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Dr . Jeffrey M. Reutter Director, Ohio Sea Grant College Program

Past , Present, and Future Problems, Trends, and Solutions for the Most Important Lake in the World:  Lake Erie Today’s focus— HABs and Stone Lab . Dr . Jeffrey M. Reutter Director, Ohio Sea Grant College Program. Jeffrey M. Reutter, Ph.D ., Director. 1895—F.T. Stone Laboratory

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Dr . Jeffrey M. Reutter Director, Ohio Sea Grant College Program

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  1. Past, Present, and Future Problems, Trends, and Solutions for the Most Important Lake in the World:  Lake Erie Today’s focus—HABs and Stone Lab Dr. Jeffrey M. Reutter Director, Ohio Sea Grant College Program

  2. Jeffrey M. Reutter, Ph.D., Director • 1895—F.T. Stone Laboratory • 1970—Center for Lake Erie Area Research (CLEAR) • 1978—Ohio Sea Grant College Program • 1992—Great Lakes Aquatic Ecosystem Research Consortium (GLAERC)

  3. General Sea Grant • Part of National Sea Grant Collage Program in NOAA • 32 programs—every coastal state • Partnership of: • Government • Academia • Private Sector • Focus on 3 E’s: • Environment • Economy • Education • Accomplish through: • Research • Education • Outreach

  4. Sea Grant and Stone Lab: Since 1978 • 500 Sea Grant Projects • 500 grad and undergrad students supported • 250+ principal investigators at over 20 colleges and universities • FOSL over 1200 scholarships at Stone Lab • 70 REUs

  5. What is Stone Lab? • Oldest freshwater field station in the nation • Ohio’s Lake Erie Lab since 1895 • Island campus of OSU on Gibraltar Island, Lake Erie • Research, education, and outreach laboratory for Ohio Sea Grant

  6. Stone Laboratory: Ohio’s Lake Erie Laboratory Since 1895

  7. Improving Science Education in Ohio: Stone Laboratory Story • Education for all ages • Field trips grades 4-adult • Intro courses open to superior HS students • Upper level courses for grad students • Teacher courses • Since 1990: • Students from • 111 colleges • 366 high schools

  8. Aquatic Science Workshops • Grades 4 -adult; 1 or 2-day • 8,000 people annually • Program includes • Science cruise on vessel • Bird/Plant/Insect hike • Fish Dissection in Lab • Limnology Lab

  9. Science Cruise

  10. Trawling for Fish

  11. Examining Plankton Sample

  12. 2012: Quarters to Semesters • 10-week quarter to 7-week session • Changing from 10 weeks of courses + workshops to 8 weeks of courses and one week of workshops • June 10-16 (1-week, early offering) • Six, 1-week, 2-credit courses • June 17-July 21 (5 weeks) • 5 upper-level, 4-credit courses and all REUs • July 22-Aug 4 (2 weeks) • Nine, 1-week, 2-credit courses • Aug 5-11 • Five, 2-3 day workshops

  13. Stone Laboratory: Ohio State’s Island Campus Upper Level Courses • One 5-week term • 4 credit hours/course • Classes M-W-F or T-R-S • Ecology • Evolution • Field Zoology • Ichthyology • Aquat Ecosystems—Ecology of Inland waters (Limnology)

  14. Stone Laboratory: Ohio State’s Island Campus Introductory Courses • 1-week Sunday through Saturday, 2 credits • Sport Fishing • Intro Aquat Bio • Intro Oceanography • Intro Local Plants • Intro Insect Bio • Ecol & Cons of Birds

  15. Geologic Setting Spider Biology Field Ecology Oceanography Herpetology Local Flora Climate ChangeEducation Workshop Climate & Sustainability Larval Fish ID Stone Laboratory: Ohio State’s Island Campus 1-week Courses for College Students & Teachers

  16. Workshops • Algal identification • NOAA Science Literacy • Dealing with Cyanobacteria, Algal Toxins and Taste and Odor Compounds • Outdoor Photography • Lake Erie Sport Fishing • Fish-Sampling Techniques

  17. Scholarships and Employment • Approx. 40% of students receive a scholarship and/or work • 229 students at Lab in 2011 • 69 students and $69,000 for scholarships and REUs in 2011 • 2005-11 = 70 REUs and 501 scholarships valued at $447,000

  18. Opportunities to Visit Stone Lab • AVC: Wednesday through Saturday • South Bass Island Lighthouse: Mondays and Tuesdays • Gibraltar Island • Wednesdays 11:00-1:00 • Thursday evening Guest Lecture Series • Winter Program, 24 Jan 2012 (Columbus) • Work Weekend, 20-22 April • State Science Day, St. John’s Arena, 5 May • Open House Saturday, 8 September • Buckeye Island Hop, 28-30 September

  19. Rendering of New Solar Pavilion

  20. Solar Thermal for Dining Hall Roof

  21. Lake Erie: One of the Most Important Lakes in the World Dead lake image of 60s and 70s. Poster child for pollution problems in this country. But, most heavily utilized of any of the Great Lakes. Shared by 4 states and 2 countries. Best example of ecosystem recovery in world.

  22. Blue-green Algae Bloom circa 1971, Lake Erie Photo: Forsythe and Reutter

  23. Great Lakes Land Use Image: Ohio Sea Grant

  24. Photo: Ohio Sea Grant

  25. Photo: Ohio Sea Grant

  26. Major Land Uses in The Great Lakes

  27. Because of Land Use, Lake Erie Gets: More sediment More nutrients (fertilizers and sewage) More pesticides (The above 3 items are exacerbated by storms, which will be more frequent and severe due to climate change.) And Lake Erie is still biologically the most productive of the Great Lakes—And always will be!!

  28. 50:2 Rule (Not exact, but instructive) Lake Superior: 50% of the water and 2% of the fish Lake Erie: 2% of the water and 50% of the fish

  29. 80:10:10 Rule 80% of water from upper lakes 10% from Lake Erie tributaries 10% direct precipitation

  30. Lake Erie Stats Drinking water for 11 million people Over 20 power plants Power production is greatest water use 300 marinas in Ohio alone Walleye Capital of the World 40% of all Great Lakes charter boats Ohio’s charter boat industry in largest in North America $1.5 billion sport fishery One of top 10 sport fishing locations in the world The most valuable freshwater commercial fishery in the world Coastal county tourism value is over $10 billion

  31. Historical Trends:The Lake Erie Ecosystem 1969—Cuyahoga River burns Getting worse annually to 1970 Stable 1970-75 Improving 1975-1995 1995+ Getting worse Photo: Ohio Sea Grant

  32. Lake Erie’s Biggest Problems/Issues Sedimentation Phosphorus and nutrient loading Harmful algal blooms Aquatic invasive species Dead Zone Climate Change—Makes the others worse

  33. What brought about the rebirth? Phosphorus reductions from point sources (29,000 metric tons to 11,000—approx a 2/3 reduction);and agriculture helped!

  34. Why are we targeting phosphorus? Normally limiting nutrient in freshwater systems P reduction is best strategy ecologically and economically Reducing both P and N would help

  35. Phosphorus Sources • 1960s and 70s—primarily point sources (2/3) • Today loading is coming primarily from agriculture (2/3) but other sources include: • Sewage treatment plants and CSOs • Lawn fertilizer runoff • Water treatment plants • Septic tanks

  36. Are we sure phosphorus reductions will solve the problem? It worked in the 70s and 80s and turned Lake Erie into the “Walleye Capital of the World” Approximately a 2/3 reduction in total P loading (29,000 tons to 11,000)

  37. Impacts of Increased Phosphorus Concentrations • HABs—If P concentrations are high (regardless of the source, Ag, sewage, etc.) and water is warm, we will have a HAB (nitrogen concentration will likely determine which of the 6-7 species bloom) • Nuisance Algae Blooms • Cladophora—Whole lake problem. An attached form. • Dead Zone in Central Basin

  38. What are Harmful Algal Blooms and Why are We Concerned? 6-7 species of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) Float Capable of producing 4 toxins, e.g., microcystin Require high levels of P and warm water (above 60F) Some are nitrogen fixers Can cause human and animal illness and death

  39. Microcystin Concentrations 1 ppb WHO drinking water limit 20 ppb WHO swimming limit 60 ppb highest level for Lake Erie till this year 84 ppb highest level for Grand Lake St. Marys till last year 2000+ Grand Lake St. Marys 2010 1200 Lake Erie Maumee Bay area 2011

  40. Are HABs only a Lake Erie and Ohio Problem? Global problem Serious problem in US and Canada Common species in Lake Erie is Microcystis sp. Dominant form in Grand Lake St. Marysin 2010 was Aphanizomenon sp., the same species that bloomed in Lake Erie in the 60s and 70s

  41. Detroit River Flow Sandusky Bay Photo: NOAA Satellite Image

  42. Maumee Bay, Ohio Photo: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

  43. Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Spring Loads

  44. Nutrient Loading Majority of loading occurs during storm events 90% of loading occurs 10% of time Therefore, record rainfall in 2011 made the problem worse.

  45. Microcystis, Stone Lab, 8/10/10 Photos: Jeff Reutter

  46. August 11 2011 1330 cfs Photo: NOAA Satellite Image

  47. Put-in-Bay, 20 Sept 2011 Photo: Jeff Reutter

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