Residents of Illinois, Indiana, and the broader Great Lakes region will benefit from new IISG research. Altogether, the four, two-year projects will receive more than $780,000 starting in 2016.
 
John Kelly, a Loyola University biologist, will survey eight major rivers around the lake to trace the origins of microplastics pollution and what river characteristics—such as
surrounding land use or nearby wastewater treatment plants—may be driving this.
 
Purdue University’s Zhao Ma will lead an interdisciplinary team that seeks to reduce nutrients, sediment, and E. coli contamination in southern Lake Michigan. The team will use models to assess best management practices (BMP) for reducing runoff and the willingness of individuals to implement these BMPs. Looking at these two approaches together will allow them to optimize the best courses of action to reduce overall pollution.
 
A project led by Sara McMillan, who studies biogeochemistry and hydrology at Purdue University, will examine drainage ditch design from multiple perspectives. McMillan will compare designs that improve long-term stability and ecological effectiveness.
 
And Beth Hall, Midwestern Regional Climate Center director, will work with Paul Roebber of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to improve how flash flooding events in urban centers are predicted and communicated. Hall and Roebber’s project is partially funded by Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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A flooded street isn't just a local problem. When roads flood, the ripple effects reshape how an entire city moves, and IISG grad student scholar, Tianle Duan, is building the tools to track it in real time.Using remote sensing, aerial imagery, and AI, this Purdue PhD student maps flood impacts on road networks so first responders and city officials can act faster and smarter.🔗 Learn more about Tianle’s research at the link in bio.
Teaching plastic pollution? There’s more to it than the 3 Rs. @NAAEE’s Plastics eeResearch collection pulls together six studies on how to meaningfully educate students, from preschool through middle school, about plastic pollution.Research-backed, classroom-ready, and free to access.🔗 Link in bio📷 Photo credit: NOAA#TeachingTuesday #PlasticPollution #EnvironmentalEducation
Summer on Lake Michigan is the best, and a little prep makes it even better. 🌊☀️Dangerous currents near piers and breakwalls surprise even strong swimmers. Here's what to know:✅ Swim in designated areas↔️ Caught in a current? Swim to the side — not against it — then to shore🆘 In danger? Call for a life ringSave this post and share it with your swim crew. 👇More Lake Michigan safety resources: link in bio 🔗