Michigan Sea Grant recently launched nine new research projects with funding of nearly $1.5 million to track seasonal movements and populations of smallmouth bass in Saginaw Bay, investigate sand dune restoration and stabilization, study wild rice as a tool for ecological restoration, and other issues relevant to the Great Lakes.

These new projects will develop information, create tools, and build partnerships that will improve decision-making to address particularly challenging coastal issues in the state and fulfill critical research needs for the Great Lakes ecosystems.

“Michigan Sea Grant is funding projects that blend community-driven research, outreach, and education, allowing Great Lakes researchers to study these powerful ecosystems and communicate their findings to the individuals that rely on these systems for their livelihood or for recreation,” said Silvia Newell, Michigan Sea Grant director and professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. 

U-M funded projects include:

Sensitivity of invasive dreissenid mussels to freshwater acidification in the Great Lakes 

Synergistic effects of acidification and temperature on Microcystis aeruginosa toxicity in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Understanding drivers of wild rice proliferation in the Great Lakes: A stepping stone towards ecological restoration

Read more on the Michigan Sea Grant website.