with which red-rated products are leaving the Swedish marketplace has escalated each year since then. If the ratings didn’t change this year, the Great Lakes roe industry would have been devastated.”

Thanks to Moen’s intervention that rating changed from red to green early in the morning on Sept. 28 when new rankings were released. What led up to that change were Moen’s presentations to the Swedish Seafood forum, production and distribution of fact sheets on the fishery and lengthy facilitated conversations. She brought together Great Lakes fisheries managers, roe processors, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch staff, World Wildlife Fund-EU, World Wildlife Fund-Sweden and Swedish seafood industry leaders.

There is another “green” to celebrate, green to the tune of $15 million annually. That’s the estimate from domestic tribal and commercial fishers and processors about the worth of their anticipated roe export to Europe.

“Within minutes of my Sept. 28 joint presentation with Andy Edwards, treaty natural resources manager with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the two largest retail chains in

Sharon Moen is the food fish outreach coordinator and brought together many parties to discuss Lake Superior lake whitefish and cisco.

Sweden contacted an importer to place orders,” said Moen.

One of those importers reached out to Moen and said, “It’s thanks to your hard work and extraordinary presentation our deepest wishes came true!,” said Tony Hartwig, CEO of Olle Hartwig Aktiebolag. “Now, we have busy days working out a market plan to promote roe again from Lake Superior, Wisconsin!”

Moen is pleased the ranking has been changed because she wholeheartedly stands by the science behind the management of the fishery and the professionalism of the commercial fishers. “From my perspective, the red rating reflected communication challenges, the complexity of Great Lakes fisheries management and the scarcity of money for a due-diligence assessment.”

As Dan Grooms said, “Fishing the Apostle Islands for food had been an integral part of the Anishinaabe’s way of life. Our fishers and our tribe depend on responsible fisheries management for sustainability for future generations.” Grooms was formerly the business manager of Red Cliff Fish Co., a business owned by the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

The post Sea Grant education on fishery expected to lead to $15 million in exports to Sweden first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-education-on-fishery-expected-to-lead-to-15-million-in-exports-to-sweden/

Sea Grant-hosted water quality panel discussed solutions on phosphorus use

On: September 5, 2023

In: Charlie Berens, Dan Egan, Jake Vander Zanden, phosphorus, Randy Jackson

Late last week, Wisconsin Sea Grant sponsored a panel about the effect of phosphorus flowing off surrounding land and into waterways. An excess of the nutrient can lead to the growth of a bacteria known as cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae.

Blue-green algae blooms are potentially fatal to pets, fish and other wildlife. They can also consume all the oxygen in a waterbody, destroying the biodiversity of an ecosystem that may have formerly teemed with plants, fish, frogs and mussels.

For people, there is some concern that just being near affected water could cause neurological conditions, such as ALS, said one of the panelists, Dan Egan. “You don’t want toxic blue-green algae in your life, in your neighborhood. You don’t want it anywhere.”

More than 1,500 people attended the event held at the University of Wisconsin—Madison Memorial Union Terrace on the shore of Lake Mendota, which Egan has called “ground zero” due to frequent and toxic blue-green algal blooms and its status as a what’s been termed the most studied lake in the world because the Center for Limnology is located along it. UW—Madison is where the field of American limnology began in the 1800s.

Last spring, Egan published “The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance,” which outlines the world’s mining, processing and use of phosphorus. It also explains the element’s paradox—phosphorus brings agricultural plenty but can lead to devastation in waterways.

Four people sitting on a stage with a lake behind them.

A panel hosted by entertainer Charlie Berens brought together experts and a journalist to discuss water qualty.

Jake Vander Zanden, an expert on freshwater lakes and director of the Center for Limnology, and Randy Jackson, a professor from the university’s Department of Agronomy who spoke about agriculture’s role in nutrient loading, rounded out the panel.

The conversation among the trio was moderated by popular entertainer Charlie Berens, known for his humorous takes on Wisconsin norms, speech and food choices as host of the Manitowoc Minute newscast and through his bestselling book, “The Midwest Survival Guide.”

For this event, though, Berens used his notoriety and established platform—his Cripescast podcast, which explores Midwestern themes and people and where the recorded panel discussion from late August will ultimately be archived—to call attention to this important environmental topic.

Egan noted that phosphorus is in every single cell on Earth. It doesn’t go away and since time immemorial has been part of a cycle that allowed a trickle of phosphorus into the world. However, he noted, “We’ve turned that cycle into a straight line and that line runs into the water” when phosphorus in the form of fertilizer is applied to farm fields, golf courses and lawns.

“Phosphorus puts food on our table. It’s existed forever, but in the last 120 years we’ve figured out how to turn a slow trickle of this essential nutrient into a gusher.” Egan continued, “We are also burning through it at such a pace that it’s getting into the water, and when it gets into the water, it’s not gonna grow a kernel of corn or a soybean, it’s gonna grow algae. And too often it’s toxic algae.”

Vander Zanden highlighted other contributors, such as urban runoff. He used the Madison, Wisconsin, location as his demonstration case: Lake Mendota receives all the stormwater runoff from streets. “It’s important for you all to know that that water that runs off is not treated. It goes directly to the lake. It’s phosphorus that comes off, also oils and metals and all sorts of other pollutants.

“Another is sewage treatment effluents. That’s not a huge source in the grand scheme of things. And then there are other sources as well, industrial sources, factories and so on; those are actually minor. So, the Clean Water Act from 1972 addressed these sources quite nicely. The amount of phosphorus coming from those types has gone down a lot, and now what we are left with is agricultural and urban runoff from the landscape,” he said.

Agriculturally targeted solutions discussed included:

Subsidizing not cropland but grassland that holds on to phosphorus and carbon and promoting biodiversity. This involves planting cover crops such as switchgrass and following no-till practices.
Adopting agricultural practices such as avoiding manure spreading if the ground is frozen or if rain is predicted.
Using alum treatments. Alum is a chemical that binds phosphorus. There are examples from around the world where alum was added to polluted waters. Vander Zanden said, “It sort of sucks up the phosphorus and sort of holds it. That’s a technical solution that may or may not be financially viable here.”

Photo by Althea Dotzour/ UW–Madison

The speakers also said the collective use of these solutions, holistically, could be a good approach to make progress.

Keying off that holistic approach, Jackson stressed the actors in the phosphorus-use cycle are “not nefarious. They are just reacting to the system we have set up.”

He offered a rallying cry, “The system only changes when we come together as a community and embrace the idea of collective action. This is how a lot of big things have happened in the world. Civil rights is an example of this. People come together in communities and engage in collective action so that the powers actually have to listen.”

Egan put a Badger State spin on it, “We have a license plate that shows a barn and water. Both are things that define this great state and should not be working at cross purposes. Often, they are. I think everybody values what’s on the right side, the barn. Everybody eats…but everybody also needs water, and you know, there’s no reason why we can’t have both.”

The post Sea Grant-hosted water quality panel discussed solutions on phosphorus use first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-hosted-water-quality-panel-discussed-solutions-on-phosphorus-use/

Event celebrated Great Lakes friends, champions, researchers and students

On: August 28, 2023

In: Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Fellows Convocation, Friend of Sea Grant Award, Great Lakes Champion Award, J. Val Klump, Jim Hurley, Julie Kinzelman, Larry MacDonald, Val Klump

The concept of work-life balance has found a foothold in contemporary culture. Under the concept, individuals are encouraged to, yes, undertake toil and tasks but also pause for recreation and reflection on life’s non-laboring moments. It’s a way to recharge.

Celebrating that balance, the recent 2023 Sea Grant and University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI) Fellows Convocation and Awards Event brought together people who have worked—engaging in water science and sharing that science through policymaking, communication, education and extension—and then provided them with a recharging moment in the sun.

The event commemorated four award-winners, 21 post-graduate fellows, three undergraduate scholarship winners and 61 summer undergraduate scholars.

Congresswoman Gwen Moore received a 2023 Friend of Sea Grant Award. Moore has served the 4th District of Wisconsin for 19 years in the U.S. Congress, and prior to that she was a member of the Wisconsin Legislature. In both roles, she fostered the pursuit of understanding and science-based management of our state’s water resources, saying she “did it for love.”

Two people standing side by side jointly holding a shiny award.

Congresswoman Gwen Moore smiles while receiving a Friend of Sea Grant Award from Sea Grant and Water Resources Institute Director Jim Hurley.

Moore further reminisced, “I remember the night that I won the nomination and won the seat to represent the 4th Congressional District. I thanked all the people who were there at the Hyatt Regency. Then, I said, ‘Thank, God. I now get to represent Lake Michigan because my assembly districts didn’t touch the lake.’ And truly, since the day I have been there, I have leaned into doing anything and everything I can to preserve this treasure (as she pointed emphatically at the lake outside of event venue’s windows) to not only Milwaukee, not only Wisconsin, but the world.”

Another influential woman, Julie Kinzelman, was named Wisconsin Sea Grant Great Lakes Champion for 2023. She emerged from a competitive process that saw nominations come in for a number of impressive people and organizations across the Great Lakes Basin. This former public health official from Racine stood out to judges because of her sustained and far-reaching efforts to ensure access for everyone to coastal spaces.

The award is presented every two years to recognize a long-term commitment to the care and concern for the Great Lakes. Kinzelman is a founding member of the Great Lakes Beach Association, a network of 1,000 beach professionals from the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand who share knowledge, prioritize research and discuss management.

Person standing at a podium with water and a boat in the background.

Julie Kinzelman accepted the 2023 Wisconsin Sea Grant Great Lakes Champion Award.

As a city employee, Kinzelman investigated the sources of beach pollution in Racine, tested her own remediation approaches, secured funding for research and mitigation and successfully completed many remediation projects transforming these Lake Michigan beaches from places of frequent closure into nationally recognized recreational destinations.

“The work of Wisconsin Sea Grant, and its many collaborating partners, to promote the sustainable use of Great Lakes resources through research, education and outreach truly leads to thriving coastal ecosystems and communities,” Kinzelman said. “The challenges facing the Great Lakes and their coastal communities are great, and the road long, but together incremental progress can made to the benefit of this one-of-a-kind internationally significant resource.”

The 2023 Wisconsin Sea Grant Actionable Science Award went to J. Val Klump. He said, “I just went back through my records and looked at the support that Sea Grant provided me and my colleagues since I joined UW-Milwaukee in 1980, 14 research grants spanning 38 years. Without the Wisconsin Sea Grant Program, I think it is safe to say that I would not have had the research opportunities, many of which led to funding by other agencies, that were the basis of my career—and launched those of all of my doctoral students.” He continued, “I am very humbled by this. And of course, I did not do this alone. I have had many wonderful colleagues and students.”

Klump is the former dean and a retired professor from the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He spent more than 500 days at sea on research cruises as he studied how carbon and nutrients move through and influence the world’s lakes. His work has informed policies set by the International Joint Commission and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The final award-winner was Larry MacDonald, who said he was honored to take home the 2023 Wisconsin Sea Grant Distinguished Service Award. After a productive 24-year tenure with the Sea Grant Advisory Council, he is stepping down. MacDonald has also served as chairman of the Wisconsin Coastal Management Council and is a former mayor of Bayfield, Wisconsin. His wise counsel has been invaluable to the success of the Sea Grant program in fostering the health and use of the Great Lakes.

In the background, two people holding an award. A photographer standing in the foreground.

Longtime member of the Sea Grant Advisory Council Larry MacDonald is stepping down from this role after more than 20 years. He took home a Sea Grant Distinguished Service Award.

As for the many post-graduate and undergraduate students who were feted, they represent a bright future for water science in labs, the field, halls of policymaking and private industry. The group includes:

-Five Dean John A. Knauss Fellows. Four of the group completed their one-year Washington, D.C.-based experience in 2022 and the current fellow is Mary Solokas who is working in a NOAA office that facilitates research in dangerous or remote areas by using remotely operated instruments. Her placement is in the nation’s executive branch, which is where three of the 2022 fellows landed. The fourth from 2022 was in the legislative branch, in the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon.

-Twenty-one post-graduate fellows. The majority of this group were or currently are placed in partner state or federal agencies providing their cutting-edge knowledge on topics such as PFAS contamination, resilience or harmful algal blooms to assist in solving difficult science-based challenges. In turn, the fellows gain real-world experience and mentoring from professionals in the U.S. EPA or Wisconsin departments of Administration, Natural Resources or Health Services. Three of this overall post-graduate cohort fall under the UW-Milwaukee Center for Water Policy – Sea Grant – Water Resources Institute Water Policy Specialists Program. Here, these emerging lawyers immerse themselves in applied research seeking multidisciplinary water policy solutions.

-Three winners of the Carl J. Weston Scholarship. It is presented in even-numbered years to undergraduate students working on a Wisconsin Sea Grant-supported project. The winners from 2022 were Hali Jama of UW-Madison who was a producer and on-air voice for a Sea Grant podcast, The Water We Swim In; Elisabeth Bautista who was a summer limnological researcher and is a UW-Madison student; and Daniel Sherman from UW-Milwaukee who is doing aquaculture research. This scholarship was established in 1995 by Dr. and Mrs. Carl B. Weston and is named in honor of their son Carl J. Weston.

-Ten undergraduates in 2022 and 11 in 2023. These students spent summers working alongside Sea Grant extension, education and communications staff members as part of the Summer Outreach Opportunities Program. The students came from across the nation and were selected through a competitive process that set them up for a 10-week experience to learn more about and contribute to ongoing work on topics such as water safety, aquatic invasive species education, fish sampling and video production. To prepare them for graduate studies or the workforce, whatever their path may be, the program also provided networking, training and a chance to publicly present their projects.

Group of four people standing shoulder to shoulder.

Congresswoman Gwen Moore (second from left) said she enjoyed meeting and speaking with summer research scholars in attendance.

-Nine undergraduates in 2022 and 31 in 2023. These undergraduates were part of the Summer Research Opportunities Program. This program was piloted in 2022 thanks to Sea Grant, WRI, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School and the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. Significant contributions were also made by Water@UW Madison and the federal agency and faculty mentors who nurtured these students who came from across the nation to engage in hands-on, 10-week research experiences in freshwater fields. In 2023, the program was expanded and included mentors from campuses throughout the University of Wisconsin System, as well as external partners. The experience enhances workforce development skills and allows undergraduates to consider the option of graduate studies in Wisconsin. Research experience as an undergraduate is an important component of a successful application for graduate school. In the job market, it also sets apart recent undergraduates who have addressed the changing needs of water-related fields.

At the conclusion of last week’s event, Sea Grant and Water Resources Institute Director Jim Hurley reflected on the dedicated and talented honorees: “Thank you for attending. Thank you for recognizing all of these people. Based on their work and commitment, we are all going to be OK.” It’s likely that the Great Lakes will be as well.

The post Event celebrated Great Lakes friends, champions, researchers and students first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/event-celebrated-great-lakes-friends-champions-researchers-and-students/

In: Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Opportunities Program, GLIFWC, Grace Bulltail, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Laura Zapata, wild rice

Research scholars’ reflections

On: August 23, 2023

In summer 2023, 31 undergraduates in the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program fanned out across Wisconsin, connecting with mentors and others within their cohort. They gained valuable research, career-building and, well, life experiences. Then they gathered their thoughts from the previous 10 weeks and put them into a reflections document.

Sea Grant provided support for the program, along with the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School. The Sea Grant blog will periodically share these student reflections.

This post features Laura Zapata, mentored by Prof. Grace Bulltail of UW-Madison, who analyzed wetlands’ water quality data to better understand impacts on wild rice, particularly under a changing climate.

I’m from Pacoima, a largely low-income Latine neighborhood that happens to be the most polluted area in the area of LA County, California, where I am from. During my senior year of high school, the news that the power plant by my house had been leaking methane for years reaffirmed my decision to pursue a career in the environment. Although harmful to my community, that event opened my eyes to the reality of environmental injustice and the need for people from diverse backgrounds to work on problems relating to the environment to ensure our communities are served equitably.

Now, I’m studying chemical engineering at UCLA where I expect to obtain my bachelor’s in June of 2025. My desire to create solutions to environmental problems has led me to pursue research in a variety of areas. Most recently, I completed a project at the UCLA SEALab on the post-compaction behavior of common soil-based biofilter amendments, as well as a group project where we provided data visualizations for UCLA Sustainability. Through my academic and research experiences, I’ve become interested in water treatment and management, particularly stormwater treatment as well as green infrastructure and environmental remediation.

This interest led me to apply to the Freshwater@UW program where I had the pleasure of conducting an analysis of Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) monitored wild rice sites from the lens of water quality.

Wild rice is a grain native to the Great Lakes region and a key part of Ojibwe culture. Unfortunately, it has faced a decline from historic levels due to habitat loss and degradation. Organizations that work to preserve remaining wild rice beds, such as GLIFWC, face the challenge of assessing the effects of various water quality parameters in their areas of work. GLIFWC in particular has water quality data that has yet to be examined for use in wild rice work; the potential of this data from wild rice sites is unfulfilled without analysis.

Image credit: Laura Zapata

I was able to assist by identifying key contaminants and water quality factors for wild rice growth and graphing their presence at all sites. Data was supplied from GLFIWC’s lab reports that reported 31 parameters for 13 sites and field data with nine parameters from 17 sites. Historical water quality data for a site of interest, Chequamegon Waters Flowage, was obtained from the EPA. The data was visualized through histograms, a trend graph, and heat maps of various contaminant concentrations. My project presents data visualizations that can be used to guide GLIFWC’s wild rice preservation initiatives.

In this project, I used Python to process and graph the data provided by GLIFWC and downloaded from the EPA. I also made use of ArcGIS to map key water quality indicators. This was a particularly rewarding experience since I was able to learn how to use Python for data analysis, an area I had scarce experience with, through the course of my project. I also became familiar with the basics of ArcGIS, which I look forward to applying in my future work.

The post Research scholars’ reflections first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/research-scholars-reflections/

Filling water shoes

On: August 21, 2023

In: Alison Mikulyuk, aquaculture, Dong-Fang Deng, Emma Hauser, Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Sharon Moen, Summer Research Opportunities Program

Two new grants set to build water-related workforce development

The labor landscape in Wisconsin is closely bound to demographics and it comes down to this simple reality: shoes are not being filled.

U.S. Census data shows Wisconsinites of traditional retirement age, 65, have increased 42% since 2005. At the same time, the number of people entering the workforce is contracting because state birth rates have slowed and there are fewer young people. Another aspect of this workforce-shortage trend is that young people are bypassing Wisconsin, choosing to work and live elsewhere as they chase their American dreams.

Now, thanks to an infusion of two new grants, Wisconsin Sea Grant is positioned to facilitate the paths young people are considering as they sort through workforce choices, including where they may eventually want to find training and education, take a job and make a home.

With $592,332 in support from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin (FWC) over two years, the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program will continue its work to develop Wisconsin’s next generation of freshwater scientists.

The program matches water-related mentors from throughout the University of Wisconsin System with undergraduates to guide them in an immersive research experience and acquaint them with the many graduate school opportunities in Wisconsin.

The program just wrapped up its second summer, which attracted 31 students from across the nation to work on the system campuses at Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh and Superior.

Alison Mikulyuk is coordinating the work of summer research scholars.

Sea Grant’s Alison Mikulyuk coordinates the program which, she said, is growing freshwater research and the workforce through collaborative, cross-system programming that trains and will, ultimately, recruit, retain and diversify the next generation of water professionals.

“The program attracts talented students to the Badger State where they gain skills that are directly applicable to future work in Wisconsin,” Mikulyuk said. “Having just seen these young people through the summer, I’m incredibly inspired. The students made an impressive showing at the recent Summer Research Symposium, and so many of them have had life-altering experiences that I know will fuel their future accomplishments.”

The second two-year FWC grant will provide $207,400 for a project called “Partnering to Boost Aquaculture Workforce Development in Wisconsin.”

Sharon Moen, food-fish outreach coordinator, conducted a 2020 needs assessment of Wisconsin’s food-fish farmers and heard over and over again the need to bring young people into the industry.

“The U.S. imports more than 70% of its fish and shrimp. About half of these imports come from overseas farms. Meanwhile, consumers are calling for locally produced food that supports American jobs, and the health of themselves and their loved ones. Wisconsin aquaculture, aquaculture being another word for fish farming, is primed to meet that demand,” Moen said. “The industry just needs workers and this project will expand training opportunities, linking commercial fish farms in the state to high schools, colleges and universities to foster farm experiences and skill-building workshops.”

Sharon Moen will work with colleagues on aquaculture industry workforce development.

She said one such idea for that skill-building will be supporting high school teams to participate in an existing annual aquaculture competition. Students design and build a system to grow fish.

Moen will work with Sea Grant colleagues Dong-Fang Deng and Emma Hauser, both aquaculture outreach and education specialists. Deng is based at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Hauser works out of UW-Steven’s Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility on the Bayfield Peninsula, not too far from Lake Superior.

“With Dong-Fang’s and Emma’s connections and our collective enthusiasm for this project, we are looking forward to successfully inspiring young people to enter the aquaculture workforce. It can offer a good standard of living and a remarkable quality of life,” Moen said.

The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is a partnership of Wisconsin’s 13 public universities, connecting with industry partners, local communities, policymakers and advocacy groups. Its mission is to establish Wisconsin as a world leader in freshwater science, technology, entrepreneurship and economic growth. The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is training the next generation of scientists to solve global water resource problems through academic programs, collaborative research and career development across the UW System.

The post Filling water shoes first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/filling-water-shoes/

Aug. 31 event and livestream to explore phosphorus in aquatic ecosystems

On: August 16, 2023

In: Charlie Berens, Cripescast, Dan Egan, harmful algal blooms, phosphorus, podcast

Demonstrates the Wisconsin Idea in action

Wisconsin Sea Grant is sponsoring a panel headlined by entertainer Charlie Berens and author Dan Egan at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Memorial Union Terrace, on the shore of Lake Mendota, to discuss the lake and its blues—seasonal blue-green algae blooms—and the larger issues surrounding the use of phosphorus.

The event is scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St., Madison, Wisconsin. It will also be video livestreamed at https://go.wisc.edu/terracecripescast as part of Berens’s Cripescast podcast series. The series focuses on Midwestern people and themes.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Charlie Berens will devote an upcoming podcast episode to harmful algal blooms as part of a live event and livestream.

This spring, Egan published “The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance,” which outlines the world’s mining, processing and use of phosphorus. It also explains the element’s paradox—phosphorus brings agricultural plenty but can lead to environmental devastation, such as the growth of a bacteria known as blue-green algae that chokes the oxygen from aquatic ecosystems and creates dead zones.

Berens and Egan will be joined by Jake Vander Zanden, an expert on freshwater lakes and director of UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology, and Randy Jackson from the Department of Agronomy at UW-Madison who will speak to successful agricultural systems using reduced inputs. The panel will highlight the Wisconsin Idea, how the university’s research can inform policymaking and practices to reduce phosphorus input or reuse of the element, leading to healthier waters across the state and nation.

person sampling water filled with harmful algal blooms

A researcher samples water affected by a large harmful algal bloom.

Berens is an Emmy-Award-winning journalist, comedian and New York Times best-selling author of “The Midwest Survival Guide.”

Egan wrote the bestseller “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes,” which was the 2018 UW-Madison Go Big Read selection. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize twice. He is currently journalist in residence at the Center for Water Policy at UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences.

A book signing will follow the panel.

In case of inclement weather, the event will take place in Shannon Hall of the Memorial Union.

The post Aug. 31 event and livestream to explore phosphorus in aquatic ecosystems first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/aug-31-event-and-livestream-to-explore-phosphorus-in-aquatic-ecosystems/

Sea Grant staff member wins national award

On: July 31, 2023

In: 2023 Communications Service Award, award, National Sea Grant Communicators Network, Sharon Moen

Sea Grant’s Sharon Moen won the 2023 Communications Service Award from the National Sea Grant Communicators Network in a virtual ceremony last week.

Moen has been a part of the Sea Grant community for 24 years, beginning as an editor for Minnesota Sea Grant and now serving as the food-fish outreach coordinator for Wisconsin Sea Grant. Throughout the years, her skills at conveying messages about the study, conservation and economic importance of the Great Lakes have been front and center.

“Science communications work can be terrifying, funny, riveting and maddening but it is certainly important,” Sharon Moen said. “I’m honored my colleagues recognized my terror and joy with this award. I continue to be inspired by the Sea Grant Network and the innovative ways its communicators are extending information to enhance the use and conservation of coastal, marine and Great Lakes resources.”

Close-up of smiling person

This award is presented every two years to an individual from one of Sea Grant’s 34 programs located in coastal states, as well as Guam and Puerto Rico. It recognizes creativity, vision and a commitment to the Sea Grant mission and goes to someone who has notched noteworthy accomplishments. In Moen’s case that has been a lengthy list, including:

Publishing a book in 2015 that detailed the founding of the national Sea Grant program by Athelstan Spilhaus, a scientist, inventor and former university dean.
Taking on national leadership roles that improved the effectiveness of the overall program.
Leading a communication planning effort for an aquatic invasive species prevention campaign in the Great Lakes basin.
Preparing a Great Lakes research symposium report, and another about ballast water, coordinating work between U.S. and Canadian scientists and other international professionals.
Creating an award-winning podcast series focused on Lake Superior.

In selecting her for the award, one judge said, “Sharon has had a remarkable impact on state, regional and Sea Grant network communications throughout her career. Her ability to relay scientific information in a creative and engaging way has set a standard for science communication.”

The post Sea Grant staff member wins national award first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-staff-member-wins-national-award/

Water Research Projects Announced

On: July 13, 2023

In: Matt Ginder-Vogel, Maureen Muldoon, Michael Cardiff, Research, Shangping Xu, Steve Loheide

The University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute recently provided funds for three new projects that will conclude at the end of June 2025:

Risk From Pathogens and Exposure to Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Private Wells in Southwest Wisconsin, led by Maureen Muldoon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Here’s things that are true about the southwestern Wisconsin counties of Lafayette, Grant and Iowa: they are predominantly rural, people living there mostly get their drinking water from private wells and the water sources lie under fractured rock, which means septic systems and agricultural practices can more easily contaminate the water supply. This research team has recent findings of viral, bacterial and protozoan pathogens in 66 of the 138 private wells in the area, but the health risk associated with this contamination is unknown. That’s in keeping with the broader lack of knowledge about the health risk associated with private well water. This project has three objectives 1) quantify the health risk associated with 10 pathogens detected in wells 2) evaluate well construction and geologic factors for pathogen contamination and 3) assess antibiotic resistance genes co-occurrence with human and livestock fecal contamination.

An Experimental Investigation on the Leaching of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) From Contaminated Soil, led by Shangping Xu at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The majority of people in Wisconsin get their drinking water from groundwater. This project will attempt to build an understanding of how what are known as “forever chemicals,” per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), might move through soil and into groundwater drinking water sources. The research team will collect soil core samples from several Wisconsin location, including samples based on factors like soil type, properties and PFAS contamination history. They will apply collected rainwater to the soil cores at rates simulating natural conditions. The rainwater flow patterns will be monitored, and leachate will be collected to measure its volume and its PFAS concentrations. If different transport behavior of PFAS within soil cores collected from different sites is observed, the comparison of the soil physicochemical properties and hydrological patterns will provide clues to the key factors that control PFAS mobility within the vadose zone (where the land and the aquifer meet). This work may also yield knowledge of “high risk” and currently overlooked PFAS areas.

Long-Term Threat of Geogenic Contaminants to Water Quality and Quantity in the Midwestern Cambrian Ordovician Aquifer System, led by Matt Ginder-Vogel at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Cambrian Ordovician Aquifer System underlies most of Wisconsin. It’s a system with naturally occurring contaminants—uranium, radium, arsenic and manganese. This project seeks to understand the sources and temporal trends of these contaminants because their variations complicate municipal water system management. The research team will identify six study sites, obtain well cuttings and/or core materials from the sites, quantify the presence and prevalence of potential contaminants and then construct models of how the contaminants move in the system. This will help water managers build and manage wells in a way that prevents water users from being exposed to contaminants.

Green field with water in the background. — Wisconsin is rich with surface water. Its groundwater assets are also critical to the economy and people’s health. New groundwater research will serve the state.

Two University of Wisconsin-Madison-based projects kicked off last July and are ongoing with completion targeted for next year:

Aligning the Wisconsin Idea on Water: Interpreting Public Perspectives and Values, led by Michael Cardiff

This project is documenting rural perspectives (attitudes, perception and values) related to groundwater issues, and the variability of these perspectives within the state through “Wisconsin’s Waters Survey”—a community-sourced public survey to be delivered to a range of rural communities. Rural land covers most of the state, overlies the majority of groundwater and the range of issues that may be important to the rural public is vast, from quality concerns such as nitrate and microbial contamination, to quantity concerns that include agricultural irrigation needs and impacts of groundwater to springs and streamflows.

Biomanipulation of Groundwater Flooding, led by Steve Loheide

This project is examining the causes of groundwater flooding, which leads to the loss of farmland and permanent inundation of homes. Such flooding can happen when extremely flat, internally or poorly drained landscapes get hit with a quantity of rain that doesn’t otherwise drain away, infiltrate the soil without flooding or dissipate through the atmosphere. The research team is examining Dane and Columbia counties’ flood records from the 1930s to the present to identify flood causes and how such factors may have changed through time.

The post Water Research Projects Announced first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/water-research-projects-announced/

Summer loving and the research is fine

On: June 5, 2023

In: 2023 Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Program, Alison Mikulyuk, Jim Hurley, Marissa Jablonksi

When summer stretches before many college undergraduates, they make plans: Spend time outdoors. Connect with friends. Catch up on screen time.

For the 31 undergraduates participating in the 2023 Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Program, those plans are the same, with slight alterations. The time outdoors is likely to be spent collecting field samples from a body of water. The friends are new ones—made from the pool of program participants who hail from California to Alabama from Virginia to Wisconsin, and points in between. The screen time isn’t about beating The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but instead entering findings into a larger dataset to further aquatic science projects.

“I looked at many summer REU (research experiences for undergraduates) opportunities,” Sofia Mota Chichy, chemistry major from the University of Michigan, said. “This one at Madison had the most in water chemistry and that’s what I am interested in. I’ve never worked in a chemistry lab before and it’s even better that it is an aquatic one.” Mota Chichy will be a part of University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Christine Remucal’s lab studying magnesium oxide.

Jessica Alcorn is an undergraduate who will join a water research lab at UW-Madison this summer. Contributed photo.

A second young woman also expressed her attraction to this opportunity because of its emphasis on water. Plus, said Jessica Alcorn a student at Northwest Missouri State, “I want to go to graduate school here in Madison.” She’ll work under UW-Madison’s Matt Ginder-Vogel, who does both surface and groundwater research.

These springboards from research to a new path in life were celebrated by an enthusiastic Marissa Jablonski at a recent orientation session for the students. “Life will form you without you trying. You’re on your way. You’ve shown up. You’re leaning in.”

Jablonski is the executive director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, one of the funding entities for the summer program, about which, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute Director Jim Hurley said, “It’s been really positive to be able to expand our program because of support from the Freshwater Collaborative. Last year, we were a fledgling program of nine students.” Hurley secured a nearly $358,300 grant from the collaborative, resulting in this year’s larger cohort.

No matter the size of the group, though, Hurley said the goal remains unchanged, “The overall goal is to provide immersive student research experiences to enhance workforce development skills and allow undergraduates to consider the option of graduate studies in Wisconsin. Research experience as an undergraduate is an important component of a successful application for graduate school. In the job market, it also sets apart recent undergraduates who have addressed the changing needs of water-related fields.”

Group of people standing in a grassy area. — Summer research scholars had many orientation activities before heading to their assignments across the state. Photo by Alison Mikulyuk

Expanding the number of participating students is one thing, another is the broadened involvement from professors, graduate students and others at organizations that are acting as mentors for the students. There are 48 in all, including people on University of Wisconsin System campuses in Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee and Oshkosh. Also providing formative experiences will be mentors from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Wisconsin Maritime Museum.

In application materials, students this summer expressed interest in pursuing research into topics such as pollution, climate change, molecular structures of water, public health and more. The projects will deliver on that skill-building, spawning a new generation of water leaders. While the students will disperse across the state for these labs and field sites, they have a standing invitation to gather each Thursday virtually—and in-person if they are in Madison—for weekly professional development sessions on topics like science communication, navigating graduate school and proposal writing.

They will add these skills to their already prodigious ones in other areas that demonstrate well-rounded natures. At the orientation session, Alison Mikulyuk, summer research opportunity program coordinator, called out fun facts when she said among the group there was a proficient loon caller, a mushroom finder, dancers, an aspiring author, someone who graduated from high school as a 14-year-old, a boxer, world-medalist baton twirler, two twins, competitive swimmers, a multi-instrumentalist, many who play instruments and several who speak more than one language.

Mikulyuk urged the undergraduates to enjoy those skills of others, and also capitalize on the people who possess them, “Learn from each other. Care for each other…Take advantage of personal and professional connections.” She continued, “I hope you will have a life-changing experience that propels you forward in your next decades.”

The program will run until Aug. 5, culminating in a poster session where students will present their summer’s worth of findings.

In addition to the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and the Water Resources Institute, the summer program has support from Wisconsin Sea Grant, Water@UW Madison and the UW-Madison Graduate School.

The post Summer loving and the research is fine first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/summer-loving-and-the-research-is-fine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-loving-and-the-research-is-fine

In: 2023 Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Program, Alison Mikulyuk, enthusiastic Marissa Jablonski, Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Jim Hurley, Sofia Mota Chichy, Water@UW-Madison

Summer loving and the research is fine

On: June 5, 2023

When summer stretches before many college undergraduates, they make plans: Spend time outdoors. Connect with friends. Catch up on screen time.

Smiling person standing in a grassy, wooded area.

Sofia Mota Chichy will research magnesium oxide. Contributed photo.

Jablonski is the executive director of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, one of the funding entities for the summer program, about which, Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley said, “It’s been really positive to be able to expand our program because of support from the Freshwater Collaborative. Last year, we were a fledgling program of nine students.” Hurley secured a nearly $358,300 grant from the collaborative, resulting in this year’s larger cohort.

The 2023 cohort of summer research scholars undertook various orientation activities, including a tour of the UW-Madison Arboretum. Photo: Alison Mikulyuk

The program will run until Aug. 5, culminating in a poster session where students will present their summer’s worth of findings.

In addition to the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and Sea Grant, the summer program has support from the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, Water@UW Madison and the UW-Madison Graduate School.

The post Summer loving and the research is fine first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/summer-loving-and-the-research-is-fine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=summer-loving-and-the-research-is-fine

Deadline approaching: Nominate a Great Lakes champion

On: May 25, 2023

In: Uncategorized

Wisconsin Sea Grant is accepting nominations for the 2023 Great Lakes Champion Award until midnight CT, June 14.

What better way to celebrate a person, organization or business dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of the Great Lakes than to submit a nomination?

The winner will be selected this summer and celebrated at an event in Milwaukee.

Find further details and how to nominate at seagrant.wisc.edu/championaward

The post Deadline approaching: Nominate a Great Lakes champion first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/deadline-approaching-nominate-a-great-lakes-champion-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=deadline-approaching-nominate-a-great-lakes-champion-2

Updated Wisconsin Clean Marina Guidebook benefits boaters and marinas

On: May 24, 2023

In: Julia Noordyk, National Safe Boating Week, Theresa Qualls, Wisconsin Clean Marina Program

by Elizabeth White

It’s National Safe Boating Week and the runup to the unofficial kick-off of summer, Memorial Day, which makes it a good time to spotlight the news that the Wisconsin Clean Marina Program has an updated tool to help marina owners and operators meet state and federal requirements, protect water quality and save money and resources.

Theresa Qualls, Wisconsin Clean Marina coordinator, rolled out the third edition of the “Wisconsin Clean Marina Best Management Practices Guidebook” at the Wisconsin Marine Association Conference in Wausau last fall. The guidebook includes a checklist of best management practices (BMPs) organized by topic (for example, stormwater management or petroleum control) and color-coded by requirement status (mandatory by law, required for Clean Marina program or recommended). That checklist is followed by chapters with complete explanations and suggestions for meeting each requirement. Supplemental material includes boater rack cards; samples of signage; stormwater pollution prevention plans; spill prevention, control and countermeasure plans; emergency response plans; and contracts.

Port Washington Marina is certified as a clean marina. Photo: Mari Mitchell

Marinas, related industries and services contribute more than $2.7 billion to Wisconsin’s economy. Through the initiative, marinas can prevent pollution and protect fish, wildlife and public health. They know that clean water is important to boaters and Wisconsin’s coastal communities

For marinas that are interested in becoming certified Clean Marinas, instructions for certification and the necessary forms are included in the guidebook.

2022 was a successful year for the Clean Marina Program with two new, two re-certified and two new pledged Clean Marinas—bringing the total current number of certified Clean Marinas to 22.

Julia Noordyk, Wisconsin Sea Grant water quality and coastal communities specialist, said, “The guidebook is a comprehensive tool to help marinas adopt a range of practices that create safer and healthier places to work and recreate along the Great Lakes.”

The guidebook was reviewed by members of the Clean Marina Technical Team (marina operators and staff from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Sea Grant) and additional subject area experts and regulatory agency representatives.

Qualls said, “As the program continues to grow, the updated guidebook will be a valuable resource providing marinas with current information to implement practices and become certified. 2022 was a great year working with marinas throughout the state as they do their part to protect water quality for boaters to enjoy.”

The guidebook is available for download from the Wisconsin Clean Marina Program website, go.wisc.edu/w62790. There’s also a recent video about a marina operator talking about the program go.wisc.edu/36l2l9

The Wisconsin Clean Marina Program is administered by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Program in partnership with the Wisconsin Marine Association, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Fund for Lake Michigan.

The post Updated Wisconsin Clean Marina Guidebook benefits boaters and marinas first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/updated-wisconsin-clean-marina-guidebook-benefits-boaters-and-marinas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=updated-wisconsin-clean-marina-guidebook-benefits-boaters-and-marinas

Sea Grant impact in Green Bay: More than $8.8 million invested in research

On: May 23, 2023

In: 175th anniversary, Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, Erin Giese, Green Bay, Jim Hurley, Lower Green Bay, Mayor Eric Genrich, Nicole Van Helden, The Nature Conservancy, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Current outreach efforts focused on flood resilience, water quality enhancement and conservation

Wisconsin Sea Grant has provided Great Lakes research, education and outreach in the state since 1968 and in that time funded 91 Green Bay-focused research projects, investing more than $8.8 million. Some of the research was conducted by University of Wisconsin-Green Bay-based scientists. Other projects were undertaken by researchers from Lawrence University, St. Norbert College and University of Wisconsin schools based in Milwaukee, Madison and Stevens Point who came to the Lower Fox River-Green Bay.

In 1978, Sea Grant sited a field office in the culturally, recreationally and economically important Green Bay watershed. During a news event today, Sea Grant explored past research on topics such as contaminants, the Lake Michigan food web and water quality. It also reflected on its alignment with the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, using that as a base from which to respond to local needs, which currently are centered on assisting communities in building flood resilience, enhancing water quality and fostering conservation of natural resources.

Speakers came from Sea Grant, and others who made comments were Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich; Erin Giese, interim director of the Cofrin Center; and Nicole Van Helden, director of land conservation with The Nature Conservancy. Each speaker highlighted the value of collaborating to fulfill a commitment to what has been termed the world’s largest freshwater estuary, with the city of Green Bay sitting at its head.

At the Jack Day Environmental Educational Center at the mouth of the Fox River with the shining waters of Lake Michigan behind him, Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley said, “For more than 50 years, Sea Grant has embraced and activated a model of strong science to underpin decisions that serve the people of Green Bay and surrounding areas.” He continued, “We also look to the future when that kind of research investment will continue, along with the important science outreach our specialist based at UW-Green Bay, Julia Noordyk, provides on water quality and coastal community issues.”

Close-up of a person wearing glasses, suit, tie and smiling.

Green Bay Eric Genrich is working with Sea Grant staff on addressing flooding issues in the East River watershed. Photo credit: city of Green Bay

“The city of Green Bay has benefitted tremendously from the close partnership that exists between city staff and UW Sea Grant,” said Mayor Genrich. “We’ve collaborated deeply on efforts to prevent flooding and develop neighborhood resiliency within the East River watershed, which is vitally important work to improve the quality of our natural resources and strengthen our community.”

Giese said, “We are excited to celebrate Sea Grant’s huge conservation successes over the years and are grateful to partner with them at Wequiock Creek Natural Area as we bring Indigenous voices back to the land. We are privileged to coordinate an annual tobacco blessing with Sea Grant and UW-Green Bay’s First Nations Studies.”

“We are so fortunate to have Wisconsin Sea Grant working in northeast Wisconsin,” said Van Helden. “They are an essential partner with local presence, expertise in both social and environmental science and an ability to make lasting, positive change. Our work together in the East River watershed is increasing local flood resiliency. Sea Grant staff member Julia Noordyk helped design the ongoing project and two key ingredients were, first, listening to the needs of the flood-impacted communities, then, creating knowledge-sharing opportunities to find flood solutions together.”

The event was also a part of the celebration of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s 175th anniversary. Sea Grant is a program of the University of Wisconsin System, with its headquarters on the flagship campus. Sea Grant also has field offices at the UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Superior.

The post Sea Grant impact in Green Bay: More than $8.8 million invested in research first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-impact-in-green-bay-more-than-8-8-million-invested-in-research/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sea-grant-impact-in-green-bay-more-than-8-8-million-invested-in-research

Undergraduate researcher evaluates adaptation tool to combat Great Lakes coastal hazards

On: April 26, 2023

In: David Hart, Lily Meisel, Undergraduate Research Scholars

By Jenna Mertz

When first-year UW–Madison student Lily Meisel imagined herself doing research, she pictured white coats and microscopes.

“I’m going to be sitting in a lab,” she said, “working with my Petri dishes, dropping bacteria in them.”

Close up of smiling person leaning against a wall

Lily Meisel is a 2022-23 Undergraduate Research Scholar who pivoted away from Petri dishes to take on a different kind of research–coastal resilience. Submitted photo.

Meisel, a prospective biochemistry and environmental studies major, was curious whether she would like that type of work. To find out, she joined the Undergraduate Research Scholars program, which pairs first- and second-year students with researchers across campus. Meisel was drawn to a Wisconsin Sea Grant project about planning for and preventing Great Lakes bluff erosion, a topic unfamiliar to her.

“I think the thing that attracted me to this project the most was that I didn’t know much about it,” she said.

The project, led by Wisconsin Sea Grant coastal GIS specialist David Hart, explores how “adaptation pathways”—a planning tool used to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change—could address bluff erosion and other coastal hazards in the Great Lakes. Unlike traditional planning approaches, adaptation pathways are flexible and built around uncertainty. They allow decision makers to map multiple solutions to a problem and pivot to alternatives when those solutions no longer work or become too expensive.

Hart first learned about adaptation pathways from a Sea Grant colleague using the tool to address sea level rise at Dauphin Island, Alabama. “I hadn’t seen this approach applied in the Great Lakes and thought Lily could explore how it had been used to address coastal hazards in a changing climate around the world,” said Hart.

Meisel’s goal was to identify where and how adaptation pathways have been used, if they were successful, and how they could be applied locally. So she got to work—not by culturing bacteria, but by scouring published research for mention of the topic.

“It’s kind of like a treasure hunt,” she said.

Meisel noted it was difficult to find examples of communities that have used adaptation pathways for long-term climate change planning because the approach is relatively new. She focused her analysis on four communities—Lakes Entrance, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Dauphin Island, Alabama; and Santa Cruz, California—and plans to showcase her findings via a multimedia, interactive platform known as a StoryMap.

While Meisel thinks more research is still needed to demonstrate their success in helping communities adapt to climate change in the long term, adaptation pathways have proven an effective method for gauging public opinion, which could be useful for weighing different solutions to bluff erosion.

Person walking along a tall bluff that is highly eroded, with a house perched dangerously above the erosion

Under a changing climate, many changes will come to Great Lakes landscapes, such as eroding bluffs like this one near Lake Superior. Photo: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Meisel also felt a personal connection to her research. Growing up in Neenah, Wisconsin, a town on the shores of Lake Winnebago, she knows what it is like to live in a community where life revolves around the lake. The practical applications of the research excite her. “I would love to help a community that’s so similar to mine,” she said.

Meisel will present her findings at the Undergraduate Symposium on Friday, April 28, at Union South.

The post Undergraduate researcher evaluates adaptation tool to combat Great Lakes coastal hazards first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/undergraduate-researcher-evaluates-adaptation-tool-to-combat-great-lakes-coastal-hazards/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=undergraduate-researcher-evaluates-adaptation-tool-to-combat-great-lakes-coastal-hazards

Milwaukee marine debris prevention program to expand

On: April 21, 2023

In: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Deidre Peroff, Inflation Reduction Act, marine debris, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Riverkeeper

Wisconsin Sea Grant (WISG) today announced it is expanding a successful marine-debris-prevention project in Milwaukee and will build on that success to spark similar awareness and action in a fellow Great Lakes city, Cleveland.

Marine debris is an increasing global problem that causes negative impacts in oceans, the Great Lakes and other waterways. Nearly 22 million pounds of plastics enter the Great Lakes each year, according to a Rochester Institute of Technology study.

Plastic trash spread on a blue background

A collection of plastic trash recently removed from a Wisconsin waterway. Image: Bonnie Willison, Wisconsin Sea Grant

In Milwaukee, this pollution affects Lake Michigan and local watersheds, which serve as a source of drinking water, offer recreation for residents and support ecosystems for wildlife and fish. With plastic pollution on the rise, the Lake Michigan freshwater ecosystem and the people surrounding it are at risk of negative health impacts that can be mitigated by increasing awareness of plastic pollution through youth education, actionable science and civic action. Similarly, plastic pollution is a problem in Lake Erie’s ecosystem and for those who live, work and recreate in Cleveland.

In 2021, WISG joined forces with Milwaukee Riverkeeper, a key player in an initiative called Plastic-Free MKE, to coordinate Milwaukee youth to lead civic engagement projects on how to reduce single-use plastics in their schools. As part of an initial grant received from the National Sea Grant Office’s Marine Debris program, the groups created a plastics audit, shared a plastics education toolkit about how plastics impact water quality and human health and provided resources to students and teachers on how they can reduce plastic pollution in their homes and schools.

“We’re excited to see Plastic-Free MKE be a model for other cities that have great intentions towards reducing single-use plastics but needed some support to be more organized to build a local coalition in their city,” said Deidre Peroff, WISG social scientist. “I look forward to continuing collaborating on this initiative in Milwaukee as well. We plan to continue our partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools to get more plastics education into classrooms and provide space for students to lead the effort.”

Social Scientist Deidre Peroff is looking forward to continuing marine debris education in Milwaukee Public Schools.

Peroff said she and Milwaukee Riverkeeper will share their success from Plastic-Free MKE with businesses and individuals in Cleveland to encourage the reduction of single-use plastics, which ultimately protects the waters, wildlife and people’s health

This project was competitively selected. It was part of a competition through two opportunities supported by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and leveraging funds from the Inflation Reduction Act: The Marine Debris Challenge Competition and The Marine Debris Communication Action Coalitions. The laws are infusing a total of $27 million nationwide, administered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to marine debris education, prevention, cleanup and research initiatives. In addition to the project in Wisconsin, another 18 community-based projects are being funded, along with 10 research projects. The Wisconsin project is funded at $300,000 for two years.

The post Milwaukee marine debris prevention program to expand first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/milwaukee-marine-debris-prevention-program-to-expand/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=milwaukee-marine-debris-prevention-program-to-expand

Love the lakes? Nominate the next Wisconsin Sea Grant Great Lakes Champion Award-winner

On: March 28, 2023

In: Dean Haen, Great Lakes Champion Award

To raise awareness about the importance of the Great Lakes to Wisconsin’s culture and economy, Wisconsin Sea Grant announced today it will confer a Great Lakes Champion Award this summer. A call for nominations is now open at seagrant.wisc.edu/championaward.

Those eligible for the award are any group, program, organization, or individual that displays:

A demonstrated commitment to the Great Lakes through some or all of these factors: dedicated actions, facilitated education or enacted policies that have resulted in the conservation and sustainable use of lakes Michigan and Superior, and the rest of the basin, if applicable.
Long-term consistent care and concern for the Great Lakes in keeping with the Wisconsin Sea Grant mission—promoting the sustainable use of the Great Lakes through research, education and outreach. As well as in support of the program’s vision statement—thriving coastal communities.
Leadership in some or all of the following areas: cultivating freshwater partnerships; fostering collaborative action on behalf of Great Lakes issues; enhancing environmental justice, diversity and inclusion in the basin, or service built upon trust and transparency.
A contribution to accomplishments in some or all of Sea Grant’s focus areas: healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, resilient communities and economies and/or environmental literacy and workforce development.

The award is given every two years. In 2021, Brown County Port and Resource Recovery Department Director Dean Haen was selected.

Close-up of a smiling person wearing a suit and tie.

Dean Haen, winner of the 2021 Great Lakes Champion Award and director of the shipping port in Green Bay.

This will be the second time the award is presented; and it will occur at an event to be held in Milwaukee in August. Nominations are due at midnight, CT, June 14, through an online portal accessible through the website with other competition details,seagrant.wisc.edu/championaward

The post Love the lakes? Nominate the next Wisconsin Sea Grant Great Lakes Champion Award-winner first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/love-the-lakes-nominate-the-next-wisconsin-sea-grant-great-lakes-champion-award-winner/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=love-the-lakes-nominate-the-next-wisconsin-sea-grant-great-lakes-champion-award-winner

Hiring Beach Ambassadors

On: February 22, 2023

In: beach ambassador, Deidre Peroff

The post Hiring Beach Ambassadors first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/hiring-beach-ambassadors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hiring-beach-ambassadors

Unique collaboration helps marinas install green infrastructure

On: February 20, 2023

In: Barker's Island Marina Superior Wis, clean marina, Great Lakes Clean Marina Network

Story contributed by Elizabeth Striano, Michigan Sea Grant

When it rains or snows, precipitation that has not been absorbed by the ground washes over the landscape, often collecting pollution on the way. At a marina, this landscape may include parking lots, lift wells, vehicle maintenance areas, storage buildings, and vessel wash-down areas. Using nature-based techniques, like green infrastructure or rain gardens, to manage stormwater can provide significant benefits such as minimizing water pollution into the lake, eliminating nuisance flooding and improving aesthetics.

Michigan Sea Grant staff advised marina owners in their state to install systems like this to slow stormwater and let it infiltrate before hitting the surface water. Photo: Lakehouse Creative

Implementing a green infrastructure project, however, can prove challenging for marinas. They may not have the technical expertise or be unaware of how to secure funding for such efforts. Fortunately, Sea Grant programs can help fill that gap, either alone or via regional networks.

Recently, the Great Lakes Clean Marina Network (GLCMN) – which includes members of the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network (GLSGN) – worked with marinas in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio to help support their efforts to write grants, obtain funding, implement projects and communicate to the public. A new video details the effort. The GLCMN connected marinas with technical guidance and environmental education necessary to implement these types of projects. The GLSGN helped leverage expertise in financial and project coordination, funding and communications, including understanding of the regulations.

Marinas participating in the project include:

Barker’s Island Marina, Superior, Wis.
Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor marina, Elk Rapids, Mich.
Public marina in Charlevoix, Mich.
Holiday Harbor Marina, Huron, Ohio
Sandusky Harbor Marina, Sandusky, Ohio

Participating marinas received the support and facilitation they needed for implementation, from beginning to end. In addition, communications and coordination often compose a big part of these projects — and the Sea Grant community already has the capacity for this in addition to understanding the research and ability to communicate it effectively to all audiences.

Barker’s Island Marina in Superior recently installed green infrastructure to keep Lake Superior cleaner. Photo: Danger Bird Productions.

These marinas have become stewards for more widespread adoption and innovation of these practices. These projects also show how Sea Grant networks can help marinas and their communities by connecting them to groups, people, and resources that can help ensure that they have a seat at the local table to advocate for their marina projects.

Interested marinas can learn more here or should reach out to the marina contact at their state’s Sea Grant program.

The post Unique collaboration helps marinas install green infrastructure first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/unique-collaboration-helps-marinas-install-green-infrastructure/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=unique-collaboration-helps-marinas-install-green-infrastructure

Water equity podcast wins two national awards

On: January 17, 2023

In: Bonnie Willison, Hali Jama, Signal Awards, The Water We Swim In

The Water We Swim In is a multi-episode podcast series created and hosted by Bonnie Willison, Sea Grant’s digital storyteller, along with student Hali Jama. The series recently won two awards in the inaugural national Signal Awards competition.

In the diversity, equity and inclusion category, the series won both a bronze award and the listener’s choice award.

“We had some really impressive competitors in the Signal Awards, and I’m honored to have even been a nominee. Also, it was great to see the support from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Sea Grant communities in the listener’s choice voting competition,” Willison said.

The podcast explores water equity in the Great Lakes region. Topics explored have been inequities in water infrastructure and racism that have resulted in, for example, the ongoing potable water crisis in Jackson, Miss.; the intersection of Indigenous sovereignty, water quality and wild rice restoration on Wisconsin’s largest inland lake; and access to water recreation by people with disabilities.

The title of the podcast was sparked by a comment from one of the guests, Co-Executive Director Brenda Coley of Milwaukee Commons, who, when taking about the legacy of segregation in swimming pools and swimming lessons said, “Racism is the water we swim in…sometimes we don’t understand how pervasive it really is.”

This is the first year of the Signal Awards, which attracted more than 1,700 entries. Entries were hosted by figures such as Trevor Noah and Jon Stewart and produced by organizations such as Bloomberg Media, AMC and Apple. Nearly 15,000 people voted for listeners choice awards.

The post Water equity podcast wins two national awards first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/water-equity-podcast-wins-two-national-awards/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=water-equity-podcast-wins-two-national-awards

Eating snails, for science

On: January 4, 2023

In: Chinese mysterysnails, Feral, invasive species, nonnative species, Outdoor Channel, Titus Seilheimer, Yia Vang

Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer promised a “great adventure” during the premiere of a new episode of “Feral,” 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, on the Outdoor Channel.

“In the summer of 2022, I joined Twin Cities chef Yia Vang and 2022 James Beard Award Finalist for ‘Best Chef Midwest’ on the waters of my home lake in northwestern Wisconsin,” Seilheimer said. “We were on a dangerous hunt for an invasive species lurking in the depths of Rusk County’s Clear Lake, the Chinese mysterysnail! Okay, so not a dangerous hunt, but a great adventure.”

Titus Seilheimer (right) joins adventure-loving culinary explorer and top chef Yia Vang on a nationally broadcast show, “Feral,” to premiere at 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, on the Outdoor Channel.

Chinese mysterysnails were first reported in the U.S. more than 100 years ago when they showed up in the San Francisco area. They were likely brought to North America for sale in live markets because they are a popular food in Asia.

They expanded their range over time and were first reported in Wisconsin’s Clear Lake in 2011. Seilheimer said, “I first spotted them shortly after and thought that big snails were a sign of good water quality. Soon after, at an invasive species conference, I was hit with the realization that those big snails in my lake were invasive mysterysnails.”

The snails are larger than the native species in Wisconsin lakes, so they can potentially outcompete the local snails. They also are more protected by their operculum (like a trap door), so they can avoid predation better than native species.

In addition to his culinary skills and ownership of Minneapolis’s Union Hmong Kitchen, Vang is the host of the nationally broadcast program “Feral.” A teaser for the Jan. 9 show recently dropped. In it, we see Seilheimer in the background, encouraging Vang’s preparation of Chinese mysterysnails in a steaming saute pan. Vang refers to the nonnative snails as the Wagyu of the lake.

Nonnative Chinese mysterysnails collected from a Wisconsin lake just before Chef Vang prepared a tasty meal out of them.

The post Eating snails, for science first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/eating-snails-for-science/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=eating-snails-for-science

New study: Northeastern Wisconsin PFAS plume moves into Green Bay via groundwater

On: January 3, 2023

In: Christy Remucal, firefighting foam, forever chemicals, Green Bay, PFAS, Sarah Balgooyen, Tyco

A new study has found that a plume of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from an industrial source has made its way into Green Bay, Lake Michigan, through the movement of groundwater.

PFAS are often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they do not readily break down in the environment. They have been used to make a wide range of products resistant to water, grease, oil and stains and are also found in firefighting foams, which are a major source of environmental PFAS contamination. The chemical compounds have been shown to have adverse effects on human health.

Christy Remucal with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and postdoctoral co-investigator Sarah Balgooyen published their work in the Dec. 27, 2022, issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c06600 It was funded by a grant from the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program.

“We used a forensics approach to investigate how the PFAS fingerprint from an industrial source changes after undergoing environmental and engineered processes,” Remucal said.

Woman wearing lab goggles, gloves and a lab coat in a lab.

Researcher Christy Remucal in her lab on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus is analyzing water samples taken from a known contamination site.

Researchers tracked the movement of PFAS through groundwater and surface water flow, as well as the chemicals’ presence in biosolids on land. Analysis of samples showed that, unfortunately, a large PFAS plume has moved into Green Bay, Lake Michigan.

Green Bay is one of the largest bays on the Great Lakes, an interconnected freshwater system providing drinking water for 30 million U.S. and Canadian residents. That makes it even more important for researchers to understand what contaminants are present and where they may have come from.

The source of this Great Lakes contamination has been traced to Tyco Fire Products. The company’s fire-training facilities in Marinette and Peshtigo have previously been identified as a source of PFAS contamination in groundwater and private drinking water wells in the area.

The forensic technique in this study used PFAS fingerprinting, a process that uses ratios of individual PFAS compounds to identify PFAS contaminants and their sources. In this case, the PFAS fingerprint in Green Bay is nearly identical to PFAS associated with Tyco and includes PFAS known to be active ingredients in firefighting foams. This fingerprinting method could be used to hold polluting companies responsible for the contaminated water, the researchers said.

The study also found that PFAS associated with the industrial facility are present in streams near some agricultural fields. The researchers believe this PFAS contamination may have come from the treated biosolids many farmers use to fertilize their fields.

Biosolids are the product of wastewater treatment and are rich in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. PFAS in wastewater undergo extensive processing and some PFAS tend to concentrate in biosolids during treatment.

Remucal and Balgooyen determined that PFAS from biosolids can still mobilize after being spread on land. So, when farmers spread biosolids on their fields, PFAS can eventually make their way to adjacent streams.

Blonde woman wearing safety goggles, gloves and a lab coat in a lab.

Sarah Balgooyen is a postdoctoral investigator of PFAS, which is a group of man-made chemicals known for stain- and water-resistance, but also causes cancer in humans.

“Treated biosolids are commonly spread on fields all across Wisconsin,” Balgooyen said. “This information may impact how municipalities across Wisconsin and other states approach the use of biosolids as an agricultural fertilizer.”

The post New study: Northeastern Wisconsin PFAS plume moves into Green Bay via groundwater first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-study-northeastern-wisconsin-pfas-plume-moves-into-green-bay-via-groundwater/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-study-northeastern-wisconsin-pfas-plume-moves-into-green-bay-via-groundwater

Alison Mikulyuk will assist with WRI research competition

On: December 29, 2022

In: Ali Mikulyuk, Alison Mikulyuk, Water@UW-Madison

In the late 1800s, the field of limnology (the study of lakes) had its birth in North America when what is now the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology began its formative years.

Zoologists Edward Birge and Chancey Juday offered vision and leadership for this take on water science. They went heavy on field work and produced dozens of papers expounding lakes’ chemistry, biology and geology. They were committed to fostering student experiences and learning.

A thread of connection to those early days of freshwater study and student support carries through to today with the arrival at the Water Resources Institute (WRI) and Sea Grant of Alison Mikulyuk, herself a graduate of that very same limnology program. She is the first-ever coordinator of Water@UW-Madison.

Closeup of smiling young woman with short dark hair.

“I’m excited to join the team at the Aquatic Sciences Center.” Mikulyuk continued, “I want to build and support a caring and connected network of water researchers, one that encourages exchange and innovation. I envision a healthy and productive collaborative group, where we work together across disciplines, across agencies and with communities to find new ways of asking and answering the questions that matter for fresh water.”

Water@UW-Madison had its own beginnings more than a decade ago when a handful of water scientists—including Jake Vander Zanden, the current director of the Center for Limnology—formed an organization to foster connections among students, staff and faculty with water interests and studies. The goal at the time, Vander Zanden said, was to facilitate greater interdisciplinary collaboration and exploration.

Water@UW-Madison sponsors a fall poster session, spring symposium, student mentoring, a summer undergraduate research experience and art and freshwater science collaborations. It hosts an informative website and during the academic year publishes a weekly newsletter. In sum, it pulls together and amplifies the water expertise of more than 130 faculty and staff across more than 40 departments and programs on the Madison campus.

It further strives to broaden its reach to other campuses in the University of Wisconsin System, along with private colleges, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and civil society in Wisconsin and beyond.

Mikulyuk will also support the WRI and Sea Grant research enterprise and the programs’ robust fellowship initiatives that place post-graduates in settings with state agencies, offering cutting-edge skills and knowledge to the agencies, along with mentoring, networking opportunities and experience for the fellows.

Additionally, she will also oversee the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Program, which pairs undergraduates with research mentors. The program is in its second year and 2023 opportunities are now available for application until Feb. 15.

The post Alison Mikulyuk will assist with WRI research competition first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/alison-mikulyuk-will-assist-with-wri-research-competition/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alison-mikulyuk-will-assist-with-wri-research-competition

New hire Alison Mikulyuk part of a connective thread of water

On: December 28, 2022

In: Ali Mikulyuk, Alison Mikulyuk, Water@UW-Madison

In the late 1800s, the field of limnology (the study of lakes) had its birth in North America when what is now the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology began its formative years.

A thread of connection to those early days of freshwater study and student support carries through to today with the arrival at Sea Grant and the Water Resources Institute (WRI) of Alison Mikulyuk, herself a graduate of that very same limnology program. She is the first-ever coordinator of Water@UW-Madison.

Closeup of smiling young woman with short dark hair.

The post New hire Alison Mikulyuk part of a connective thread of water first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-hire-alison-mikulyuk-part-of-a-connective-thread-of-water/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-hire-alison-mikulyuk-part-of-a-connective-thread-of-water

Willison’s strong video production skills snag two awards

On: November 28, 2022

In: Bonnie Willison, Madison Media Professionals, video award 2022, WAVE Awards

Smiling woman standing in front of a lake. Wisconsin Sea Grant’s videographer Bonnie Willison recently received two awards for her video production skills through a regional competition coordinated by an organization called Madison Media Professionals.

The group presents WAVE Awards, which honor excellence in the video production industry as well as in web, audio, video and graphic design. The 2022 competition received over 80 entries, including materials created for national entities like Toppers Pizza, Kohler, PBS Kids and American Family Insurance.

The Wisconsin Sea Grant video Nano- and Microplastics in the Great Lakes was awarded a WAVE merit award in the animation category. Willison created the scientific animations featured in the video by combining photography and motion graphics.

The second winning video is Clean, Drain and Dry Your Boat This Summer. It picked up a merit award in the branding and corporate image category. “We shot this video to raise awareness of invasive species in the Great Lakes,” Willison said. “It was great to partner with local professionals who helped direct, shoot and provide voiceover for this piece”

Viewers can subscribe to the Wisconsin Sea Grant YouTube channel to stay up to date with new videos about the program’s research, outreach and education.

The post Willison’s strong video production skills snag two awards first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/willisons-strong-video-production-skills-snag-two-awards/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=willisons-strong-video-production-skills-snag-two-awards

Deidre Peroff, social science and Sea Grant by numbers

On: November 21, 2022

In: Deidre Peroff, human dimension of aquatic science, sea grant and social science

Doing the math gives you numbers:

2022 – 2016 = 6
2012 – 1972 = 40

What is the story behind those numbers?

The first simple equation represents how long Deidre Peroff has been the Wisconsin Sea Grant social scientist: six years.

As Sea Grant celebrates a 50-year anniversary in 2022, the second computation indicates the program functioned for 40 years prior to bringing on board a social scientist. (Peroff succeeded Jane Harrison who had been hired in 2012.)

Deidre Peroff, social science outreach specialist. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

The numbers of six and 40, then, demonstrate the evolution of how those in the Sea Grant program deepened an understanding of and recognized the value of bringing a human dimension to freshwater and coastal science. Social science complements the natural sciences that Sea Grant has long been known for, disciplines like biology, physics and chemistry as they relate to things like the Lake Michigan fishery, Lake Superior coastal processes or Great Lakes water quality.

Now, we’ll throw in an additional number, the number one. Peroff is one person who touches all of the focus areas in which Sea Grant currently operates. Those areas are healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, resilient communities and economies and environmental literacy and workforce development. Her fellow Sea Grant outreach specialists mostly concentrate on one of those focus areas.

Some examples of her projects include manoomin and raising awareness about this wild rice, communicating to low-income communities about severe weather and water safety.

Just as Sea Grant evolved to incorporate social science in its portfolio, Peroff herself has evolved during her time in this role. She has increasingly devoted energy to social and environmental justice. “Some of the topics are really straightforward, focused on environmental justice and, with others, I just make sure we are incorporating equity and diversity and very much thinking about the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) principles.”

Peroff noted environmental justice is itself a newer concept. “That’s something that’s really changed in the last 50 years. That wasn’t even a term in the ‘80s. In the 1990s, President Clinton issued an executive order regarding environmental justice, for federal agencies to consider environmental justice and how projects may disproportionately affect more vulnerable communities than others.”

She expanded on this. “You think about the environmental movement, and you need to go back, go way back even in the last 100 or 200 years, how environmental solutions aren’t being equally advantageous to different communities.” She continued, “The national park system was developed but a lot of Indigenous people were displaced because of the national parks. Twenty years ago, I would have thought this is great and national parks are great. They protect wildlife and they’re good to have green spaces but it’s really important in terms of environmental justice to think about the whole picture.”

Into the next 50 years, Peroff said, social science has to be a part of understanding and working toward environmental justice. It’s a thrust she’d like to expand. “We are headed in the right direction on social justice,” Peroff said, “People are thinking about it a lot…corporations are learning more about racial and social justice issues.” She tempered it a bit by saying she and others have much more to learn.

On the nature of society’s environmental complexities, Peroff is passionate about being multidisciplinary. “While we need to use both natural and physical sciences to further understand environmental problems, it is important to place equal value on social science to understand how society contributed to the problem. Better integration between the sciences is needed to fully understand a problem to come up with a solution.”

Finally, in Peroff’s ideal future 50 years, we would use social science to broaden people’s horizons and crack the code to bring about behavior change. “Right now,” using climate change as an example, “behavior change is hard. It’s not happening with data alone.” She added, “in order to have impact, it’s important to relate to people.”

Perhaps we could summon all these numbers into the corner to help—10 years of having a social scientist contributing to the Sea Grant mission, one current dynamo with a firm commitment to results and another 50 years of Sea Grant dedication to affecting change.

The post Deidre Peroff, social science and Sea Grant by numbers first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/deidre-peroff-social-science-and-sea-grant-by-numbers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=deidre-peroff-social-science-and-sea-grant-by-numbers

Wisconsin Sea Grant gratitude for 50 years shines in a new 50th anniversary video

On: November 16, 2022

In: 50th anniversary, Athelstan Spilhaus, Julia Noordyk, Moira Harrington, Video

In the week before Thanksgiving, Wisconsin Sea Grant is considering gratitude. Why are we thankful? 2022 marked a yearlong 50th anniversary commemoration. We have been grateful for the opportunity to provide decades of service to Wisconsin’s coastal communities, promote freshwater learning and contribute research findings to benefit the whole Great Lakes Basin.

A brand-new 50 years video celebrates this past and looks to Great Lakes science for our future through reflections from staff members collected throughout the past 12 months.

Grainy image of bluffs and water. People canoeing.

A new video celebrates Wisconsin Sea Grant’s 50-year legacy.

“Wisconsin was the first state in the Great Lakes region to develop a Sea Grant program,” said Moira Harrington, Sea Grant’s assistant director for communications. “In a state with a long history of environmental stewardship and the home of such environmental giants as John Muir, Aldo Leopold and the founder of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson, we are particularly proud to have also embraced the Sea Grant model to use research, education and outreach to better understand, use and protect our globally significant freshwater assets. We’re also proud to share this video that recounts the history.”

The new six-minute video uses archival video to revisit touchpoints such as the 1963 proposal from scientist Athelstan Spilhaus to establish a national Sea Grant College Program, Congress’s adoption of the program in 1966 and ratification of the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement during the Nixon administration.

In vintage footage, the video also depicts unfortunate chapters of the lakes—the arrival of the nonnative sea lamprey and its negative effects on the fishery, pollution shutting down beaches due to open pipes gushing contaminants and nutrient runoff tainting waters.

Two fish with round jaws up along the wall of a glass tank.

Nonnative sea lamprey have had an effect on the Great Lakes food web. The video has footage of the fish. Photo by Titus Seilheimer.

The somewhat grainy footage then shifts, giving way to contemporary shots of Sea Grant-funded research and education and extension initiatives. A concluding quote best summarizes what probably all of us could get behind, “I really believe that we need to talk about hope. We have to give people a strong vision of where we want things to do because as soon as we do that we start moving toward it rather than focusing on the negative things that have happened in the past,” Julia Noordyk, water quality and coastal communities specialist said.

The post Wisconsin Sea Grant gratitude for 50 years shines in a new 50th anniversary video first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/wisconsin-sea-grant-gratitude-for-50-years-shines-in-a-new-50th-anniversary-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wisconsin-sea-grant-gratitude-for-50-years-shines-in-a-new-50th-anniversary-video

Known by many for much, Anne Moser is now known as an award-winner

On: November 4, 2022

In: Anne Moser, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Water Library

Anne Moser. Librarians in Augusta, Princeton, Stanley and Rice Lake, Wisconsin, know her as the person who showed up in a fishing hat with dangling lures for this summer’s story hours to teach young children about Great Lakes fish through books, songs, dance and crafts.

Educators know her as the thoughtful voice on how best to integrate freshwater science and research into K-12 curriculum and classrooms and nonformal learning centers around Wisconsin.

Members of the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers and those in the Wisconsin Library Association know her as someone who has taken on leadership roles in the organizations to support marine and aquatic sciences library science around the world and in specialized libraries throughout the state.

Now, we all know her as the 2022 winner of the nonformal educator of the year award from the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education (WAEE). The group conferred the award during a virtual ceremony the evening of Nov. 3. The organization highlighted her significant contributions to the field of environmental education.

Moser is the senior special librarian for the Wisconsin Water Library, supported by the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute and Wisconsin Sea Grant. She is also the education coordinator. About the award, she said, “I am deeply honored to be recognized by the WAEE. In my time with the Water Resources Institute and Sea Grant, I have met hundreds of formal and nonformal educators, librarians and teachers who are deserved of an award! It has been my absolute privilege to work with them and to have the opportunity to do my small part in educating the future caretakers of our watersheds.”

Colleague Titus Seilheimer, fisheries specialist, presented a take on yet another of Moser’s educational initiatives, “I have worked with Anne for 10 years at the UW-Madison Alumni Association Grandparent’s University, where she coordinates the limnology major. Anne is equally great with the logistics, children and grandparents. Anne is an inspiration and has had a major impact on Wisconsin’s environmental education.”

WAEE is a statewide nonprofit organization of environmental educators who support environmental education through advocacy, networking and recognition. The awards program is meant to acknowledge and encourage excellence in the field of environmental education.

The post Known by many for much, Anne Moser is now known as an award-winner first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/known-by-many-for-much-anne-moser-is-now-known-as-an-award-winner/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=known-by-many-for-much-anne-moser-is-now-known-as-an-award-winner

Known by many for much, Anne Moser is now known as an award-winner

On: November 4, 2022

In: Anne Moser, nonformal educator of the year, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education

Standing and smiling woman wearing glasses and a hat.

Anne Moser educated, and delighted, children over the summer with her fish-themed story hours.

Educators from around the Great Lakes region know her as the thoughtful voice on how best to integrate freshwater science and research into K-12 curriculum and classrooms and nonformal learning centers around Wisconsin.

Moser is the senior special librarian for the Wisconsin Water Library, supported by Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. She is also the education coordinator. About the award, she said, “I am deeply honored to be recognized by the WAEE. In my time with Sea Grant and the Water Resources Institute, I have met hundreds of formal and nonformal educators, librarians and teachers who are deserved of an award! It has been my absolute privilege to work with them and to have the opportunity to do my small part in educating the future caretakers of our watersheds.”

Colleague Titus Seilheimer, Sea Grant fisheries specialist, presented a take on yet another of Moser’s educational initiatives, “I have worked with Anne for 10 years at the UW-Madison Alumni Association Grandparent’s University, where she coordinates the limnology major. Anne is equally great with the logistics, children and grandparents. Anne is an inspiration and has had a major impact on Wisconsin’s environmental education.”

The post Known by many for much, Anne Moser is now known as an award-winner first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/known-by-many-for-much-anne-moser-is-now-known-as-an-award-winner/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=known-by-many-for-much-anne-moser-is-now-known-as-an-award-winner

In: Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars, Jim Hurley, Manasi Simhan, University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute

Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Program opportunities now open

On: November 2, 2022

Based on the success of a pilot program on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus last summer, 31 undergraduate Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars opportunities are now open for application.

“The experience over summer definitely cemented my interest in research,” said Manasi Simhan, who was in the 2022 nine-person cohort and participated in a Wisconsin River sediment analysis led by Eric Roden of the UW-Madison Department of Geoscience. “If I had a chance to do it again, I would definitely do it again.”

Like Simhan, summer 2023 undergraduates will be matched with water-related faculty mentors and graduate students to align interests and grow skills applicable to post-graduate studies and future careers. There will be professional development and cross-campus programing, concluding with the chance for students to present results of their individual projects in a group setting.

In-state undergraduate applicants are encouraged to select opportunities that are not on their home campus in an effort to increase collaboration among the eight University of Wisconsin System campuses participating in 2023. Those campuses are Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Manitowoc-Green Bay, Milwaukee, Oshkosh and Superior. Find details and apply at this link: https://water.wisc.edu/wateruw-madison-undergraduate-research-experience The deadline is Feb. 15, 2023.

An additional goal of the program is to create a diverse academic environment by increasing the number of traditionally underserved students in Wisconsin graduate programs, and ultimately, a well-prepared freshwater workforce.

Standing man wearing sunglasses talking with seating listeners and a lake in the background.

Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley enthusiastically describes the summer of research and collaborative learning to come at the kick-off of the summer 2022 scholars’ experience. Photo: Bonnie Willison.

Wisconsin Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley said, ““We’ve had great success with the pilot program last year and we’re anxious to greatly expand opportunities statewide so students can work alongside more of the UW System’s outstanding water researchers.”

The program will run from May 31 through Aug. 5, 2023. In terms of remuneration, there is a $6,000 stipend, $600 meal allowance and provision of housing.

The 2023 freshwater science experiences are funded by Sea Grant and its sister organization, the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, along with resources from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.

The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is a partnership of Wisconsin’s 13 public universities, connecting with industry partners, local communities, policymakers and advocacy groups. Its mission is to establish Wisconsin as a world leader in freshwater science, technology, entrepreneurship and economic growth. The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is training the next generation of scientists to solve global water resource problems through academic program, collaborative research and career development across the UW System.

The post Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Program opportunities now open first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/freshwateruw-summer-research-scholars-program-opportunities-now-open/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=freshwateruw-summer-research-scholars-program-opportunities-now-open

Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Program opportunities now open

On: November 2, 2022

In: Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars, Jim Hurley, Manasi Simhan, Wisconsin Sea Grant

large group of people sitting at tables outdoors with a lake in the background — Water Resources Director Jim Hurley addresses the first gathering of researchers and freshwater summer scholars in 2022.

Based on the success of a pilot program on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus last summer, 31 undergraduate Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars opportunities are open for application today.

In-state undergraduate applicants are encouraged to select opportunities that are not on their home campus in an effort to increase collaboration among the eight University of Wisconsin System campuses participating in 2023. Those campuses are Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Oshkosh and Superior. Find details and apply at this link: https://water.wisc.edu/wateruw-madison-undergraduate-research-experience The deadline is Feb. 15, 2023.

Jim Hurley, director of the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI), said, ““We’ve had great success with the pilot program last year and we’re anxious to greatly expand opportunities statewide so students can work alongside more of the UW System’s outstanding water researchers.”

The program will run from May 31 through Aug. 5, 2023. In terms of remuneration, there is a $6,000 stipend, $600 meal allowance and provision of housing.

The 2023 freshwater science experiences are funded by WRI and its sister organization the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program, along with resources from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.

The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is a partnership of Wisconsin’s 13 public universities, connecting with industry partners, local communities, policymakers and advocacy groups. Its mission is to establish Wisconsin as a world leader in freshwater science, technology, entrepreneurship and economic growth. The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is training the next generation of scientists to solve global water resource problems through academic program, collaborative research and career development across the UW System.

The post Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars Program opportunities now open first appeared on WRI.

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/freshwateruw-summer-research-scholars-program-opportunities-now-open/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=freshwateruw-summer-research-scholars-program-opportunities-now-open

Julia Noordyk and celebrating an anniversary in a “pretty special place”

On: November 1, 2022

In: East River, flooding, green infrastructure, Julia Noordyk, nature-based

Sea Grant has had both a focus on and staff dedicated to the understanding and stewardship of the Green Bay watershed for nearly 50 years, dating back to when the Sea Grant Green Bay Subprogram was established on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus in the late 1970s.

Close-up of smiling woman with long blonde hair.

Julia Noordyk, water quality and coastal communities outreach specialist.

Julia Noordyk now fulfills this longstanding Sea Grant responsibility for the bay of Green Bay, which she termed “a pretty special place.” The bay itself spans 1,600 miles. It’s at the heart of the world’s largest freshwater estuary, laced with agriculture and manufacturing. It’s also a storied place where Indigenous people have lived for 10,000 years and where the first European to have come to what is now known as Wisconsin stepped off a boat in Green Bay onto Red Banks, roughly a mile from the city of Green Bay.

In her role as water quality and coastal communities outreach specialist Noordyk weaves the legacy of this commerce, agriculture and human interaction into contemporary conversations and actions.

Noordyk said she educates people about, “green infrastructure, really working through codes and ordinances to reduce barriers to implement green infrastructure.”

Her second priority is community flood resilience, with a focus on the East River, one of the only undammed rivers in northeastern Wisconsin. It’s a tributary of the Fox River, which flows to the bay and is high in nutrient and sediments. Reducing runoff through nature-based infrastructure protects surface waters from contaminants and can reduce East River flooding.

This is what Noordyk sees as an evolution in water quality approaches for what she likes to call the “fresh-tuary.” “Historically, the (Sea Grant) office was set up and really focused on the Fox River, the bay of Green Bay and water quality. A lot of that was driven by industrial pollution like PCBs and also agricultural runoff,” she said. “That’s been most of the work for last 50 years, which is awesome. Now, the PCB cleanup is over, and things are improving.”

She continued, “Agriculture runoff is still one of the biggest issues in our area for water quality, but what has been changing over the past couple decades is how we think about restoration more broadly.”

Noordyk said there’s been a movement to address water challenges that communities care about and connect those issues to water quality. Front and center, she pointed to flooding. “How can we help solve problems that have benefits to both water quality and flood mitigation?”

Answering her own rhetorical question, Noordyk said, “We have to give people hope with science and with working to solve these environmental issues.” That is her goal for the next 50 years of Sea Grant’s work in her region.

As for the future of the human dimensions of her work, Noordyk said, “A small piece of my efforts is working towards a more inclusive workforce, making connections with our First Nation communities and the bay of Green Bay.”

Noordyk hosted a graduate assistantship that supported an Indigenous-identifying student in exploring the Great Lakes. She said, “That person is really focused on helping make connections between restoration and projects with UW-Green Bay and First Nations. It’s to bring the voice back to the land from a First-Nation perspective.”

The post Julia Noordyk and celebrating an anniversary in a “pretty special place” first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/julia-noordyk-and-celebrating-an-anniversary-in-a-pretty-special-place/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=julia-noordyk-and-celebrating-an-anniversary-in-a-pretty-special-place