Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome is an associate research scientist in the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS). We asked her to share more about her work in this brief Q&A. 

What is your research focused on?

My research aims to improve the predictability of hazardous weather, ice and ocean/lake events in cold regions to enhance coastal resilience.

The primary goals of my research are to 1) understand how sea/lake ice processes and their interactions with water and atmosphere underpin extreme weather events in the Great Lakes and other coastal ocean environments, 2) improve forecasting models to represent these processes better, and 3) work with stakeholders to co-design forecast products for better information uptake. Numerical geophysical modeling is my primary research method. My work, which enhances model accuracy, focuses on the Great Lakes, Arctic Ocean, Alaskan coasts and the Sea of Okhotsk.

What is the impact of this research? 

With ongoing climate warming, extreme events such as severe storms and heavy precipitation are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. Accurate prediction of these events is crucial for coastal community resilience and the nation’s economy. The modeling products from my research have become valuable engineering tools, widely used at NOAA. For example, my work enabled the development and validation of ice forecasts for the Great Lakes Operational Forecast System. These forecasts help assess risks in various areas, including vessel navigation, river ice jams and coastal flooding, and frazil ice buildup in water intake structures. They also provide planning support for winter recreation, such as ice fishing, ice cave tours and temporary land bridges for island communities.

Learn more about SEAS research scientists:

• David Cannon 

• Casey Godwin

• Thiago Gonçalves-Souza

• Yi Hong

• Abby Hutson

• Dani Jones

• Lauren Mullenbach