To preserve the beauty, health and safety of a northwest Ohio shoreline frequently visited by families, The University of Toledo Lake Erie Center is inviting the public to help pick up litter on Maumee Bay State Park’s public beach at 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18 in Oregon.

The Lake Erie beach cleanup is in partnership with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, which holds Adopt-a-Beach events throughout the region each year sponsored by Barefoot Wine and Bubbly.

Last year, 15,181 Adopt-a-Beach volunteers removed 40,211 pounds of trash as part of 1,388 cleanups throughout the Great Lakes region, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin.

In 2016, the majority of trash picked up by Adopt-a-Beach volunteers (87 percent) was plastic.

For additional information, contact the UT Lake Erie Center at 419.530.8360.

Eleven undergraduate students from universities across the country spent the last nine weeks researching a variety of environmental issues at The University of Toledo Lake Erie Center and will share their findings during a poster gala on Wednesday, July 27.

The students enrolled in UT’s National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer program have been studying harmful algal blooms, climate change, invasive species and other water quality concerns in an effort to help combat these problems. Their work will be on display 2-4 p.m. at the Lake Erie Center, located at 6200 Bayshore Rd. in Oregon.

The scientific research program is open to undergraduate students in the fields of environmental sciences, biology, engineering, chemistry, geography or geographic information systems (GIS) from across the United States. Students are partnered with scientists, engineers, graduate students and agency professionals to conduct cutting-edge research on important land-lake environmental challenges.

In addition to visiting wetlands and lake sampling, students learn to use and apply top technology, including sensor networks, water quality, environmental DNA, next-gen sequencing and drones to their research.

Ohio Sea Grant released today its 2017 update on the statewide Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative documenting two years of progress seeking solutions for harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.

The University of Toledo, situated on the western basin of Lake Erie, is one of the lead universities in the initiative, which consists of ten Ohio universities and five state agencies and is funded by the Ohio Department of Higher Education and matching funds from participating universities.

Dr. Tom Bridgeman

The 54-page report features a variety of important research activity underway by members of the UT Water Task Force to protect the public water supply and public health, including:

• Early warning system for toxic algae in Lake Erie’s Maumee Bay by Dr. Tom Bridgeman, professor in the UT Department of Environmental Sciences, and Dr. Ricky Becker, associate professor in the UT Department of Environmental Sciences;
• Developing methods to help water treatment plant operators make decisions on lake water pumping rates according to time of day and weather conditions in order to reduce exposure to algal toxins at the Lake Erie water intake, also by Bridgeman and Becker;
• Transport and fate of cyanotoxins in drinking water distribution systems, such as pipes and storage tanks, by Dr. Youngwoo Seo, associate professor in the UT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering;
• Investigating alternative biological filtration for algal toxin removal in water treatment through better understanding of microcystin-degrading bacteria, also by Seo;
• Investigating the influence of potassium permanganate treatment on algal cell integrity and toxin degradation, also by Seo;
• Developing microcystin-detoxifying water biofilters to upgrade water treatment filters with friendly bacteria through the discovery of enzymes and pathways responsible for microcystin degradation, by Dr. Jason Huntley, associate professor in the UT Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology;
• Studying the accuracy of ELISA, the standard test measuring harmful algal toxins, in comparison to a more time-consuming but reliable method, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), by Dr. Dragan Isailovic, associate professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry;
• Developing lab tests for detecting microcystin exposure through biological samples and measuring how much remains inside the body, also by Isailovic;
• Evaluating the ability of commercially available home purification systems to remove algal toxins from tap water, by Dr. Glenn Lipscomb, professor and chair of the UT Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering;
• Reconsidering recommended healthy exposure limits by studying the impact of algal toxins in experimental models of pre-existing liver disease, by Dr. David Kennedy and Dr. Steven Haller, assistant professors in the UT Division of Cardiovascular Medicine;
• Studying health effects of recreational and work exposure to harmful algal blooms through fishing, swimming or boating, by Dr. April Ames and Dr. Michael Valigosky, assistant professors in the UT Department of Occupational and Public Health; and
• Creating an online database to help inform public about harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, by Dr. Patrick Lawrence, UT geography professor and associate dean of the College of Arts and Letters.

Ohio Sea Grant, which manages the statewide Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative, is soliciting proposals for a third round of funding to continue the efforts underway to address toxic algae in Ohio’s Great Lake.

Participating universities include UT, The Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University, Central State University, Defiance College, Heidelberg University, Kent State University, Sinclair Community College, University of Akron and University of Cincinnati. UT and OSU serve as leaders of the university consortium.

To view the full report, go to http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/p/ib57m/view.

For Ohio Sea Grant’s news release, go to http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/news/2017/gz884/habri-report-year-2.

The UT Water Task Force, which is comprised of faculty and researchers in diverse fields spanning the University, serves as a resource for government officials and the public looking for expertise on investigating the causes and effects of algal blooms, the health of Lake Erie and the health of the communities depending on its water. The task force includes experts in economics, engineering, environmental sciences, business, pharmacy, law, chemistry and biochemistry, geography and planning, and medical microbiology and immunology.

Water quality is a major research focus at UT. With $12.5 million in active grants underway, UT experts are studying algal blooms, invasive species such as Asian carp, and pollutants. Researchers are looking for pathways to restore our greatest natural resource for future generations to ensure our communities continue to have access to safe drinking water.

Researchers and students help to protect the public drinking water supply for the greater Toledo area throughout summer algal bloom season by conducting water sampling to alert water treatment plant operators of any toxins heading toward the water intake. UT’s 28-foot research vessel and early warning buoy enable UT to partner with the city of Toledo and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to monitor the health of Lake Erie and provide real-time data.

Twenty teachers from across Ohio and Michigan have spent the week at The University of Toledo Lake Erie Center studying water quality testing and the potential causes of harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie.

The participants, educators of grades 4-12 grade, will present their projects beginning at 1 p.m., today (Friday, July 31) at the UT Lake Erie Center, 6200 Bayshore Rd. in Oregon.

The Students and Teachers Exploring Local Landscapes to Interpret the Earth from Space (SATELLITES) Summer Teaching Institute leads teachers in the areas of science, social studies, geography and technology through the process of engaging their students in projects using The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program.

During the summer institute, participants have learned about water quality issues, water quality observation techniques and geospatial technology applications including the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS).

The SATELLITES Institute is part of a collaboration between UT, OhioView, NASA and The GLOBE Program.

For more information, contact the Lake Erie Center at 419.530.8360 or email lakeeriecenter@utoledo.edu.

Media Coverage
WTOL 11 (Aug. 1, 2015)
WTOL 11 (Aug. 7, 2015)

The University of Toledo Lake Erie Center is hosting a poster gala today to showcase student projects from this summer’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program.

The “Using the Lake Erie Sensor Network to Study Land-Lake Ecological Linkages” projects will be on display 2-4 p.m. today (Thursday, July 30) at the Lake Erie Center, 6200 Bayshore Rd. in Oregon.

The participating undergraduate students from UT, University of Michigan, Hunter College, Central State University, Western Governors University, Michigan State University and Notre Dame College have spent the past nine weeks working with in UT’s laboratories conducting research on land-lake environmental challenges including harmful algal blooms, invasive species, climate change and water quality.

The 2015 summer research topics include hyperspectral imagery of Lake Erie blooms, substrate analysis of the Maumee River, effectiveness of home water filters in removing microcystin, performance monitoring of green stormwater infrastructure, measuring nutrient flux with microsensors and temporal and spatial patterns of the Eurasian Ruffe invasion.

For more information contact the UT Lake Erie Center at 419.530.8360 or email lakeeriecenter@utoledo.edu.

Media Coverage
The Blade (July 31, 2015)

The University of Toledo’s new research vessel with state-of-the-art technology will advance the Lake Erie Center’s environmental research into water quality, harmful algal blooms, invasive species and other issues impacting the Great Lakes region.

The dedication ceremony for the new 28-foot research vessel will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 16 at the National Museum of the Great Lakes, 1701 Front St. UT President Sharon Gaber and Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor John Carey will join faculty and students from the Lake Erie Center at the event.

“The UT Lake Erie Center is a national leader in water quality research. The addition of this research vessel will afford our dedicated faculty members the opportunity to advance their work to address issues such as the harmful algae that impact regions like ours that depend on the health of the Great Lakes,” Gaber said. “Given our location on the shores of Lake Erie and the depth of our expertise, it is vital for the University to make this investment to further our knowledge and provide sustainable solutions for our community.”

The new research vessel was custom-made by North River Boats/Almar Boats in Roseburg, Ore., to meet the research needs of the Lake Erie Center faculty and staff. The new boat is constructed of aluminum and is larger and sturdier than the existing 25-foot fiberglass boat the center named the Mayflier, which had been UT’s primary research vessel for more than 15 years and will continue to be used on the Maumee River and Lake Erie.

“We are excited to add this wonderful new boat as an instrumental tool in the research efforts of our Lake Erie Center faculty and students,” said Dr. Carol Stepien, director of the Lake Erie Center and Distinguished University Professor of Ecology. “As the community has become more aware of the water quality issues that impact the Maumee Bay region, it is increasingly important for their public university to be able to maintain and build upon its leadership in addressing those issues. The new research vessel will help us do that.”

With this vessel, the researchers will no longer be restricted to field research only on calm waters allowing them to collect data in differing kinds of weather conditions for a more comprehensive understanding of the ecology of the lake, said Dr. Tom Bridgeman, associate professor of ecology in the Department of Environmental Sciences.

The research vessel also is equipped with more advanced equipment and instrumentation that will allow the researchers to deploy buoys, bottom dredges, and fish trawling gear to expand the kinds of studies they can conduct, he said.

“We’ve used the new boat to launch a buoy in Maumee Bay about seven miles from Toledo’s water intake to monitor the blue green algae in western Lake Erie, which we wouldn’t have been able to do with the Mayflier,” Bridgeman said. “We are already using that technology to track the harmful algal blooms this summer and to collect water samples so that we can provide some of the first data on the blooms as they grow and expand eastward.”

UT is working with the city of Toledo, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others to monitor the health of Lake Erie and provide timely communications to residents who rely on it for their drinking water.

Real-time data from The University of Toledo’s buoy and other instruments monitoring western Lake Erie are available at habs.glos.us with additional information on the UT buoy at wqdatalive.com/public/515. The city has an online Toledo water quality dashboard to communicate the quality of the drinking water at toledo.oh.gov/services/public-utilities/water-treatment/water-quality.

The UT Lake Erie Center’s new vessel also has an enclosed cabin to protect the crew from the elements and additional enhanced safety gear such as radar and a spotlight and power anchor windlass, which will allow for a longer research season and evening sampling if needed.

For more information on the UT Lake Erie Center, visit utoledo.edu/nsm/lec.

Click on the image or this link to download photo of the research vessel.

Media Coverage
The Blade (July 16, 2015)
WTOL 11 (July 16, 2015)
WTOL 11, 13 ABC and NBC 24 (July 16, 2015)
WTOL 11 (July 17, 2015)
The Blade (July 17, 2015)
Times Leader (July 17, 2015)

The University of Toledo Lake Erie Center is hosting a free, public event about the benefits of honeybees in northwest Ohio and current efforts to curb decreasing colony numbers.

Roger Myers, president of the Maumee Valley Bee Keepers Association, will present “The Truths and Myths About Colony Collapse in Honeybees” at 7 p.m. today at the UT Lake Erie Center as part of the Naturalist Night summer lecture series.

“Honeybees pollinate a lot of the fruits and vegetables we eat,” Myers said. “It’s estimated that three out of every five bites of food you take can be contributed to some type of pollinator.”

Attendees will learn what they can do to help preserve struggling bee colonies in northwest Ohio.

“The bee population in our area is in jeopardy,” said Rachel Lohner, education program manager for the Lake Erie Center. “They are an important part of our ecosystem.”

The UT Lake Erie Center is an interdisciplinary research and education center dedicated to solving environmental problems in the Great Lakes. The Naturalist Night summer lecture series is part of the Lake Erie Center’s mission to engage the public with environmental education, sustainable living and informed outreach awareness programs.

For more information, call 419.530.8360 or visit utoledo.edu/nsm/lec.

The University of Toledo is slated to lead eight out of the 18 research projects to be funded with $2 million in state of Ohio research funds to address water quality and algal bloom toxicity.

UT is to receive more than $830,000 of the $2 million dedicated by the Ohio Board of Regents under the recommendation of a committee tasked with deciding how to best utilize and invest the funds. The Ohio Board of Regents announced the research project proposal earlier today.

The University is investing an additional $200,000 to support the research efforts of its faculty.

“The faculty at The University of Toledo were prompt to help when Toledo’s water supply was impacted by toxic algae in Lake Erie and continue to offer their expertise as we seek solutions to the algal blooms that negatively impact our community and others throughout Ohio,” UT Interim President Nagi Naganathan said. “Given our location on Lake Erie and breadth of expertise in environmental sciences, environmental engineering, medicine and spatial sciences, UT is well positioned to provide the important solutions we need to address this concern.”

The UT researchers to receive funding for their projects are:

•  Dr. Thomas Bridgeman, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, who will work to extend early-warning capacity for harmful algal blooms by placing sensors up to eight miles away from intakes in areas were high toxin levels tend to develop during blooms and investigate environmental variables that provide insight on conditions that promote production and release of algal toxins.
•  Dr. Isabel Escobar, professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, and interim associate dean of research, development and outreach in the College of Engineering, who will study alternative water treatment processes to removal algal toxins, address transport of toxins through drinking water distribution systems and compare processes to detect cyanotoxins.
•  Dr. Kenneth Hensley, associate professor pathology, who will develop a method to detect toxins in biological samples, such as urine or blood, to assess exposure to toxins.
•  Dr. Jason Huntley, assistant professor of medical microbiology and immunology, who will test conditions that promote microcystin-degrading bacteria to form biofilms on filters currently used in municipal water treatment facilities.
•  Dr. Patrick Lawrence, professor and chair of the Department of Geography and Planning, who will organize available information and engage Maumee watershed stakeholders to help make informed decisions and suggest best management practices.
•  Dr. Thomas Sodeman, professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at UTMC, who will study the impact of preexisting liver disease for susceptibility of microcystin hepatotoxicity.

A group of more than 60 university researchers, including four from UT who co-chaired focus group areas, were convened by Board of Regents Chancellor John Carey to recommend how the funds would be invested. The group made their recommendations looking at five key areas: Lake Erie harmful algal blooms and lake water quality; drinking water testing and detection; agricultural land use practices, sources of enrichment, water quality, and engineered systems; human health and toxicity; and economics and policy reform.

“This group put a great deal of time and effort into addressing this important issue,” Carey said. “I am very proud of the effort of the researchers from both the public and private higher education institutions. This collaborative effort is evidence of the value of higher education in Ohio to solving the toxic algae issue. We need to build upon this model with other important issues facing our state.”

The newly funded research projects will build upon UT’s already robust work in the area of water quality.

Shortly after the August water crisis in Toledo, a University of Toledo Water Task Force was created. Comprised of faculty and researchers spanning the University’s colleges, UT Medical Center and UT Lake Erie Center, the task force serves as a resource for officials at all levels of government and coordinates existing UT Lake Erie research and ongoing related investigative efforts on water resource management and water quality.

“We are committed to our role as a public research university and are pleased we have the faculty expertise to support our region,” said Dr. Frank Calzonetti, UT vice president for government relations and chief of staff to the president, who is chairing the task force. “UT is in a unique position to provide the resources and expertise sought by our local and regional stakeholders to address this issue.”

Media Coverage
13 ABC, FOX Toledo and WTOL 11 (Jan. 28, 2015)
The Blade (Jan. 28, 2015)
WTOL 11 (Jan. 29, 2015)

The University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center will host a Lab Open House Monday, Nov. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The lab will include discussions and demonstrations by Lake Erie Center staff, faculty, students and researchers on their behind-the-scenes environmental work.

Topics that will be covered include the Toledo water crisis, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, invasive species, controlling harmful algae blooms, local fish and fisheries, wetland restoration, and phosphorus runoff.

“In light of recent national media attention regarding the Toledo water crisis, in conjunction with the analyses conducted in our laboratories, we felt compelled to prominently showcase our abilities to measure the well-being of the Great Lakes through an array of different scientific testing mediums,” said Alexander Hughes, communication and technology specialist at the UT Lake Erie Center.

The center, 6200 Bayshore Road in Oregon, is an interdisciplinary research and education site located near the northwestern corner of Ohio’s Maumee Bay State Park. It is dedicated to improving the environmental condition, ecosystems services, natural resources, and sustainability of Lake Erie and its watersheds, as well as enhancing education for students and the public.
Researchers use the center to explore the interaction between the Western Lake Erie Basin and the Maumee River and Maumee Bay, using the results to investigate the link among land use, aquatic resources, water quality, sustainable living and human health.

“In the end, we hope to raise awareness for what can be done individually to help preserve our ecosystem as well as mitigate the anxieties of our community by demonstrating the efforts in motion by our researchers to protect the world’s largest surface fresh water supply,” Hughes said.

For more information about the free, public event, contact Hughes at alexander.hughes@utoledo.edu or 419.530.8361.

Building on resident faculty expertise focused on researching the causes and effects of algal blooms, the health of Lake Erie and the health of the communities depending on its water, UT officials announced the creation of a University of Toledo Water Task Force.

Comprised of faculty and researchers spanning the University’s colleges, UT Medical Center and UT Lake Erie Center, the UT Water Task Force will serve as a resource for officials at all levels of government as well as a coordinating group to organize decades of existing UT Lake Erie research and ongoing related investigative efforts on water resource management and water quality.

“As a public research university, Ohio taxpayers and U.S. taxpayers have invested in our researchers focused on the Great Lakes and water quality, in general. We have a tremendous return on that investment to offer, and this task force is an effort to create a single portal that governments and organizations can look to for answers and expertise,” said Dr. Frank Calzonetti, UT vice president for government relations and chief of staff to the president, who is chairing the task force.

“From water treatment, testing and filtration to public health issues, to effects on wildlife to the laws and policies of the Great Lakes, The University of Toledo has been literally immersed in Lake Erie research for decades,” said Dr. William Messer, UT vice president for research, who is also a member of the task force.

Last month, UT hosted an open forum for the public as an effort to describe the causes of and possible solutions to the ongoing algal blooms in Lake Erie.

“During the past 15 years, UT has made strategic investments in our environmental sciences, environmental engineering and medicine. Today, the result of that investment is tremendous depth and interdisciplinary breadth in environmental research at UT leading to an extensive body of knowledge on algae and water quality and a wide-ranging network of regional, national and international partnerships with academic and governmental organizations,” Interim President Nagi Naganathan said.

“Given our unique location on Lake Erie, this is not only an opportunity to affirm our role as one of the nation’s foremost leaders on the health of the Great Lakes, but also to demonstrate that it is a responsibility we take seriously. We look forward to working closely with our regional partners such as BGSU and others, as we strive for sustainable solutions to improve the human condition.”

Naganathan and Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins addressed the task force at its first meeting in August where the mayor said he and the city were committed to working with UT to move toward a long-term solution.

Members of the task force, who connect to other faculty both on campus and at other universities, are:

• Dr. Frank Calzonetti, UT Water Task Force chair, vice president for government relations and chief of staff, and professor in the Department of Geography;

• Dr. April Ames, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventative Medicine;

• Dr. Thomas Bridgeman, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences;

• Dr. Kevin Czajkowski, professor in the Department of Geography and Planning;

• Dr. Daryl Dwyer, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and director of the Stranahan Arboretum;

• Dr. Kevin Egan, associate professor in the Department of Economics;

• Dr. Cyndee Gruden, associate professor in the Departent of Civil Engineering;

• Dr. Isabel Escobar, professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and interim associate dean of research, development and outreach in the College of Engineering;

• Kenneth Kilbert, professor and associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Law;

• Dr. Patrick Lawrence, professor and chair of the Department of Geography and Planning, who led a restoration project of the Ottawa River;

• Chuck Lehnert, vice president of corporate relations;

• Dr. William Messer, vice president of research;

• Dr. Neil Reid, director of the Urban Affairs Center and professor in the Department of Geography and Planning;

• Dr. Youngwoo Seo, associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering;

• Dr. Carol Stepien, director of the Lake Erie Center and Distinguished University Professor of ecology in the Department of Environmental Sciences;

• Dr. Akira Takashima, professor and chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology; and

• Dr. Michael Valigosky, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventative Medicine.

Media Coverage
The Blade (Aug. 29, 2014)