• Characterize the relationships between invasive species and water quality ecosystem services in Great Lakes area wetlands
• Develop site-specific management recommendations for optimizing ecosystem services based on improved understanding of invasive species effects of denitrification.
•  Provide educational and research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students centered on improving the scientific basis for stewardship of Great Lakes area wetlands

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Robots as mobile sensors can monitor large areas repeatedly. An effective robotic solution should benefit from human knowledge and experience as well as integrates an established sampling strategy. This project envisions a human-assisted robotic solution for sampling spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus), an invasive microorganism notorious for its ecological and economic harm in the Great Lakes. The project outcomes include extensive field testing of the device, a design upgrade based on test results, and the design of a robotic boat that can utilize the device to sample water flea in nearshore regions at depths of up to 25 m. Results from this work will set the stage for large-scale monitoring projects where robots that can be used by selectively and consistently monitor complex ecosystems.

• Develop geologic soils-based site and surface design research to alleviate flooding in flood-prone urban areas

it is usually not obvious where a lake’s fixed N comes from. Therefore, understanding the ratios of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes (δ15N and δ18O) in nitrate is crucial for comprehending many environmental media interactions. Fixed N for many lakes comes from fertilizer application, sewage discharge, and atmospheric deposition. But these sources’ exact contribution to the Southern Lake Michigan nitrogen budget is unknown. Recently, several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of a stable isotope approach in identifying the nitrate sources in various ecosystems, specifically, approaches that utilize dual isotopes to simultaneously analyze δ15N and δ18O nitrate values.

We propose to utilize a dual isotope approach to conduct a comprehensive research study aimed at addressing the environmental issues brought on by nitrate contamination in southern Lake Michigan. The following scientific questions will be the focus of this study.

• What is the concentration of the nitrate pollutant in Southern Lake Michigan?
• What are the contributions of different nitrate pollutant sources?
• How do nitrate pollutant levels vary within Southern Lake Michigan, such as those near South Haven compared to Lake Michigan near Chicago during a single summer season?

This project will identify the drivers of thermal pollution within the Chicago River and examine the role of green space at the buffer and catchment scale in reducing water temperature. Specifically, this will include the calculation of daily thermal loads from potential sources of thermal pollution to identify the drivers of water temperature in the Chicago River. Thermal loads will be calculated for wastewater discharges, inflow from Lake Michigan, stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and cooling water discharges using data provided by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and modeling outputs from the Minnesota Urban Heat Export Tool (MINUHET). In addition, statistical analysis will be completed to determine if there is a significant correlation between landscape metrics within the buffer zone or the catchment area and the thermal loads for surface runoff. Landscape metrics will include percent green space, number of patches and patch density at the buffer and catchment scales and will be determined using FRAGSTATS to analyze land cover data.