Current Projects
The following projects have been selected to receive support from Michigan Sea Grant. Do you have an idea for a project? Follow Michigan Sea Grant on social media or join our mailing list for details about upcoming requests for proposals.
2024-2027
An Ecosystem-Scale Approach to Understanding Changing Winters in the Great Lakes
The Laurentian Great Lakes are the world’s largest reservoir of freshwater; unfortunately, this valuable resource is being affected by multiple interacting stressors, many of which are related to climate change. Winter limnology represents a major gap in our understanding of the lakes’ responses to a changing climate, hampering our ability to manage these systems for resiliency. This research will use a networked science approach to conduct synchronous, standardized sampling across the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair to assess chemical, physical, and biological limnological aspects of these systems during winter. Using a networked approach will allow the team to achieve broad spatial coverage to put winter conditions and ecology in context and facilitate predictions of future ecosystem responses to climate change.
Lead Principal Investigator: Trista J. Vick-Majors, Michigan Technological University
Project overview (PDF)
A Novel Assessment of Lake Trout Growth Sensitivity to Winter and Spring Climate and Possible Interactions with Declining Prey Abundance in Lake Superior
Lake Superior is among the most rapidly warming bodies of water on the planet, yet little is understood regarding how native lake trout have responded to this stressor. This research will use a new approach that looks at year-to-year variation in the growth of fish ear stones. Scientists can use the width of these stones to measure the growth of a fish in a given year and compare it with climatic variation in that same year to determine, over decades, how climate variables regulate growth. Because lake trout are a long-lived species, growth climate sensitivity can be assessed over decades; researchers will look at data from 1980 to 2022. Results from this research will improve understanding of lake trout population dynamics and provide valuable information to fisheries managers, helping to boost the economy and culture of coastal towns and communities they support.
Lead Principal Investigator: Steven Voelker, Michigan Technological University
Project overview (PDF)
Determining Great Lakes invasive carp species susceptibility to emerging viral infections
Invasive aquatic species, particularly invasive carp, threaten Great Lakes ecosystems and regional economies. These carp have already infiltrated water bodies near the Great Lakes, primarily through connections between the Mississippi River basin and Lake Michigan. Their establishment poses a severe challenge because they are difficult to control and eradicate and can cause ecosystem damage. This research will explore the susceptibility of invasive carp species to new and emerging fish viruses circulating in the Great Lakes. These findings will inform management approaches to maintain healthy Great Lakes ecosystems and may contribute to international efforts against aquatic invasive species.
Graduate Research Fellow: Santosh Lamichhane, Michigan State University
Project overview (PDF)
Community Dynamics of Cyanobacteria in Lake Erie: Testing Environmental Drivers of Bloom Succession
This project will investigate how environmental factors influence the shifting array of algae species in Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms. In particular, cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) pose significant threats to water quality, ecosystems, human health, and coastal communities, particularly in Lake Erie. It’s important to understand how environmental drivers such as water column stratification, nutrient concentrations, and temperature affect which species develop. This study aims to refine forecasting models and aid in the mitigation of cHABs, contributing to broader efforts by federal agencies to manage cHABs in the Great Lakes and assess the impact of environmental policies.
Graduate Research Fellow: Carol Waldmann Rosenbaum, Michigan State University
Project overview (PDF)
Externally funded projects
Identifying at-risk habitats for walleye, yellow perch, and lake whitefish amid aquatic invasive species impacts
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are affecting populations of walleye (Sander vitreus), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), three species that hold considerable cultural and economic value to Great Lakes communities. Staff at the Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System (GLANSIS) program will pinpoint which AIS have potential direct and indirect effects on the three focal species; analyze the extent of Great Lakes habitat overlap between these native and invasive species; identify ideal habitat areas that are currently uninvaded or minimally invaded; and use historical trajectories of invasion to forecast where the AIS are likely to move next. This information will help determine the level of risk to the three focal species, need for management across habitats, and ideal stocking locations in the Great Lakes. This project is funded by the U.S. Coastal Research Program (USCRP).
Lead principal investigator: Rochelle Sturtevant
Project overview (PDF)
Developing tools to assess flood risk and mitigation strategies for Great Lakes communities
As climate change fuels stronger and more frequent storms, Great Lakes coastal communities are looking for ways to prepare and adapt to keep their residents and infrastructure safe from floods. In 2023, Michigan Sea Grant received $500,000 in funding from National Sea Grant for a collaborative project that will help improve resilience under future climate change scenarios in specific coastal communities in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Lead principal investigator: Jeremy Bricker
Project overview (PDF)
2022-2024
Quantifying microbial trophic pathways in a changing Lake Huron ecosystem
Carried to North America by ocean-going freighters, invasive zebra and quagga mussels have altered the flow of energy and nutrients through Great Lakes food webs. Adult mussels are highly effective at filtering tiny, nutritious plankton out of the water, leaving little behind for other microscopic organisms and larval fish to eat. In Lake Huron, this lack of nutrients has affected all levels of the food chain and caused significant harm to larger fish species. This research is studying the new dynamics of Lake Huron’s lower food webs by analyzing water samples taken from Lake Huron during different seasons to determine which microscopic organisms are present and in what proportions. This information will inform Lake Huron and Great Lakes food web models to better account for the changes triggered by invasive mussels. These updates would be vital in helping Lake Huron managers make timely decisions about fish stocking, harvest limits, and other strategies for managing changing fisheries.
Lead Principal Investigator: Hunter J. Carrick, Ph.D., Central Michigan University
Project overview (PDF)
Helping Michigan communities meet their water use needs through collaborative water resource management
Even in a state where water feels abundant, having adaptive and collaborative processes for allocating water resources can help ensure sustainable use while minimizing conflicts. In Michigan, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) monitors and manages large withdrawals from water bodies or groundwater sources. A 2008 law authorized local water users to create Water User Committees (WUCs) to work with EGLE. Michigan Sea Grant and EGLE are supporting a research team that will create a WUC guide that incorporates the multiple perspectives of state water users and paves the way toward local collaborative governance of water resources.
Lead principal investigator: Adam Zwickle, Michigan State University (joint project with EGLE’s Office of the Great Lakes)
Project overview (PDF)
Understanding where walleye spawn in Saginaw Bay to ensure better management and habitat protection
Invasive species, habitat degradation, and declining water quality led to a collapse of walleye (Sander vitreus) populations in Saginaw Bay in the mid-1990s. Fortunately, these populations have since recovered, and management goals have shifted to ensuring a sustainable harvest. Travis Brenden, Professor; Director, Quantitative Fisheries Center, will lead a team using acoustic tags and receivers to identify walleye spawning sites and their relative importance in Saginaw Bay. Ultimately, this project could provide one of the last key missing pieces of information in understanding and helping to manage this newly recovered population and fishery.
Lead principal investigator: Travis Brenden, Michigan State University
Project overview (PDF)
Variation among walleye populations may affect how they respond to climate change
Walleye have long been stocked in Michigan’s inland lakes. Juvenile survival rates and adult population sizes are declining, partly because of changing water temperatures due to climate change. However, some populations may be more resilient than others because of differences in the way they store and use energy. Scott Jackson, a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, will work with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to test the impacts of increasing temperatures on walleye from two populations that serve as the source for all stocked walleye in Michigan. This information will help the Michigan DNR better understand differences in walleye stocking success and its causes, so that they can make any necessary changes to rearing and stocking strategies to maintain and improve Michigan’s walleye populations.
Graduate student fellow: Scott Jackson, University of Michigan
Project overview (PDF)