CIGLR

5/3/18: Patricia A. Soranno
2018-05-03 10:30 - 11:30 (America/Detroit) | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 10:30-11:30am
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Patricia A. Soranno, Professor, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University
Title: Macrosystems ecology: Developing a macroscale understanding of ecosystem properties
Event Flyer
Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td1pBu8Wjlc&t=3481s
Abstract: Macrosystems ecology is the study of diverse ecological phenomena at the scale of regions to continents and their interactions with phenomena at other scales. This emerging subdiscipline addresses ecological questions and environmental problems at these broad scales. In this talk, I will discuss how empirical macrosystems ecology can help to develop macroscale understanding of ecosystem properties at continental scales by providing the needed understanding of spatial and temporal variation and the multi-scaled controls of that variation. I will describe how we are starting to develop such an understanding of lake nutrients and productivity in thousands of lakes in the upper Midwest and northeastern US using a recently-developed database called LAGOS-NE, which is publicly accessible and includes in situ water quality measurements on almost 10,000 lakes, and ecological context data on all 50,000 lakes in the study area. I will end with a discussion of how such a macroscale understanding can inform important goals of ecology including extrapolation, scaling up, and forecasting.
Bio: Dr. Patricia A. Soranno is a professor at Michigan State University in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. She is a broadly-trained aquatic ecologist who conducts both basic and applied research that integrates freshwater ecosystems into a landscape perspective from local to continental scales. She has spent the last 20 years conducting collaborative research on lakes to build a more formal conceptualization of landscape limnology based on a foundation of landscape ecology and limnology. Further, in collaboration with many biological, terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric scientists, she is helping to identify the critical needs for the emerging discipline of macrosystems ecology which views ecological systems from the very finest to the very broadest scales, is data-intensive and often interdisciplinary, and will be needed to address many ecological problems in the coming decades that are regional to global in nature. She is the founding editor-in-chief for the Association of the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography’s newest open-access journal, Limnology & Oceanography Letters.
**Registration is not required, however please note important visitor information**
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2394. Email contact: Scott.Purdy@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu
Visit ciglr.seas.umich.edu for more information.

3/26/18: Thomas M. Hamill
2018-03-26 13:30 - 14:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 1:30-2:30pm
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Thomas M. Hamill, NOAA Earth System Research Lab
Title: Improved Statistical Postprocessing of Precipitation for the NWS Forecasts and Hydrologic Applications
Event Flyer
Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgKfsajlwNQ&t=492s
Abstract: Accurate numerical forecasts of precipitation have many purposes, including providing forcings to hydrologic models used to predict river flow and Great Lakes water levels. Commonly, the raw model guidance may exhibit both random and systematic errors, such as an overabundance of light precipitation and not enough heavy precipitation. If the raw guidance is used to provide precipitation forcings to hydrologic predictions, the accuracy of those predictions will suffer. A potential solution is the statistical postprocessing of the numerical guidance, using past forecasts and observations (or analyses) to statistically adjust the current model guidance. Statistical postprocessing of precipitation amount is quite challenging; to have an adequate training sample of unusual events such as heavy precipitation, either a long time series of past forecasts and analyses are needed (i.e., reforecasts) or advanced statistical methods to leverage shorter training data sets.
In this seminar I will describe an advanced precipitation postprocessing algorithm in development that is intended for operational use in the NWS roughly a year hence. Each of the ensemble predictions are statistically postprocessed to adjust for biases in the mean amount and for excessive confidence. Short training data sets (the last 60 days of forecasts and analyses) are used. Biases in the mean amount are addressed through “quantile mapping” using cumulative distributions functions (CDFs) of analyzed and forecast precipitation. To address the small training sample size, the training sample used to populate CDFs at a particular location are supplemented by data from other locations with similar precipitation climatologies and terrain characteristics. The final probabilities are determined from a weighted linear combination of “dressed” ensemble members.
The resultant probabilistic forecasts are greatly improved, as will be demonstrated with verification statistics and some case studies. After presentation of results, I welcome discussion about the potential relevance of this algorithm for forcing hydrologic predictions of the Great Lakes.
Bio: Thomas performs, coordinates, and leads R&D to improve NOAA’s probabilistic weather forecasts on time scales of days to several weeks. The probabilistic forecasts are based on ensembles of weather simulations using different initial conditions and methods for simulating imperfections in the forecast model. Thomas is also involved in the “post-processing” of ensembles of forecasts, making corrections to the real-time forecasts based on discrepancies noted between past forecasts and observations or analyses. Thomas and his team develop these research methods, demonstrate their suitability for operational use, and then work with colleagues in the National Weather Service to adapt them for daily use by forecasters and the public. They document their work in the form of peer-reviewed journal articles, presentations, white papers, book chapters, and so forth.
Thomas also has several additional roles. He is co-chairperson of the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO’s) Data Assimilation and Observing Systems committee. He is on the management board of the NOAA-NCAR Developmental Test Center, and on Cornell University’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences review board. Thomas has previously been an editor of the American Meteorological Society’s journal “Monthly Weather Review” and served for many years on the WMO’s Working Group for Numerical Experimentation. Recently, Thomas contributed to the NWS Service Assessment in the wake of the severe flooding in Boulder (Sep 2013).
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

11/7/17: Christopher Spence
2017-11-07 10:30 - 11:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 10:30-11:30 am EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Christopher Spence, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Title: Ten years of the Great Lakes Evaporation Network: Progress Made and Opportunities for the Future
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*Remote participation is available via webinar. To participate remotely, please register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2007397456817558017. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Abstract: The period of sustained low water levels from 2006 – 2012 renewed interest in the water budgets of the Laurentian Great Lakes. At the time, there had not been a sustained coordinated effort to directly measure evaporation over the world’s largest freshwater surface. Instrumentation was deployed in 2008 on Lake Superior as part of the International Upper Great Lakes Study to evaluate operational atmospheric and hydrological models in both Canada and the United States of America. This original field campaign has evolved into the consortium that is the Great Lakes Evaporation Network. This presentation will summarize significant advances in process understanding, water budget regime characterization, operational modelling and observational technologies for which the network is responsible. There remain challenges that will be discussed. These include knowledge gaps in the spatial distribution of evaporation and resilience of the thermal regime; forecast model assessment; and operationalization.
Bio: Chris was born in Hanna, Alberta and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. Chris holds a B.A. (Hons.) and M.Sc. from the University of Regina and a Ph.D. from McMaster University. He began his career as a GIS/remote sensing technician with the National Hydrology Research Institute of Environment Canada. Between 1994 and 2004 he worked as a hydrologist with (what was then) Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Environment Canada in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. In 2004, he relocated back to Saskatoon where he now works as a research scientist for Environment and Climate Change Canada. He holds adjunct professor appointments at the Universities of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. His research focuses on hydrological and hydrometeorological processes in cold regions, with field studies in complex landscapes such as the Canadian Shield and Prairie, and the Laurentian Great Lakes. He has a beautiful wife with whom he has a daughter. Loves them dearly. Away from work, he enjoys mountain biking, backpacking, and drumming with the North Saskatchewan Regiment Pipes and Drums. He likes to travel, and see how other people live, and hear their perspectives.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

10/25/17: Hongsheng Bi
2017-10-25 13:30 - 14:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 1:30-2:30 pm EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Hongsheng Bi, University of Maryland
Title: Seeing the invisible in coastal waters: imaging systems for ecological monitor and forecasts
Event Flyer
Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2uhyvBcxCQ&list=PLKF8ou9yUPhMYpbpU53OWvYLsa3vQjNAY&index=3
Abstract: Imaging systems have been proven useful for marine ecology. However, deploying them in shallow coastal waters are often hampered by complex dynamic processes which often lead to sub-ideal image quality, highly variable contents and backgrounds. In the present study, we deployed a shadowgraph imaging system (PlanktonScope) to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of dominant plankton taxa and an adaptive resolution imaging sonar (ARIS) to quantify forage species and their habitat utilization in shallow water estuaries. Results from PlanktonsCope captured a full bloom cycle of Noctiluca sp. in Shenzhen Bay in 2016, while the deployment of ARIS system in Chesapeake Bay in 2016 – 2017 yielded useful estimates of forage abundance and their habitat utilization. Our results highlight that imaging systems could be useful for ecological monitor and forecasts in coastal waters and provide better insights on the spatial and temporal dynamics of key species, trophic interactions and habitat utilization.
Bio: Hongsheng Bi is a fisheries Oceanographer specializing in the fine scale spatial distributions of different marine organisms and their trophic interactions. Hongsheng deploys advanced optical imaging systems and high resolution sonar imaging systems to quantify the spatial distributions and overlap of plankton, forage fish, and jellyfish. He is particularly interested in understand jellyfish dynamics and their interactions with other trophic levels. He is currently funded by NSF to investigate jellyfish dynamics and their impact on the Bering Sea ecosystem structure by deploying towed zooplankton imaging system (PlanktonScope) and the adaptive resolution imaging sonar (ARIS) systems. Hongsheng also operates a time-resolved Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

8/15/17: Yushun Chen
2017-08-15 10:30 - 23:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 10:30-11:30 am EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Yushun Chen, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Title: Ecological responses to water diversion of the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) of China
Event Flyer
Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpeYSb37pt4&list=PL9U_EaC5J7PxAV2x50vllTghRt-2c7PcR&index=14
Abstract: The South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) of China is the largest water diversion project in the world, diverting water from the Yangtze River to alleviate the pressure of water scarcity in northern China. The eastern route of the SNWDP pumps water from the Lower Yangtze River near Yangzhou, Jiangsu, passes the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and a series of storage lakes, and finally provides water for provinces of Shangdong and Tianjin. We monitored water quality, plankton, macroinvertebrates, aquatic plants, and fishes in two storage lakes, Gaoyou and Dongping, since April 2016 and wanted to detect the effects of the water diversion on lake ecosystems.
The current study showed: (1) water depth increased and varied in the studied lakes; (2) the monitored water quality parameters such as nutrients (nitrate, total ammonia nitrogen, phosphate), total suspended solids (TSS), and conductivity showed seasonal variations in both lakes; (3) heavy metals such as Pb, Zn and Mn showed significantly higher concentrations in summer in both lakes; (4) the abundance of resident fishes (e.g., Culter oxycephaloides (Kreyenberg et Pappenheim), Chanodichtys oxycephalus (Bleeker), Abbottina rivularis) was reduced while lake-river migration fishes (e.g., Mylopharyngodon piceus, Ctenopharyngodon idellus) were increased in both lakes; and (5) the estuary fish Taenioides cirratus was also observed in Gaoyou Lake. The operation of the eastern route SNWDP could change the structure and function of the associated lakes significantly and needs more attention in the future.
Bio: Dr. Yushun Chen is currently a professor and group leader for the Aquatic Ecosystems Health Research Group at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. With funding from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and others, Dr. Chen and his lab are conducting research on fish and aquatic communities, water quality, and aquatic ecosystem health in the Yangtze River Basin, basins along the Eastern Route of China’s South to North Water Diversion Project, and the Mississippi-Yangtze Large River Basins through international collaborations. Since 2013, Dr. Chen and colleagues have been promoting large river/lake basin collaborations between the USA and China, and beyond. Before his current position, Dr. Chen earned his Ph.D. from West Virginia University, then worked as a Post-Doc at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, NOAA National Coastal Data Development Center, and as a faculty member at the Aquaculture and Fisheries Center, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

7/27/17: Yi Chao
2017-07-27 10:30 - 11:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 10:30-11:30 am EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Yi Chao, CEO, Seatrec, Inc. & Scientist, Remote Sensing Solutions, Inc.
Title: Ocean Observing and Modeling Technology to Enable Operational Forecasting
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Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjXXuVgegAo&list=PL9U_EaC5J7PxAV2x50vllTghRt-2c7PcR&index=13
Abstract: Weather forecast information is now available anywhere anytime thanks to a comprehensive atmospheric observing system and mature modeling technology. Operational ocean forecasting however is still in its infancy. This talk will describe two technology breakthroughs to enable operational ocean forecasting. The first breakthrough is to power underwater systems by ocean temperature differences. Currently, all autonomous underwater systems are powered by primary battery and therefore have limited lifetime. Replacing or recharging battery at sea is a very expensive operation and certainly not scalable on the global scale. Harvesting energy from vertical temperature differences in the ocean is shown to be a viable solution to power underwater systems (e.g., floats, gliders, AUVs) indefinitely.
The second technology breakthrough is the data assimilation method to combine observational data with a numerical model simulation to enable forecasting. For our California coastal ocean forecast system, the three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation method was selected because of its computational efficiency as compared to other advanced methods such as 4DVAR or Kalman Filter. The California coastal ocean forecast system is run in near real-time to produce a nowcast every six hours and a 72-hour forecast every day. The performance of this forecast system will be presented. Our experience working with users (e.g., search and rescue operation, oil spill response) will be described. A decade-long hindcast will be also presented to describe the seasonal-to-interannual variability including the most recent warming conditions during 2014-2016 associated with El Niño and Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
Bio: With a Ph.D. from Princeton University, Dr. Chao worked at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of Caltech for more than 20 years. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal papers in the areas of ocean modeling and satellite remote sensing. He has been granted two patents in harvesting energy from the ocean temperature differences. In 2012, Dr. Chao left NASA JPL/Caltech to start a new career in private industry with a goal to transfer government-funded research and development to commercial applications.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

5/11/17: Bopi Biddanda
2017-05-11 13:00 - 14:00 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 1:00-2:00 pm EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Bopi Biddanda, Grand Valley State University, Annis Water Resources Institute
Title: Finding and Tracking the “Goldilocks Zone” for Carbon Cycling in a Great Lakes Watershed
Event Flyer
Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg1CE992530&index=12&list=PL9U_EaC5J7PxAV2x50vllTghRt-2c7PcR
Abstract: For more than a decade, we have monitored the Muskegon Lake estuary, a model drowned river mouth system that is an Area of Concern with connectivity to the 2nd largest watershed in Michigan and Lake Michigan. Measured rates of carbon metabolism from upstream Muskegon River to offshore Lake Michigan show prevalence of high rates of gross production (GP), respiration (R), and net production (NP) in Muskegon Lake that decrease steeply along an offshore transect in Lake Michigan. Over the annual cycle, Muskegon Lake is net autotrophic suggesting that estuary/near-shore waters are net carbon sinks. Autotrophy was maximized in the coastal/estuary zone where longer residence times coincide with nutrient loading from the watershed. Indeed, the overall net autotrophic production in this coastal “Goldilocks Zone” may explain the highly productive resident and migratory fisheries of this Great Lakes estuary.
Since spring 2011, using advanced observing technology we have also been gathering high-resolution time-series data from meteorological and multi-depth water sensors through the Muskegon Lake buoy Observatory (MLO; www.gvsu.edu/buoy). MLO has revealed the intimate inner workings of Muskegon Lake such as how the estuary operates on a daily, monthly, seasonal, and yearly basis. For example, MLO has informed us about the annually recurring summer bottom water hypoxia and emergence of harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HABs) exposing daily and weekly oscillations in the severity of each. With additional moorings and sensor strings deployed lake-wide during 2015-16, we now have evidence that substantial but episodic intrusion of upwelled cold and high-dissolved oxygen water from nearshore Lake Michigan into the bottom waters of the estuary during the summer-stratified period may reduce the severity of both bottom water hypoxia and surface water HABs in this estuary. Open-access time-series data from the MLO is advancing science, and science-based education, outreach and restoration activities. However, continued operation of this sentinel regional infrastructure past the current year is in jeopardy due to severe funding scarcity.
Bio: Dr. Bopaiah (Bopi) Biddanda is an aquatic microbial ecologist/carbon biogeochemist studying the movement of carbon driven by microbes in freshwater ecosystems. He has a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia where he explored new mechanisms of carbon flux mediated by microbes in the sea. Subsequently, he went on research and teaching adventures at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (Germany), University of Texas Marine Science Institute, University of Rio Grande (Brazil) and University of Minnesota. Currently, as a professor of water resources at GVSU, he studies the microbial biogeochemistry of the Laurentian Great Lakes – including life in extreme environments, teaches classes in Marine Biology and Biogeochemistry, operates a world-class time-series buoy observatory in Muskegon Lake AOC, serves as a fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research, and coordinates NASA’s Michigan Space Grant Consortium programs for GVSU. Bopi is a recipient of the 2009 Chandler-Misener Award by the International Association for Great Lakes Research. He just returned from a sabbatical studying the response of oligotrophic high-mountain glacial lakes of Sierra Nevada (Spain) to increasing ultraviolet exposure and Saharan dust deposition. For the foreseeable future, he hopes to study Earth’s lakes as sentinels of both local and global change, focusing on the changing carbon cycle in one of our most vital societal commons: freshwater.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
TRAFFIC NOTICE: South State Road is currently under construction and is closed to through traffic between Ellsworth and Morgan, where GLERL is located. Access to GLERL is from the south (i.e., via Textile Road to S. State Rd.). Please allow extra time for this detour.
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

4/10/17: Robert Sterner
2017-04-10 13:00 - 14:00 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 1:00-2:00 pm EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Robert Sterner, University of Minnesota-Duluth Large Lakes Observatory
Title: Lake Superior: A warming ecosystem
Event Flyer
Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6OYkMvgxtk&t=42s
Abstract: Dramatic physical changes to the seasonal mixing regime of Lake Superior have been described: the summer stratified season is lengthening and summer surface temperatures are increasing. At the same time, there are less prevalent anthropogentic forcings affecting Lake Superior than most other large lakes, including most of the Laurentian Great Lakes. This means Lake Superior may provide important clues about how climate affects large lake ecosystems. Dr. Sterner’s seminar will draw from almost twenty years of study of the offshore Lake Superior ecosystem, with an emphasis on nutrients and the lower food web. Changes to primary production and primary producers have been observed, though the complex interconnections of “physics to fish” are still poorly resolved.
Bio: Dr. Sterner’s research combines biological with chemical approaches to understand lake ecosystems, with particular focus on understanding the linkages among the cycles of carbon and nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Dr. Sterner received a B.S. in Biology from the University of Illinois in 1980 and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Minnesota in 1986, working with David Tilman. Dr. Sterner has published more than 90 papers and books that together have been cited > 12,000 times. He is one of the founders of the field of Ecological Stochiometry, which seeks to understand how elemental balances and ratios affect organism success, community structure, ecosystem dynamics, and other topics. He has focused mainly on freshwater plankton, but through work with colleagues and students, he has contributed to the literature on microbes, fish, terrestrial plants, and other organisms. Dr. Sterner has spent most of his career at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, serving as the Head of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. He also spent 2+ years working at the National Science Foundation in senior management as the Director of the Division of Environmental Biology, where he contributed to the shaping of the NSF funding portfolio and acted as a national spokesperson for environmental research in the U.S. He has done research on the Great Lakes since ~1996 and in 2014, he moved to the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he became the Director of the Large Lakes Observatory, the only institution in the U.S. dedicated to the scientific study of all the large lakes on Earth.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

3/21/17: Christopher Winslow
2017-03-21 13:00 - 14:00 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 1:00-2:00 pm EST
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Christopher J. Winslow, Ohio Sea Grant
Title: Lake Erie HABs and current research efforts: bloom behavior, producing safe drinking water, public health impacts, and nutrient load reduction
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Webinar Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61pjI0xL-a4
Abstract: A glimpse into the >50 projects currently managed by Ohio Sea Grant and OSU’s Stone Laboratory with assistance from the University of Toledo; Just under $7,000,000 are currently in play. These research efforts aim to: (1) improve the use of existing technologies and to develop new methods to detect, prevent and mitigate harmful algal blooms and their impacts; (2) assess the health impacts of harmful algal blooms and the associated toxins; (3) develop new treatment methods for contaminated drinking water that remove both algal particles in general and the toxins produced by cyanobacteria in particular; and (4) develop ways to disseminate HABs information more effectively by establishing how information moves through existing networks of people and using those networks – such as Extension and farmer partnerships – to distribute new information about harmful algal blooms. This work is supported by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, OSU’s College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and Ohio Sea Grant. These efforts are truly collaborative involving eight agencies (four federal and four state), two NGOs, 13 universities, and four private sector entities.
Bio: For the past thirteen years Chris has been at Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory, first as an instructor and research supervisor, but now as Director of both the Lab and the Ohio Sea Grant College Program. Chris was an Instructor at BGSU (2002-09) and an Assistant Professor at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (2009-11). Chris’ research and outreach efforts include the impact of invasive species, nutrient loading, harmful algal bloom causes and impacts, dredging activity, coastal community resilience and growth, and the potential impacts of climate change. Chris is currently Co-Director of the Lake Erie Millennium Network and committee member of Annex IV and Annex II of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, International Joint Commission’s Research Coordinating Committee (Science Advisory Board), Cleveland Water Alliance, Lake Erie Partnership Working Group, Blue Accounting – ErieStat Workgroup (Great Lakes Commission), and the Fertilizer Research Workgroup (Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development). He is also Agency Partner for Ohio Lake Erie Commission, Advisory Board member of OSU’s Global Water Institute, Advisory Council member for the Ohio Water Trust, and member for Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve Advisory Board. Chris holds a B.S. from Ohio University and both M.S. and Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

2/16/17: Mark Rowe
2017-02-16 10:30 - 11:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 10:30-11:30 am EST
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Mark Rowe, Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research (CILER), University of Michigan
Title: Looking at Lake Erie Hypoxia From a Different Point of View
Event Flyer
Webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EultRx8bxEA&t=2s
Abstract: Hypoxia in the central basin of Lake Erie is a well-known phenomenon that has been studied since the 1980s, and even earlier. Low dissolved oxygen in the bottom water of a stratified lake can be harmful from an ecological perspective by killing benthic organisms that serve as food for fish, and also by excluding fish from preferred habitat. Hypoxia is caused by excessive nutrient loading, resulting in excessive algal growth, which consumes oxygen when it settles to the bottom. Most models of hypoxia are designed to answer the question of how much nutrient load reduction is needed to reduce hypoxia to meet some goal. In addition to being an important ecological resource, Lake Erie is a source of drinking water to millions of people. Lake dynamics, including seiches, internal waves, and wind-induced upwelling-downwelling, can cause changing water quality at public water system intakes over a period of a few hours. In order to maintain the quality of treated water, treatment processes may need to be adjusted in response to changes in temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, organic matter, iron, or manganese at the inlet. We recently began a project to develop a hypoxia forecast model that can provide a real-time nowcast and five-day forecast of temperature and dissolved oxygen for public water systems on Lake Erie in order to provide plant managers with advance notice of events that are likely to produce changing water quality at their inlets. While past studies have focused on deep water and on time scales of years, our focus is on nearshore water intakes, on dynamic events that last hours or days, and on development of an operational forecast model. In this presentation, I will discuss past and present models and observations of Lake Erie hypoxia, and what we know and hope to learn about episodes of hypoxia that affect nearshore drinking water intakes.
Bio: Mark Rowe works on developing models to understand and predict changes in the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the Great Lakes. His recent work has focused on development of linked hydrodynamic and biological models to simulate harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in Lake Erie, and impacts of invasive quagga mussels on primary production, nutrient cycles, and the lower food web of Lake Michigan. He has contributed to forecast models that provide timely and actionable information to public water systems, anglers, recreational users of Lake Erie. Dr. Rowe received MS and PhD degrees from Michigan Technological University where he conducted research on measurement and modeling of atmospheric deposition of persistent organic pollutants to Lake Superior.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

1/25/17: Galen McKinley
2017-01-25 10:30 - 23:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 10:30-11:30 am EST
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Galen McKinley, Professor, University of Wisconsin
Title: Spatio-temporal Variability in Great Lakes Biogeochemistry
Event Flyer
Webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m80c5Zbxctk
Abstract: Biogeochemical and carbon cycling in Great Lakes occurs in the context of a highly variable aquatic landscape that is significantly impacted by physical forcing. In order to understand biogeochemical cycling in its mean state and as it changes, we must quantify the role of physical variability in space and time. Here, three carbon cycle examples will be presented. In Lake Superior, analysis of a coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model (MITgcm.Superior) shows that physical gradients cause large variation in rates of both production (P) and respiration (R) between nearshore and offshore waters. Accounting for this variability helps to bring the lake-wide carbon budget into balance (Bennington et al. 2012, JGR). In the model, fluxes of organic carbon from nearshore lead to elevated R:P ratios in the slope region, which could support the observed enhanced heterotrophic biomass on the slope (McKinley and Bennington, in prep). Lastly, in all the Great Lakes, I demonstrate that increasing atmospheric CO2 should lead to a reduction of pH by ~0.3 units by 2100, quantitatively the same as projections for “ocean acidification” in the global oceans. In the Great Lakes, the existing carbon cycle observational system is insufficient to track such changes (Phillips et al. 2015).
Bio: Professor McKinley studies the mechanisms of the carbon cycle in the global oceans and Great Lakes, with her research lying at the intersection of physical and chemical oceanography. Her primary tools are numerical models and analysis of large datasets. More specifically, her research addresses the physical drivers of ecosystem and carbon cycle variability in the North Atlantic, global oceans and Great Lakes. Professor McKinley teaches oceanography and climate science in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is also very active in service to the national and international scientific and policy-making communities.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

12/6/16: Silvia Newell
2016-12-06 10:30 - 11:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 10:30-11:30 EST
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Silvia Newell, Assistant Professor, Wright State University
Title: Nitrogen cycling in eutrophic systems: Case studies in Lakes Erie and Taihu
Event flyer

Webinar recording: https://youtu.be/X5loqhigjvg
Abstract: Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Taihu and western Lake Erie are driven largely by agricultural nitrogen (N) and phosphorus. Cyanobacterial community dominance and HAB development may depend on ammonium (NH4+) availability, and increased NH4+ has been linked to increased toxin production. Microcystis, the dominant toxic cyanobacterial genus in both lakes, cannot fix atmospheric N2; consequently, it must compete for NH4+ with other primary producers. Understanding the factors that govern N cycling and NH4+ availability is therefore crucial for identifying conditions that stimulate and maintain HABs.
Bio: Silvia Newell is an Assistant Professor at Wright State University in Dayton, OH. She has a Ph.D. in Geosciences from Princeton University. Her dissertation focused on biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in low-oxygen marine environments in Chesapeake Bay and the Arabian Sea. For her post-doctoral work, first at Princeton and then at Boston University, she continued her exploration of the nitrogen cycle in the Sargasso Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and Cape Cod. Currently, her work at Wright State focuses on hypereutrophic Lake Erie, Lake Okeechobee, and Lake Taihu in China, as well as local research on the Great Miami River and small lakes.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

10/19/16: Jesse Feyen
2016-10-19 10:30 - 11:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 am EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Jesse Feyen, Deputy Director, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
Title: Delivering Impactful Coastal Science Services to Strengthen Communities
Event flyer
Webinar recording: https://youtu.be/dlnIUHlNR5U
Abstract: NOAA is a science agency whose mission focuses on sharing science knowledge as actionable information for decision-makers; that is, providing environmental intelligence. Meeting this mission requires multiple factors to be successful: an understanding of science information users and their needs; effective management of programs and projects; leveraging of partnerships; transitioning science to operational applications; and an overarching vision to coordinate these activities. These principles will be highlighted in recent successful NOAA science efforts on coastal hazards, including social science studies on users’s understanding of storm surges, development and testing of new coastal flood products for National Weather Service forecasts, and transition of ADCIRC coastal inundation models to application and operations. Finally, lessons learned will be used to discuss how the needs of Great Lakes communities can be met by delivering science information, products, and services.
Bio: Dr. Feyen assumed the position of Deputy Director for NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in June 2016, where he is responsible for overseeing laboratory business operations. Previously he was the Deputy Chief of the Office of Coast Survey’s Development Laboratory at NOAA HQ in Silver Spring, Maryland. From 2010 to 2015 he was the Project Portfolio Manager of NOAA’s Storm Surge Roadmap, an agency-wide R&D program that saw vast improvements occur in storm surge products and services. He originally joined the National Ocean Service as a coastal hydrodynamic model developer. He has a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, Indiana) and a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Calvin College (Grand Rapids Michigan). On a personal note, Jesse lived near the Great Lakes for 29 years so has a personal connection to the region and is excited to be back.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

9/14/16: Andre R. Erler
2016-09-14 13:30 - 14:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 pm EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. Andre R. Erler
Title: High-resolution Dynamically Downscaled Climate Projections for the Great Lakes Region

Event flyer
Webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciYWn7GjfdY&t=509s
Abstract: The regional impact of climate change, in particular on the hydrological cycle, is of great interest to society and policy makers. The Laurentian Great Lakes exert a significant influence on the climate of the surrounding regions; however, they are often only poorly or not at all represented in Global Climate Models. The work presented here is based on an ensemble of dynamically downscaled regional climate projections for the Great Lakes region at a resolution of 10km, which is forced by a smaller suite of global climate projections, as well as ERA-interim reanalysis. The regional climate model employed for this work is the Weather Research and Forecast model (WRF V3.4), which, for this purpose, was coupled to an interactive fresh water lake model (FLake; c.f. Gula & Peltier 2012). The representation of the regional climate as well as lake surface properties will be discussed and compared to observations. Particular emphasis will be placed on the representation of the lake effect in the lee of the Great Lakes; time permitting, sensitivity tests with different representations of the lakes and different moist physics parameterizations will also be discussed. Based on these simulations, the potential longer term (i.e. 2050 and 2100) climate change impacts will be analyzed, including changes to the hydrological cycle in watersheds within the Great Lakes region. Particular emphasis will be put on the effect of climate change on the lakes themselves, as well as the impact on hydro-climatic extremes such as heavy precipitation, floods and droughts.
Bio: Dr. Erler is a Climate Scientist at Aquanty Inc. His main expertise lies in regional climate modeling and applications to hydrology and hydro-climatic extremes. Originally from Germany, he received the equivalent of a M.Sc. in Meteorology from the University of Mainz in 2008 and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Toronto in 2015. For his dissertation he performed high resolution climate simulations for western Canada and studied hydrological impacts of climate change in the Athabasca and Fraser river basins, as well as changes in precipitation extremes due to climate change. Andre joined Aquanty in 2016 in order to study the impact of climate change on water resources and agriculture in Canada and provide insights into climate change impacts to end-users. Andre is an early-career researcher and climate modeler; he runs regional and global climate models at the SciNet High Performance Computing facility and analyses their output. He uses Python and its scientific software stack for data handling (or “data plumbing”), analysis and visualization, and develops tools for these tasks. Andre is also interested in machine learning and the use of data science techniques in and outside of climate science, and is somewhat concerned about the state of software development in science. He cares deeply about open source software, open science, the environment and sustainable global development.

Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
____________________________________________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

8/17/16: John Iames & Ross Lunetta
2016-08-17 13:30 - 14:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time:1:30 – 2:30 pm EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenters: John S. Iiames and Ross S. Lunetta, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory
Title: Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) for freshwater systems: an early warning indicator for toxic and nuisance blooms using ocean color satellites

Event flyer

Webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfMc4N_xTE0&t=2s

Abstract: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) are collaborating to provide an approach for mainstreaming satellite ocean color capabilities into U.S. fresh and brackish water quality management decisions. The overarching project goal is to support the environmental management and public use of U.S. lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries by providing the capability to detect and quantify cyanobacteria blooms using satellite data records. Satellite remote sensing tools may enable policy makers and environmental managers to assess the sustainability of watershed ecosystems, and the services they provide, under current and future land use practices. Satellite technology allows for the development of cyanobacteria early-warning indicators at the local scale with continuous, synoptic national coverage. This project is structured within a sustainability framework for a more holistic approach including environmental, human health, and economic considerations. The multi-agency collaborative effort has six main components: (1) develop a uniform and systematic approach for identifying cyanobacteria blooms across the contiguous U.S.; (2) evaluation and refinement of algorithms across satellite platforms; (3) link impacts of landscape changes and bloom events; (4) demonstrate satellites can link exposure and human health effects in drinking and recreational waters; (5) evaluate the economic value of the satellite early warning system; and (6) data dissemination and training for stakeholders.
Disclaimer: This work is done in support of EPA’s Sustainable Healthy Communities Research Program. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funded and conducted the research described in this abstract. Although this work was reviewed by the EPA and has been approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy. Mention of any trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov

7/20/16: James Richman
2016-07-20 10:00 - 11:00 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time10:00-11:00 am EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Dr. James Richman, Senior Scientist, Center of Ocean Atmospheric Prediction Studies, Florida State University
Title: Internal tides and waves in the global ocean

Event flyer

Webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUIw8rDTKb0&t=17s
Abstract: The gravitational forcing of the sun and moon plus the self-attraction and loading (SAL) for the solid earth and ocean tides has been applied to an eddy resolving, global ocean circulation model. A technique borrowed from data assimilation, Augmented State Ensemble Kalman Filter (ASEnKF), has been used to correct for poorly estimated SAL and errors in bathymetry, geometry and numerics to generate a surface (or barotropic) tide with a global rms error of 2.6 cm. The surface tide generates an internal tide. Except near the generation regions, the internal tide is not stationary nor phase locked to the surface tide. In the model, the loss of stationarity is not associated with strong dissipation. The internal tide generates internal gravity waves. The model internal wave spectra resemble observations and the predictions of the Garrett-Munk internal wave spectrum.
Bio: Dr. James Richman is a Senior Scientist in the Center for Ocean and Atmosphere Prediction Studies (COAPS) at Florida State University. Dr. Richman received his Ph.D. from MIT Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Prior to jointing FSU in 2015, he was a professor at Oceanography Department at Oregon State University, program manager at NASA and Oceanographer at the Naval Research Laboratory. His current research projects include high-resolution global ocean models, and internal tides.
Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
____________________________________________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu
Visit https://ciglr.seas.umich.edu/ for more information

6/30/16: Bradley Cardinale
2016-06-30 10:30 - 11:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time10:30 – 11:30 am EDT
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenter: Bradley Cardinale, Director, Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research (CILER)
Title: CILER and GLERL’s alliance studying the Great Lakes: Where have we been, and where to from here?

Event flyer

Webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owklKdxx1FQ&t=3s

Abstract: This seminar will be part introduction, part reflection, and part anticipation. As the new Director of the Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystem Research (CILER), I will take this opportunity to first introduce myself and tell you a bit about my background, interests, and why I am excited to lead CILER in its partnership with GLERL. I will then spend time reflecting on some of the successes we’ve had meeting sustainability challenges in the Great Lakes, focusing on the role that interactions between academia and government have played in success. I will then turn attention towards the future, and discuss some of the contemporary challenges we face on Great Lakes sustainability, as well as how a new era of collaboration between CILER and GLERL can meet these challenges more holistically that any group of researchers could do alone.
Bio: Dr. Brad Cardinale is an ecologist who uses mathematical models, novel experiments, observational studies and meta-analyses of existing data to examine how human activities impact biological diversity, and to predict how changes in biodiversity affect the goods and services ecosystems provide to humanity. His research, teaching, and professional service are all tied together by a common thread, which is to produce and distribute the knowledge needed to conserve and restore the variety of life on Earth. He works mostly in freshwater ecosystems, but frequently extends into marine and terrestrial habitats to gain new insight and find generalities. His research program features two primary branches. The first seeks to identify how changes in biodiversity impact ecological processes that are essential to the functioning of ecosystems, and the goods and services ecosystems provide to society. A second branch of his research focuses on restoration of species and the processes they perform to ecosystems that have been degraded.

Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
____________________________________________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu

5/26/2016: Beth Gibbons & Omar Gates - May 26, 2016
2016-05-26 10:00 - 11:00 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time/Location: 10:00 – 11:00 am EDT, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior Hall
Presenters: Beth Gibbons, Director, University of Michigan Climate Center Program Manager, GLISA and Omar Gates, Climate Integration Associate, University of Michigan Climate Center
Title: GLISA and the Great Lakes Adaptation Data Suite: Climate Data Focused on Adaptation Decision-Making
Event flyer
Bios: Beth Gibbons is the director of the University of Michigan’s Climate Center and the Program Manager of GLISA, NOAA’s Great Lakes RISA. In both roles, her core responsibilities include fostering the transfer of information on climate change and resilience from the research community to stakeholders throughout the region and sharing best practices across practitioner communities. Beth holds a graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan.
Omar Gates is a Climate Integration Associate at the University of Michigan’s Climate Center. One of his roles is being the data programmer for the Great Lakes Adaptation Data Suite, which hosts multiple data sets pertaining to the Great Lakes region. Some of his primary tasks include data collection and processing through the use of different programming languages such as Python. Omar holds a graduate degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of Michigan.

Important Visitor Information
All in-person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National, advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2393. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
____________________________________________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl: ogdahlm@umich.edu
Visit https://ciglr.seas.umich.edu/ for more information

4/5/16: Quinton Phelps
2016-04-05 13:30 - 14:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for the next CILER-GLERL Great Lakes seminar!
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 pm EST
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, Lake Superior Hall
Speaker: Dr. Quinton Phelps, Missouri Department of Conservation
Title: Using a multi-tiered approach to investigate the Asian carp invasion in the Mississippi River

Event flyer

Bio: Quinton Phelps is a fisheries research scientist for the Long-Term-Resource-Monitoring Program at the Big Rivers and Wetlands Field Station along the banks of the Mississippi River in Jackson, Missouri. In addition, Quinton serves as an adjunct professor that contributes to teaching and mentoring at Southeast Missouri State University. The focal point of his research uses both basic and applied techniques to answer important large river ecological questions. His research merges fisheries fundamentals across disciplines (e.g., management, ecology, and biostatistics) to thoroughly understand riverscape dynamics on broad spatiotemporal scales that are directly applicable to fisheries management. Given his broad background, inquisitive nature and the desire to maintain contemporary science, Quinton has developed many research interests in the big river – particularly those involving carp.
Important Visitor Information
All in person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2235. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
_____________________________________________
Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl, ogdahlm@umich.edu

11/13/15: Bill Lovis & Alan Arbogast
2015-11-13 10:30 - 23:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for the next CILER-GLERL Great Lakes seminar!
Time: 10:30-11:30 EST
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, Lake Superior Hall
Speakers: Drs. Bill Lovis and Alan Arbogast, Michigan State University
Title: Potential forcing variables that drive coastal dune evolution along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan: Does hemispheric ENSO Cycling also play a role?

Event flyer

Abstract: The chronology of coastal dune evolution along Lake Michigan has been the focus of intensive research for the past 20 years. Although early studies associated episodes of dune growth to high lake stages, this relationship remains unclear, as do the potential roles of storminess and atmospheric circulatory processes. We refined the record and association with potential forcing variables through a statistical synthesis of the > 250 14C and optical dates reported thus far. A probability density distribution (PDD) demonstrates that seven major cycles of dune growth occurred in the past 5,500 years. Five periods of dune growth transpired during lake transgressions, whereas two occurred during lake regressions. Intervals of dune growth may also be related to hemispheric atmospheric circulatory patterns associated with the reconstructed history of ENSO (El Niño/LaNiña) cycling in the eastern Pacific. Episodic growth of dunes between about 4,500 and 2,000 years ago correlates well with the highly variable frequency and amplitude of El Niño and La Niña events, respectively. Extended coastal dune stability between 2,000 and 1,000 years ago is closely associated with a significant decrease in ENSO activity. These associations suggest a linkage between lake-level fluctuations, sand supply, and storminess. Our model is supported by 1) the dominant temporal correlation of dune activation with transgressive lake phases associated with higher basin input and 2) the dominant southwesterly orientation of > 1,200 parabolic dunes, suggesting they mobilized in the late autumn and early winter when the strongest modern winds occur in association with deep cyclones lifting out of the south-central Great Plains. These findings suggest that intense intervals of coastal dune building in the Great Lakes region are not related to any single factor, but rather the cyclic convergence of several forcing variables, some of which are hemispheric in nature.
**Important Visitor Information**
All in person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card. If you are a Foreign National advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work). For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2235. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov

Questions? Contact Mary Ogdahl, ogdahlm@umich.edu

7/29/15: Catherine Riseng & Kevin Wehrly
2015-07-29 10:30 - 11:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for the next CILER-GLERL Great Lakes seminar:
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 am ET
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab
Speakers: Dr. Catherine Riseng (SNRE-UM) and Kevin Wehrly (MDNR)
Title: The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Framework: A spatial framework, database and tools to meet the needs of Great Lakes management and research

Event flyer

Abstract: The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Framework (GLAHF) is a web-accessible spatial framework and database for use by managers, planners, researchers, and restoration specialists across the basin. The database includes available physical, chemical and biological data across the entire Great Lakes basin and these data are georeferenced to a common spatial grid, the framework. The database includes data from multiple agencies, researchers, and NGOs that has been cross-walked and integrated in to a common database resulting in consistent basin-wide information. The hierarchical spatial framework provides spatial linkages among tributary watersheds, coastal/nearshore, and offshore zones allowing users to “zoom in” to manage specific problems at specific locations and to “zoom out” to identify overarching issues for effective policy making. Great Lakes agencies, managers, and researchers commonly express a need for publically accessible habitat data and decision support tools that can be applied to the multitude of problems that face aquatic ecosystems throughout the basin. The GLAHF project team has been developing a number of tools to assist with habitat monitoring, assessment, and prioritization for protection and restoration including: a scalable habitat classification framework; a GIS data viewer and server; a web-based decision support system to facilitate research and management activities in the Great Lakes; and, are conducting a coastal condition assessment. The GLAHF project and tools have been developed based on feedback from entities directly involved with making management decisions in the basin and address their specific information needs.
Bios: Dr. Catherine Riseng is an Assistant Research Scientist at SNRE and the PI for the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Framework project, and is the Research Program Director at Michigan Sea Grant. Dr. Riseng is an aquatic ecologist with a focus on using landscape approaches to understand aquatic ecosystems and the effects of land use change. She has incorporated this landscape approach to the GLAHF project and is currently developing a basin-wide ecological classification system that integrates watershed, coastal, nearshore and open water information.
Dr. Kevin Wehrly is a research biologist with MDNR and an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Michigan. Wehrly has been the PI on numerous research projects that involve GIS-based modeling, inventory, and assessment of aquatic resources, and has considerable experience leading multidisciplinary teams comprised of scientists from multiple agencies and academia.
Important Visitor Information
All in person seminar attendees are required to receive a visitor badge from the front desk at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory facility. Seminar attendees need to present a valid U.S. photo ID or green card.
If you are a Foreign National advance notification of at least 48 hours is needed so that security guidelines are followed. You will need to present your passport (a copy will NOT work).
For questions regarding building access, or assistance in obtaining Foreign National clearance, please call 734-741-2235. Email contact: Tim.Powell@noaa.gov
Directions to GLERL: http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/facil/triptik.html

7/13/15: Becky Bolinger
2015-07-13 10:30 - 11:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for the next CILER-GLERL Great Lakes seminar:
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 am ET
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab
Speaker: Becky Bolinger, NOAA-GLERL
Title: Improving Climate Information for Operational Lake Level Forecasting

Event flyer

Abstract: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently forecasts six months of water levels for the Great Lakes by relying on output from two statistical models and a hydrologic model (AHPS) provided by NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Laboratory (GLERL). These models are initiated by temperature and precipitation forecasts that are estimated from an analysis of the Climate Prediction Center’s long-term outlooks. A new methodology is being employed that increases efficiency and accuracy in the inputs that these water level forecasts are dependent upon. This new forecast method relies on an ensemble of climate models, can be used for a targeted region (such as each of the Great Lakes basins), and automatically estimates lake basin-averaged temperature and precipitation in a probabilistic framework. A skill assessment of the various climate model estimates will be used to determine which model most accurately captures the climate variability over the Great Lakes region. A web tool is also being designed that will further aid forecasters in estimating seasonal outlooks of precipitation and temperature.

5/21/15: Drew Gronewold
2015-05-21 10:00 - 11:00 | School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Dana Building, 440 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States
Please join us for the next CILER-GLERL Great Lakes seminar:
Time: 10 – 11 am ET
Location: School of Natural Resources and Environment, Dana Building Room 1040
Speaker: Drew Gronewold, NOAA-GLERL
Title: Monitoring and modeling the water budget and water levels of Earth’s largest lake system

Event flyer

Abstract: The North American Great Lakes constitute the largest surface of fresh water on Earth (Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron alone are the two largest lakes on Earth by surface area). Monitoring and modeling the major components of the Great Lakes water budget, including over-lake precipitation, over-lake evaporation, and runoff, involves an international, multi-institution partnership that leverages a complex combination of sensor networks and modeling platforms. In this presentation, we provide an overview of the drivers behind long-term changes in Great Lakes water levels, including findings from recent research focused on explaining the abrupt water level decline on Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron in the late 1990s, and the recent record-setting water level surge. Insights from this research underscore the sensitivity of large freshwater systems to regional climate perturbations, and the need for improved understanding of how the future of these systems will be dictated by a combination of climate change, human intervention, and changes in consumptive use.

4/30/15: James Pauer
2015-04-30 10:30 - 11:30 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time: 10:30 – 11:30 am ET
Location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab
Speaker: James Pauer, U.S. EPA
Title: Do we have the tools and the smarts to quantify near shore conditions in Lake Michigan?

Event flyer
Powerpoint presentation available here
Abstract: The off-shore waters in Lake Michigan have been approaching the oligotrophic state, and the lake wide total phosphorus concentration has met the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) target since the early 1980s. However, environmental concerns in the near shore, such as excessive eutrophication and the colonization of invasive species, have resulted in the call for an overall assessment of this zone in the most recent GLWQA. Several studies have been published which assess the near shore area of Lake Michigan and the larger Great Lakes. Analysis of these study results along with preliminary results from a mathematical model here provide insight into how to quantify and predict conditions in the near shore area.

1/30/15: Peter Levi
2015-01-30 15:30 - 16:30 | School of Natural Resources and the Environment, Dana Building, 440 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States
Please join us for a Great Lakes Seminar Series presentation:
Time/Location 3:30-4:30 pm in Rm 1028, Dana Building
Speaker: Dr. Peter Levi, Center for Limnology, University of WI – Madison
Title: Evaluating the Ecological State of Restored Streams in Urban Watersheds

Event flyer

Abstract: Stream ecosystems in urban landscapes are often severely degraded due to channelization, flashy discharge, and high inputs of nutrients from the surrounding watershed. Restorations seek to improve the integrity of these ecosystems, often via channel and habitat re-naturalization. For example, floods in urban areas may be mitigated or prevented by replacing concrete-lined channels with more natural channel geomorphology (e.g., sediment, meander bends). However, streams are often not assessed or evaluated after restorations have been implemented, leaving questions on the effectiveness of these actions unanswered. Functional metrics, such as whole-stream metabolism and nutrient cycling dynamics, may be especially useful indicators to assess the ecological status of restored stream reaches because these metrics integrate both in-stream and watershed characteristics. In our research, we evaluated several metrics of ecosystem structure and function of restored stream reaches relative to concrete-lined channels located immediately up or downstream of the restoration in six watersheds in Milwaukee, WI. Furthermore, we studied streams that spanned a range in size, from small headwater streams to mainstem rivers (baseflow discharge = 15–210 L/s), in order to evaluate whether stream size was related to changes in ecosystem structure or function from channel re-naturalization. Nutrient concentrations were generally high among our study streams (e.g., average nitrate = 552 µg/L, average ammonium = 51 µg/L) and did not differ between the restored and concrete reaches. In contrast, chlorophyll-a and organic matter content were generally higher in the concrete reaches. The homogeneity of the concrete channels allowed massive algal beds to grow, which led to high sediment deposition. Whole-stream metabolism, an estimate of the gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) within the stream reach, demonstrated that the streams were primarily autotrophic (i.e., GPP > ER). The preliminary metabolism results suggest that both the restored reaches and concrete channels are degraded given that streams in natural watersheds are predominantly heterotrophic (i.e., GPP < ER). Our research demonstrates that channel restorations do improve some ecosystem characteristics relative to up or downstream concrete channels, but suggests that ecosystem structure and function cannot be fully restored in urban streams by re-naturalizing short reaches alone.

Bio: I am an ecosystem ecologist, interested in the flow of energy and the cycling of nutrients through aquatic ecosystems. In my holistic approach to studying aquatic ecosystems, I use integrative tools of ecosystem function to understand how freshwater environments respond to natural and human-mediated changes, such as the impact of management actions or seasonal shifts in the biotic community.

The primary goal of my CILER post-doctoral research is to provide a quantitative assessment of the ecological value of urban stream restorations. The results from the field will be coupled with data on the economic and social costs and benefits of the restorations to prioritize locations within urban watersheds for future projects. I am conducting my research in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, collaborating with managers at local and state agencies, community groups, and scientists from institutions throughout the Great Lakes. More information on my current research and previous work is available at peterlevi.weebly.com.
