A Message from CIGLR’s Director, Dr. Bradley Cardinale

With the holidays quickly approaching, I am looking forward to time spent with family and friends in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Great Lakes form such a constant backdrop for our family events that it’s hard to imagine what the holidays would be like without them. READ MORE

• Dr. Mark Rowe joins NOAA GLERL as Physical Research Scientist

• Dr. Mark Rowe receives NOAA award 

• CIGLR awards environmental journalism scholarships 

Stakeholder Engagement Success Story: Cleveland Water

For over a decade, the Cleveland Water Department (CWD), NOAA GLERL, CIGLR, and colleagues have collaborated to find out more about the causes and effects of hypoxic water in Lake Erie, especially related to Cleveland’s public water systems. CWD Water Quality Manager Scott Moegling has worked with scientists to improve predictions for when and where hypoxia will occur, how it moves around Lake Erie, and ultimately, when it may impact water utilities. Thanks to the valuable information gained from engaging with CWD and other Lake Erie drinking water facilities, the research team has been able to improve forecasts for Lake Erie hypoxia events. READ MORE

CIGLR Minute Video Series

The CIGLR Minute video series features short segments that highlight CIGLR’s scientists, projects, and partners, as well as our public outreach throughout the Great Lakes region. Check out the two videos produced this fall, featuring the GLANSIS project and a 2018 Year in Review.  READ MORE

Forecasting Flood Events for the Lake Champlain-Richelieu River Basin

Scientists from CIGLR and NOAA GLERL are branching outside of the Great Lakes to help a flood-prone region better prepare for the destructive effects of floods. In collaboration with the International Joint Commission, they are studying the effects of recurring floods in the Lake Champlain Basin and are working in a multi-year project to develop a real-time flood forecast modeling system. READ MORE

Harmful Algal Blooms in Lake Superior

Major changes have been documented in the ecosystem along Lake Superior’s southwestern shoreline near the Apostle Islands, including the occurrence of harmful algal blooms. As Lake Superior continues to warm and high intensity precipitation events occur more frequently, the emergence of HABs is likely to intensify and may threaten Lake Superior fisheries, tourism, and potentially even public health. Kaitlin Reinl, a 2017-18 CIGLR Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Large Lakes Observatory, started a study in 2017 addressing these HABs. By measuring nutrient levels, temperature, and algal growth in water samples from three regions, Kaitlin has started to examine the connection of HABs and climate change in Lake Superior. READ MORE

• Anderson, E.J., A. Fujisaki-Manome, J. Kessler, G.A. Lang, P.Y. Chu, J.G. Kelley, Y. Chen and J. Wang. 2018. Ice Forecasting in the Next-Generation Great Lakes Operational Forecast System (GLOFS). Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 6(4):123. (DOI:10.3390/jmse6040123).
• Charusombat, U., A. Fujisaki-Manome, A.D. Gronewold, B.M. Lofgren, E.J. Anderson, P.D. Blanken, C. Spence, J.D. Lenters, C. Xiao, L.E. Fitzpatrick and G. Cutrell. 2018. Evaluating and improving modeled turbulent heat fluxes across the North American Great Lakes. Hydrology and Earth Systems Sciences. 22:5559-5578. (DOI:10.5194/hess-22-5559-2018).
• Gill, D., M. Rowe and S.J. Joshi. 2018. Fishing in greener waters: Understanding the impact of harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie anglers and the potential for adoption of a forecast model. Journal of Environmental Management. 227:248-255. (DOI:10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.08.074).
• Kitchens, C.M., T.H. Johengen and T.W. Davis. 2018. Establishing spatial and temporal patterns in Microcystis sediment seed stock viability and their relationship to subsequent bloom development in Western Lake Erie. Plos One. (DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0206821).
• Weiskerger, C.J., M.D. Rowe, C.A. Stow, D. Stuart and T. Johengen. 2018. Application of the Beer‐Lambert model to attenuation of photosynthetically active radiation in a shallow, eutrophic lake. Water Resources Research. 1-33. (DOI:10.1029/2018WR023024).

• Lake Erie algal blooms ‘seeded’ internally by overwintering cells in lake-bottom sediments, Michigan News, 11/21/2018
• Some cyanobacteria survive the winter in western Lake Erie, Michigan Radio, 11/21/2018
• Study: toxic algae develops faster, Great Lakes Echo, 11/21/2018
• Algae is ugly: Why Lake Erie anglers avoid harmful algal blooms, Great Lakes Echo, 10/16/2018
• Fishing in greener waters: Understanding the impact of harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie anglers, Michigan News, 9/12/2018