Michigan Sea Grant Recommends New Great Lakes Research Projects

Michigan Sea Grant recently selected four Great Lakes research projects to receive a total of $558,599 in federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant Program. The projects leverage an additional $329,860 in non-federal match over a two-year period beginning in March 2005.

The research projects reflect priority issues identified in Michigan Sea Grant’s new strategic plan. Awards will be official March 1, 2005 when the National Sea Grant College Program approves the 2005 budget.

Following is a brief description of research projects and principal investigators.

Genetic Pollution: Coastal Beaches as Environmental Reservoirs of Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance Genes

One relatively unexplored aspect of beach health is shoreline sand. Several recent studies of public recreational beaches in the Great Lakes have shown that high densities of E. coli bacteria persist in the sand throughout the beach season. In this study, researchers will examine two types of genes that may be transferred among bacteria that inhabit the sand. The study will determine whether this transfer is occurring and the implications for public health. 

—Elizabeth Wheeler Alm, Central Michigan University, alm1ew@cmich.edu, (989) 774-2503.

Evaluating Harvest Policies for Yellow Perch in Lake Michigan

Following a sharp decline in the 1990s, Lake Michigan’s yellow perch population is beginning to show signs of recovery. Sound management will be critical in the coming years to provide optimal fishery benefits in the face of long-term fluctuations. Using decision analysis techniques, researchers will develop a forecasting model to provide managers with the information they need to develop a well-founded harvest policy. Several workshops will be conducted in close cooperation with the Lake Michigan Yellow Perch Task Group.

—James Bence and Michael Jones, Michigan State University, bence@msu.edu, jonesm30@msu.edu, (517) 432-3812; (517) 432-0465.

Guiding Shoreline Restoration: Fish Habitat Choices Based on Flow Signatures

Great Lakes bays and channels are ecologically valuable and provide nursery areas for many species of fish. Yet shoreline development, marsh fragmentation and increasing human activity threaten these sensitive habitats. Waves driven onshore by boats are thought to pose a significant hazard, especially in areas where seawalls are used. This project will determine the effects of water flow on shoreline habitat and nearshore fish communities. Researchers will conduct a comparison of wave and water flow dynamics and the response of fish in five contrasting sites within the bays and channels of the Les Cheneaux islands in Michigan's eastern upper peninsula.

—Paul Webb, University of Michigan, pwebb@umich.edu, (734) 763-2332.

Ecosystem Mosaics and the Lake Michigan "Doughnut”: Modeling Pattern and Process Using Remotely Sensed Imagery

Using recent advances in remote sensing technology, researchers will examine the interaction between coastal and offshore waters in relation to winter food web productivity and impacts on Great Lakes biodiversity. They will document the occurrence and magnitude of episodic events, which temporarily circulate sediment and nutrients. Collected data will allow researchers to create three-dimensional images of an unusual phenomenon, resembling a doughnut pattern, previously discovered in southern Lake Michigan. Investigators will explore the potential food web implications of this late-winter episodic event, which may be instrumental in supporting numerous species.

—W. Charles Kerfoot, Michigan Technological University, wkerfoot@mtu.edu, (906) 487-2769.