UW-Superior Lake Superior Research Institute News and Events

LSRI researchers monitor regional waters under EPA's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 20:22:05 +0000

The pavement abruptly turned into a gravel road. The road soon turned onto an ATV trail that dwindled until finally coming to a ford on the Iron River just north of Oulu, Wisconsin.

There, five scientists and student employees from the Lake Superior Research Institute at UW-Superior parked their van, pulled on their waders, gathered their equipment and began slogging up the river between its heavily wooded banks.

For the next several hours they carefully measured the river's health and noted its characteristics: How clear is the water? What insects and aquatic worms live there? What's on the bottom, rock or sediment? What plants live in the water and on the stream banks?

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

LSRI scientists are gathering the information as part of a three-year project to monitor the condition of coastal wetlands, tributaries and near-shore waters of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin. Their work is funded through a grant from the the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, an Environmental Protection Agency program to address the most important Great Lakes priorities, including habitat and wildlife protection and restoration, coastal wetland assessment,restoring the Great Lakes Areas of Concern, and keeping out invasive species.

Monitoring water feeding Lake Superior

For the LSRI scientists, the monitoring enables them to establish a record of the quality of water feeding the world's greatest freshwater lake.

"We're monitoring the conditions of coastal wetlands and the conditions of the streams feeding them," said Amy Eliot, an associate researcher at LSRI who's overseeing the monitoring effort. "We want to know if the quality of the water draining into the wetland is having any kind of an impact on Lake Superior."

Students gain research experience

For the UW-Superior students working with Eliot, the project is an opportunity to gain experience in field work and analysis.

"It gives students a great opportunity to do field research, which is pretty nice in an undergraduate program to be able to do that," she said. "They work hard -- get up early; it may be wet, it may be cold, but they're troupers about doing the work."

Second season of monitoring

This is LSRI's second field season of work on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant.

Last summer and fall, the researchers worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to select coastal wetland monitoring sites and to begin monitoring water at those locations.

This season, the researchers are again taking samples from the coastal wetland sites while also setting up off-shore monitoring sites in Lake Superior and stream monitoring sites. The overall network of 71 monitoring sites stretches from the remote headwaters of the Little Pokegama River in Douglas County to Oronto Creek in Iron County near Wisconsin's border with Michigan.

Assessing the environment

At the monitoring sites, the LSRI team conducts a thorough assessment of the environment: water quality, vegetation, and animal life. For the nearshore monitoring sites, water samples are sent to the DNR and also returned to LSRI labs for analysis.

At the stream monitoring sites, like the one on the Iron River near Oulu, the researchers take down a long list of observations. Among them:

Quality of the water, including ph level, temperature, and nutrient levels.
Physical characteristics, such as vegetation in the stream and type of river bottom.
Aquatic life, including insects and aquatic worms.

See photos of the team at work

At some sites the researchers also conduct a habitat assessment, which is a more detailed look that includes observations about the type of plants along the banks, whether eroded areas are present, the clarity of the water and how fast it's flowing. All the information is collected following a strict standard of quality assurance.

A benchmark for the future

The three-year monitoring program will provide scientists with a thorough understanding to the current conditions of the waters feeding western Lake Superior.

"This provides us with a snapshot of current conditions," Eliot said. "From here we can see resource changes and detect trends."

In the future, scientists can return to the monitoring sites -- each one is precisely located by GPS -- to take additional readings. By comparing their data with today's information, they'll be able to spot trends that show how the lake is being affected by invasive species, climate change and other environmental factors.

Lake Superior Research Institute

The Lake Superior Research Institute at UW-Superior conducts environmental research and provides environmental education and public information for the Great Lakes region. It is funded primarily through grants and other external funding. Scientists and staff members associated with LSRI possess a wide range of expertise in chemistry, biology, toxicology, microbiology, geology, statistics, database management, data processing, computer programming, and geographic information systems. Many UW-Superior students participate in LSRI research as research assistants or interns.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin meets with Dr. Mary Balcer

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:27:44 +0000

During a visit to campus on March 14, U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin received a briefing about freshwater research at the Lake Superior Research Institute from Dr. Mary Balcer. The congresswoman represents Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District.

LSRI scientists to examine treated ballast water's effect on harbor water

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:40:58 +0000

Determining how clean a ship's ballast water must be to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species is the goal of the latest research partnership between the Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Lake Superior Research Institute (LSRI) at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

To generate risk-release relationship data

Using $415,000 recently awarded by the Northeast-Midwest Institute, LSRI Associate Researcher Matt TenEyck will direct controlled experiments to measure the effect of treated ballast water on Twin Ports harbor water. His work will be part of a broader project led by Allegra Cangelosi, president of the Northeast-Midwest Institute. Together, their research will generate the first direct scientific data on the risk-release relationship that is relevant to the Great Lakes region.

The project is funded by a $1 million award to the Northeast-Midwest Institute by the Great Lakes Protection Fund, a private, nonprofit corporation formed to identify, demonstrate and promote regional action to enhance the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

"There is no quick or easy way to generate this information for the Great Lakes, but we need answers; the sooner the better," Cangelosi said. "We are grateful to the Great Lakes Protection Fund for allowing us to get started at the same time as the national effort."

Latest in an ongoing partnership

LSRI scientists under the direction of Dr. Mary Balcer have been working since 2005 with the Northeast-Midwest Institute's Great Ships Initiative to help validate in fresh water treatment technology forpreventing the spread of aquatic invasive animals and plants that are carried in ships' ballast tanks. The new research award to LSRI is the latest step in that ongoing partnership.

"Finding effective ways to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species is critical to the future of the Great Lakes and to maritime commerce," said Chancellor Renée Wachter. "We're pleased the Northeast-Midwest Institute has entrusted this important research project to our scientists at LSRI."

Addressing lack of information

The Northeast-Midwest Institute launched the latest research project to address what the National Resource Council termed "a profound lack of information" around how effective various ballast water discharge standards may be at preventing aquatic organism invasions.

Ships carry ballast water for stability. By taking on ballast water in one port and discharging it in another, they can introduce foreign aquatic species that compete with native species. Various standards for treating ballast water to kill the invasive species are being debated around the country as part of an effort to stop ships from inadvertently transporting aquatic species from one ecosystem to another.

Generating first field data

The Northeast-Midwest Institute, in collaboration with state, federal and global academic experts, will generate a detailed plan and the first field data to assess the degree of protection from invasion risk that is provided by the range of ballast discharge standards currently in the Great Lakes region. The effort will be consistent with recommendations of the National Research Council for a national research effort and will ensure that Great Lakes concerns are at the forefront of that effort.

Most people agree that commercial ships should - and soon will - treat ballast water discharge to help prevent introduction of aquatic invasive species to the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters. But fierce controversy remains around the question "How clean is clean?"

Ballast discharge standards in the Great Lakes region differ widely. Environmentalists complain that national and international standards are too weak given the huge volumes of ballast water involved. Meanwhile, shipping interests point out that too tight a standard may cripple their industry or delay environmental protection.

Controversy stems from lack of information

The controversy over ballast water treatment standards arises from a lack of information about the actual risk of discharging treated water that contains some level of surviving organisms. The latest research project involving Northeast-Midwest Institute and LSRI will generate the first direct scientific data on the risk-release relationship relevant to the Great Lakes region.

Under LSRI's portion of the project, TenEyck will conduct controlled experiments using "mesocosms" that contain Twin Ports harbor water and its natural organisms.

Testing to begin spring 2012

Planning of the testing process is under way this winter, involving local, national and international experts. In late spring, work will begin at the Great Ships' Initiative ballast water testing facility on Superior's waterfront.

LSRI scientist will set up a series of 1,000-liter aquariums containing harbor water. They will add varying levels of an aquatic invasive species and then analyze how the invaders fare compared to the species currently in the harbor. They'll "bracket" existing treatment standards by adding more and fewer invasive creatures than the standards allow.

"When the standards for ballast water treatment were set there was little scientific data. We're trying to see whether the standards are too lenient or two stringent," TenEyck said.

Students to gain experience

UW-Superior science students will take part in the project, enabling them to gain hands-on experience in scientific research.

At the same time, Cangelosi will lead field surveys in Duluth and Two Harbors, Minn., charting actual discharges of live organisms from ships, and the makeup of animal and plant life in harbor waters.

The testing program will continue for two years. TenEyck said they hope the testing will open the door to further testing of a wider range of aquatic species.

Rep. Sean Duffy tours research facilities

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:35:19 +0000

U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy visited UW-Superior to learn more about the university's research facilities and current projects.

U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy visited the University of Wisconsin-Superior on Monday, June 6, to learn more about the university's research institutes and several current research projects.

Rep. Duffy met with Interim Chancellor Julius Erlenbach for a briefing on the university's budget and other current issues. From there, the congressman and several staff members:

Met with Dr. Richard Stewart to discuss the Transportation and Logistics Management program and the Transportation and Logistics Research Center along with the Great Lakes Martitime Research Institute.
Watched a demonstration of work done on low-temperature biodiesel fuel by Dr. James Lane and Dr. Michael Waxman, both of the Department of Natural Sciences.
Inspected two buildings on Barkers Island that are being remodeled to serve as a visitors center for the Lake Superior National Estaurine Research Reserve.
Met with Dr. Mary Balcer and other researchers at the waterfront site used to test treatment systems for removing invasive species from the ballast water of ships using the Great Lake

Barkers Island buildings leased for estuary reserve

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0000

LSRI researchers present at Japanese symposium

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Matt TenEyck and Amy Eliot, associate researchers at UW-Superior's Lake Superior Research Institute were invited for the third year to present at the International Symposium for Sustainable Agriculture hosted Dec. 4-11 by the College of Agriculture at Ibaraki University in Japan.

The symposium focuses on water quality, land use, and water usage of Lake Kasumigaura in Japan. TenEyck also gave a presentation to celebrate the completion of the International Exchange Center in Ami Campus, Ibaraki University. The aim of the symposium was to provide a forum for further collaboration between Ibaraki University and universities in foreign countries.

In addition, the LSRI researchers paid a courtesy call to the mayor of Ami-machi, Superior's Japanese sister city shown in the photo above.

An Academic Exchange Agreement between UW-Superior and Ibaraki University encourages the exchange of academic information, students, and researchers.

'94 grad's biology degree taking him Down Under

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 06:00:00 +0000

LSRI to receive EPA lake monitoring grant of nearly $1 million

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0000

UW-Superior's Lake Superior Research Institute to receive
$970,000 federal grant to monitor Lake Superior near-shore waters

With Lake Superior as a backdrop, Gov. Jim Doyle discusses a federal grant that would enable UW-Superior's Lake Superior Research Institute to work with the Wisconsin DNR in monitoring Lake Superior near-shore waters.

SUPERIOR, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-Superior's Lake Superior Research Institute will receive $971,714 in federal funding to work with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in monitoring the condition of coastal wetlands, tributaries and near-shore waters of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin.

Lake Superior Research Institute was named a finalist for the grant last spring. It recently received notice that it has been chosen to receive the grant.

Money for the project is part of the $161 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative available through the Environmental Protection Agency. GLRI grants fund projects that address the most important Great Lakes priorities, including habitat and wildlife protection and restoration, coastal wetland assessment, reducing toxic contaminants, restoring the Great Lakes Areas of Concern, protecting beaches and beachgoers, keeping out invasive species and reducing polluted land-based runoff.

The three-year grant will enable LSRI scientists to work with the DNR to begin implementing the agency's Lake Superior Near-Shore Monitoring Plan.

LSRI scientists will establish 71 permanent monitoring sites for collecting biological, physical, and chemical data. Information collected from the sites will enable scientists to take a long-term look at the ecological condition of the coast so they can prioritize problems and manage and protect the resource.

The monitoring sites will include 17 stations in coastal wetlands and 34 stations in tributary streams. Most are located in Douglas and Bayfield counties, with remaining sites located in Ashland and Iron counties.

Scientists will use the stations to analyze water quality as well as observe the number, variety and health of invertebrates, plants, amphibians and birds. That information will be compiled into an index that reveals the overall "health" of a wetland or river and will be comparable to other work going on in the Great Lakes. The work will include analyzing the land cover in the watersheds around the estuaries.

As part of the project, LSRI scientists also will establish monitoring stations in 20 near-shore areas of Lake Superior. Some stations will be located near manmade structures such as breakwalls while others will be located near the mouths of high-quality streams. They will monitor organisms that live in the lake water and bottom sediment and analyze the stomach contents of larval fish to gain a better understanding of the food web.

The Lake Superior Research Institute conducts environmental research and provides environmental education and public information for the Great Lakes region. It is funded primarily through grants and other external funding. Scientists and staff members associated with LSRI possess a wide range of expertise in chemistry, biology, toxicology, microbiology, geology, statistics, database management, data processing, computer programming, and geographic information systems. Many UW-Superior students participate in LSRI research as research assistants or interns.

Scientists, students work to restore bayfront vegetation

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Grant helps students become environmental stewards for Wisconsin Point

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:00:00 +0000

A grant through the GLISTEN program helps students learn about science and public service -- and it will help the environment.

click to enlarge

Don Lisdahl, standing, checks GPS coordinates while Matt Jahnke analyzes the area to be sample for plants.

On a stiflingly humid summer day, Matt Jahnke and Don Lisdahl are slowly ranging over the dunes on Wisconsin Point, carefully tracking their location on a GPS device as they sidestep poison ivy.

Every few yards they stop, lay down a hollow plastic square and then carefully analyze the plants that lay within the square. They identify the species, note their density and the presence of any invasive plants - species not native to the dry, sandy environment of a Lake Superior dune. Occasionally they clip a sample from a plant to take back to the lab for further study and identification.

Jahnke and Lisdahl, biology majors at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, are conducting the first plant survey in 50 years on Wisconsin Point, the long finger of beach, dunes and forest that separates Superior Bay from Lake Superior. Their work will guide other students in learning more about the point's dune environment, and possibly help future efforts to manage the area and rid it of invasive plant species.

Science and Academic Service-Learning

The two students are working under the guidance of Dr. Nick Danz, assistant professor of biology at UW-Superior, as part of the university's Academic Service-Learning program. Their work is funded through the Great Lakes Innovative Stewardship Through Education Network - or GLISTEN - a program funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which supports students in service-learning projects throughout the country.

The National Center for Science and Civic Engagement of the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is sponsoring 10 GLISTEN projects around the Great Lakes. The Western Lake Superior GLISTEN project is led by the University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute, and includes UW-Superior, Lake Superior College in Duluth, and Northland College in Ashland, Wis.

Academic and community environmental groups around the Great Lakes are receiving GLISTEN funds to train undergraduate students as stewardship liaisons, who will receive leadership, service-learning and community engagement training, as well as practical, on-the-job training from community organizations.

Develop skills in science and service

At UW-Superior, the GLISTEN funding is helping students develop skills in science and public service, specifically in a project aimed at Great Lakes stewardship. Danz hopes the work will become part of a larger research program he wants to create to determine how the plants of Wisconsin Point have changed over the past 50 years.

Long term, the project could help develop a management plan for the city of Superior to use on the point. "We can use that information as a baseline to help us determine what we want Wisconsin Point to be like in the future," he said.

Searching for invaders

As part of the project, Jahnke, who is from Neenah, Wis., and Lisdahl, who's from Superior, are identifying places on the point where invasive plants have taken root. Danz is developing lessons for his biology classes on habitat restoration and, with city approval, will guide his students in removing the invaders.

The first step came in summer 2010 when Danz hired Jahnke and Lisdahl to conduct the first full plant survey of Wisconsin Point in more than 50 years. They're comparing their findings to those published by John Curtis in his landmark "Vegetation of Wisconsin," a book published in 1956 that included information about the dunes near the Superior Entry.

Elsewhere in Wisconsin, scientists generally have found decreased species diversity and increased numbers of invasive species since Curtis did his survey. "Don and Matt will be trying to find out to what extent that's happened on Wisconsin Point," Danz said.

Earning science experience

For their part, the survey was good experience for two men who plan to make science a career. Both are specializing their studies in botany, and they've worked with Danz in UW-Superior's Davidson Herbarium, a repository of local plant samples.

The students worked part time during the summer to plan and conduct their scientific survey. They plotted and followed a series of "transects" - imaginary lines across the point. Every five meters, they laid down their hollow plastic square - call a quadrate -- which covered one square meter. In each meter they tallied the types of plants - everything from American beach grass to milkweed to poison ivy -- and noted the nature of the environment and the abundance of the plants.

Each transect and the location of each quadrate was carefully plotted using GPS. During Fall 2010, the students will use that information along with their survey findings to build a database using geographic information systems equipment at UW-Superior.

Both students said they value the opportunity to gain practical experience and contribute to work on a valuable local environment.

"Since Wisconsin Point is a treasure for so many reasons, including its flora and fauna, we want to study how it has changed and help develop a plan for management," Jahnke said.

"For me personally, it's valuable to be getting field experience; doing the survey work and learning new plants," he said. "I spent many, many hours trying to identify one plant, but that's good, too. I used the books and became familiar with using the microscope."

Field work and computer models

"It's fun doing the field identification and getting enough data to build computer models," Lisdahl said. "Doing the project from the ground up and having control of it is good experience."

Danz said the Wisconsin Point project provides valuable experience to Jahnke and Lisdahl.

"They're learning how to survey plants and learning plants of the dunes. They're learning how to do science starting with an objective and collecting data all the way through analysis and making conclusions about the data," he said. "They're also developing connections in the community and, most importantly, they're striving to protect an important Great Lakes resource."

12-hour biological survey to study Dwight's Point State Natural Area

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0000

UWS scientists working with contractors on biofuel for jets from northern region plants.

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:00:00 +0000