State, private universities partner on critical research to benefit NY Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region
The Great Lakes Research Consortium of 18 colleges and universities in New York state has published its 2018 report, showcasing innovative research conducted by faculty and students at member institutions. The 16-page report, posted at
www.esf.edu/glrc, also includes information on how students can apply for Great Lakes-related research grants, travel support to attend conferences and workshops, and internships.
The six Great Lakes Research Consortium-funded research projects highlighted in the report are:
•The development of a computerized Lake Ontario nearshore supermodel tool by Dr. Joseph F. Atkinson at the University at Buffalo.
•Unprecedented freshwater microplastics pollution study by Dr. Sherri A. Mason, who serves on a United Nations Working Group on ocean plastic pollution, and her students at the State University of New York at Fredonia.
•Evaluation of vitamin B1 deficiency on Lake Ontario salmon populations by Dr. Jacques Rinchard and his students at The College at Brockport: State University of New York.
•Advances in harmful algal bloom science by multiple Great Lakes Research Consortium members, including Hobart and William Smith Colleges (Geneva) and centered at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Syracuse).
•The testing of low-altitude, unmanned aerial vehicle technology for the survey of aquatic invasive species by Dr. Tao Tang and his students at the State University of New York Buffalo State College.
•An investigation by Dr. Michael Twiss and his students at Clarkson University of how an anticipated reduction in 29 percent of marshes in the Upper St. Lawrence River will impact the retention or release of 60 years' worth of mercury sequestered by those marshes since the construction of the Moses Saunders Power Dam, built in 1958.
"The core mission of the Great Lakes Research Consortium is to steadily advance our understanding of the components, complexities and interactions of the Great Lakes ecosystem," said Great Lakes Research Consortium Director Dr. Gregory L. Boyer, a noted harmful algal bloom researcher and professor of biochemistry at ESF: The College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse.
The consortium is supported by member dues and funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Environmental Protection Fund Ocean-Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act program.
