Ann Arbor Times

Ahead of a congressional briefing on February 4 concerning Great Lakes science, University of Michigan experts are prepared to discuss various topics including policy trends, weather conditions, and water quality in the world's largest freshwater system.

Mike Shriberg, a professor at the School for Environment and Sustainability and associate director of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR), will participate as a panelist in the briefing co-hosted by CIGLR. Shriberg emphasized the challenges posed by climate change, environmental injustice, and partisan politics on the unity around Great Lakes issues. He noted that support for initiatives like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative might be tested in the current political environment. “The first few months of this new presidential administration and congress will be a test of how unified support is for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative,” he said.

Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome, an associate research scientist at CIGLR, highlighted recent weather patterns affecting lake ice formation. She explained that while colder-than-normal weather helped form lake ice in some areas, warmer past conditions kept water temperatures above average. "Sustained cold air is needed for lake ice to develop further," she stated.

Jennifer Read from the Water Center in the Graham Sustainability Institute pointed out ongoing concerns about harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Superior and other areas. “While scientific advancements provide valuable tools to address HABs...they cannot solve the problem alone,” Read remarked.

Gregory Dick, director of CIGLR and another expert on algal blooms, noted that despite some progress in managing nutrients causing these blooms, they remain a significant threat due to climate change exacerbating their spread. "We now see harmful algal blooms in all five Great Lakes," Dick observed.

Silvia Newell from Michigan Sea Grant discussed efforts to reduce nutrient levels contributing to HABs in Lake Erie through stakeholder engagement and management practices. She cautioned that intense storms could test these practices' effectiveness: “The real test of management practices will occur during the next wet year.”

Casey Godwin from CIGLR focused on changing patterns related to ice cover and nutrient runoff affecting harmful algal blooms and hypoxia. He highlighted logistical challenges faced by scientists studying winter processes but acknowledged recent advances thanks to collaborative efforts: "Scientists around the lakes are racing to study processes in winter."

University experts remain committed to addressing complex issues facing the Great Lakes region through research and collaboration.