$2 Million to Address Lake Superior Issues

Posted at: 02/04/2010 4:42 PM
By: Renee Passal

      U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl today announced the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute has received nearly $2 million to support research, education and outreach activities related to Lakes Superior and Michigan, including a new project to develop communication and education tools about the St. Louis River Estuary, the largest U.S. tributary to Lake Superior and one which forms the headwaters of the entire Great Lakes System. This work will be done in partnership with Minnesota Sea Grant and is aligned with efforts to create a National Estuarine Research Reserve.

            Other new projects will assess the possible harvest of lake trout in the Apostle Islands region and the effect climate change may have on sea lamprey.

            UW Sea Grant will continue its collaborative research efforts on the corrosion problem in the Duluth-Superior Harbor, where steel piling is breaking down at an accelerated rate when compared to other locations.

            The funding for these projects represents the first year of an approved two-year fund to the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Program from the National Sea Grant College Program, which is administered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. The federal funding will be combined with state funding to support 26 projects at six UW campuses (Superior, Stevens Point, Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Manitowoc), Northland College and the Wisconsin Historical Society. In all, more than 100 scientists, staff and students will be supported by the funding.

“Lakes Superior and Michigan are truly international treasures. They represent a source of livelihood and pleasure for millions. Among other projects, this funding support will enable UW Sea Grant researchers and outreach specialists to continue their efforts to better understand best-management options on sea lamprey.”  

Aquatic invasive species are a larger issue than just the sea lamprey, and lake scientists will also study ways to defeat destructive quagga and zebra mussels, along with invasive plant species such as Eurasian watermilfoil.

UW Sea Grant will sponsor other research on:

·         The sources of beach contamination.

·         The effects of climate change on the stormwater hydrology in urban areas.

·         Ways to eradicate the fish-sickening viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, in aquatic ecosystems.

·         The impact of recent steps to reduce the inflow of mercury to Lake Michigan.

The National Sea Grant College Program is a network of 32-university-based programs dedicated to enhancing the practical use and conservation of coastal, ocean and Great Lakes resources to creating a sustainable economy and environment. The University of Wisconsin program is one of the first, and most respected, in the nation.

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