Submerged, “reef-style” breakwaters may be a viable nature-based solution for shoreline protection and ecological enhancement. However, the lack of quantitative data on the effectiveness of such nature-based solutions limits the ability of managers to implement them within Great Lakes coastal communities.

Our goals are to use monitoring data to (a) inform habitat restoration and protection efforts around Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes, and (b) provide the much needed geomorphic and sediment-routing context to help assess the regional impacts of such structures (and their broader utility). We will accomplish these goals through the following objectives: Obj 1) Determine the effect of the two different artificial reefs on aquatic species abundance and diversity through comparisons to long-term (2016-present) ecological monitoring sites co-located with the reefs. Obj 2) Quantify bathymetric changes to the nearshore environment surrounding the reefs and topographic changes to the adjacent beach environment, evaluating post-reef morphodynamics in context of available pre-construction data (post-2018 at Site 1). Obj 3) Engage a variety of coastal stakeholder groups by way of discussion forums, workshops, fact sheets, or other meeting types. 

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 one-year research project is dedicated to investigating the viability of utilizing dredged sludge from the Great Lakes as a substitute for fine aggregates in cementitious composites. The research encompasses experimental investigation such as the chemical and physical properties of the dredged sludge and the fresh and mechanical performance of cementitious composites incorporating this material. Subsequently, a “cradle to gate” life cycle assessment will be conducted for cementitious composites with dredged sludge.

The primary goal of this project is to propose an innovative recycling approach for managing pollutant-laden dredged sludge, aiming to reduce the reliance on traditional sand in the construction industry.

This study will evaluate the extent to which exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of a representative SSRI (citalopram) during early development (embryonic and larval stages) impairs learning and cognition and alters innate behaviors in a model species for ecotoxicological research, fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Specifically, this study will test the hypothesis that exposure to SSRIs alters the behavior of fish at vulnerable early life stages in ways that reduce fitness (i.e., reduced ability to learn during foraging, impaired risk perception and social behavior).

This research will expand our comprehension of pharmaceutical water pollution in the Great Lakes— specifically behavioral effects on key prey species–which is relevant to the IISG’s focus on healthy coastal ecosystems. Forage fish are primary food sources for many important recreational fish species in the Great Lakes. Individual-level changes in learning, cognition, and perceptions of fear that increase early mortality, can translate into long-term population and community impacts. Furthermore, this work will aid in efforts to address threats like legacy contaminants and emerging pollutants, to mitigate environmental degradation in these crucial waterbodies. The outcomes of this research will allow a more complete understanding of organismal health and fitness in urban-impacted waters and improve ecosystem stability in lake Michigan.

Three major research questions that we aim to address are:

• Are the secondary environmental impacts of the existing nutrient loss management BMPs significant so that they pose substantial challenges in their sustainability?
• How could redesign the existing technologies/practices to minimize these challenges?
• How can we offer techno economically viable solutions to boost the technology adoption of the existing nutrient loss management strategies in the larger scale?

Lake Michigan, a significant global freshwater resource, has been constantly afflicted by nutrient pollution leading to eutrophication due to draining of excess nutrients from the most intensively managed agricultural landscapes in the Midwest. Many BMPs have been in practice in the urban and agricultural watersheds and are effective in reducing nutrient loss via surface runoff, yet lake Michigan’s nutrient concentrations and HABs are still serious problems. Recent research suggests that the existing BMPs render secondary environmental impacts which could undermine their functions of nutrient loss reduction and challenge their sustainability. For example, multiple BMPs that have been tremendously effective in controlling surface runoff and the subsequent associated nutrient loss, have dramatically altered the nutrient loss pathways from surface to sub-surface drainage whose subsequent negative impacts are profound on the Great Lakes region. Agricultural and stormwater BMPs such as conservation tillage, strip tillage, riparian buffers, bioretention cells, woodchip mulching etc. have been particularly effective in sediment and nutrient loss reduction from surface runoff in field scale, while inadequate to override nutrient export from the subsurface drainage when observed in the watershed scale. In that regard, researchers have identified woodchip based BMPs as important green infrastructures to overcome these challenges and keep pace with the rising ecological impacts of urbanization and agricultural practices.

This research addresses two main questions related to the attitudes and behaviors toward invasive crayfish in the Great Lakes Region to better understand the outreach needs of these communities.

• What are the attitudes and behaviors of teachers in the Great Lakes Region towards invasive species of crayfish? What are effective methods of outreach for this community?
• What are the attitudes and behaviors of individuals involved in the culinary market in the Great Lakes Region towards invasive species of crayfish? What are effective methods of outreach for this community?

Invasive crayfish in the Great Lakes Region pose a threat to local ecosystems as they often outcompete native species and have the potential to damage local freshwater ecosystems. Native crayfish are important consumers and predators within the food web, and the disruption that invasive crayfish cause can have wide-reaching ecological and economic effects. There has been research and outreach done about the spread of invasive crayfish by use as bait by anglers, in aquariums and the pet trade, and through aquaculture. My research explores two additional potential introduction pathways: teachers who use crayfish in the classroom and people in the culinary market who use them as live food products. Both groups have been cited as potential pathways for crayfish introduction and spread. However, there is little understanding of the ways that individuals within these groups feel about and interact with invasive species in general and crayfish specifically.