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Silvia Santa Maria Newell

Silvia Newell
Director of Michigan Sea Grant, Professor
Environmental Policy and Planning
Ecosystem Science and Management
Water
CV
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About

Silvia Santa Maria Newell is Michigan Sea Grant’s director, based in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan. A nutrient biogeochemist and microbial ecologist, Silvia’s own research focuses on the effects of excess nutrients from fertilizer and wastewater on inland and coastal waters, particularly harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Erie. Her current collaborative work in the Lake Erie watershed focuses on engaging stakeholders (farmers, managers, and policymakers) to develop realistic pathways for nutrient reduction. She has held many leadership positions, including serving as co-chair of the Great Lakes Commission HABs Collaboratory for two years and her current position as President of the Lake Erie Area Research Network.

Publications

  • Despins, M.C., Mason, R.P., Aguilar-Islas, A.M., Hammerschmidt, C.R. and S.E. Newell. 2023. Linked mercury methylation and nitrification across oxic sub-polar regions. Frontiers in Inorganic Chemistry. Special Issue on Environmental Chemistry of Mercury: Sources, Pathways, Transformations and Impact.
  • Jacquemin, S.J., Doll, J.C., Johnson, L.T., and S.E. Newell. 2023. Exploring long-term trends in microcystin toxin values associated with persistent harmful algal blooms in Grand Lake St Marys. Harmful Algae, 122, 102374
  • Reed*, M.H., Strope*, E.K., J.A. Myers*, S.E. Newell, and M.J. McCarthy. 2022. Effects of filtration timing and pore size on measured nutrient concentrations in natural waters. Limnology and Oceanography Methods, https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10529
  • Jacquemin, S.J., Birt, J., Senger, Z., Axe, B., Strang, B., Ewing, C., and S.E. Newell. 2022. On the Potential for Reconstructed Wetlands to Remediate Fecal Coliform Loading in an Agricultural Watershed. Hydrobiologia, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-022-05078-2
  • Starr*, L.S., Mark J. McCarthy, M.J., Hammerschmidt, C.R, Subramaniam, A., Despins*, M.C., Montoya, J.P., and S.E. Newell. (2022) Mercury methylation linked to nitrification in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean. Marine Chemistry, 104174.
  • Hoffman*, D.K., McCarthy, M.J., Boedecker*, A.R., Myers*, J.A., and S.E. Newell. 2022 Internal nitrogen loading supports cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in western Lake Erie. Limnology and Oceanography, 67(9), 2028-2041
  • Heiss, E.M., Reed*, M.H., and S.E. Newell. 2022 Ammonia oxidizing archaea and ammonium concentration as drivers of nitrification in a protected freshwater lake. Freshwater Science, 41(4)
  • Cremona, F., Öglü, B., McCarthy, M. J., Newell, S. E., Nõges, P., & Nõges, T. (2021). Nitrate as a predictor of cyanobacteria biomass in eutrophic lakes in a climate change context. Science of The Total Environment, 151807.
  • Pound, H.L., R.M. Martin, C.S. Sheik, M.M. Steffen, S.E. Newell, G.J. Dick, R.M.L. McKay, G.S. Bullerjahn, & S.W. Wilhelm (2021) Environmental studies of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms should include interactions with the dynamic microbiome. Environmental Science & Technology, in press.
  • Sepp+, M., Kõiv, T., Nõges, P., Nõges, T., Newell, S., and M. McCarthy (2021) Catchment soil characteristics predict organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus levels in temperate lakes. Freshwater Science, 41(1)
  • Xu, H., McCarthy, M.J., Paerl, H.W., Brookes, J.D., Zhu, G., Hall, N.S., Qin, B., Zhang, Y., Zhu, M., Hampel, J.J., Newell, S.E., Gardener, W.S. (2021) Contributions of external nutrient loading and internal cycling to cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in Lake Taihu, China: Implications for nutrient management. Limnology & Oceanography, 1-18. doi: 10.1002/lno.11700
  • Hampel*, J.J., M.J. McCarthy, S.L. Aalto, and S.E. Newell. (2020) Hurricane disturbance increased nitrification and altered the ammonia oxidizer community in Lake Okeechobee and St. Lucie Estuary (Florida). Frontiers in microbiology, 11, 1541.
  • Vieillard*, A.M., Newell, S.E., and S. Thrush. (2020) Recovering from Bias: A call for further study of under-represented tropical and low-nutrient estuaries. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 125(7), e2020JG005766
  • Boedecker*, A.R., Niewinski*, D.N., Newell, S.E., Chaffin, J.C., and M.J. McCarthy. (2020) Evaluating sediments as an ecosystem service in western Lake Erie via quantification of nutrient cycling pathways and selected gene abundances. ELLS-IAGLR special issue, Journal of Great Lakes Research, 46(4), 920-932.
  • Mullen*, K., Newell, S.E., McCarthy, M.J., and C.R. Hammerschmidt. (2020) External sources inhibit benthic phosphorus fluxes in the Lower Great Miami
  • River, southwest Ohio. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4746
  • Newell S.E., Wilhelm S.W., McCarthy M.J. (2020) Nutrient Cycling. In: Gargaud M. et al. (eds) Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5412-1

Research
  • 2022-2025 NSF Chemical Oceanography: Collaborative Research: US GEOTRACES GP-17- OCE and -ANT Sections: External sources, cycling and processes affecting mercury speciation in the South Pacific and Southern Oceans, Lead PI Rob Mason (Newell/Hammerschmidt $378K)
  • 2022-2026 NSF DISES: Coproducing Actionable Science to Understand, Mitigate, and Adapt to Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (CHABS), Lead PI Christine Kirchhoff (Newell $150K).
  • 2020-2023 ODNR, H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program, (Newell and Jacquemin: $500K)
  • 2022-2023 Ohio Water Resources Center, Modeling total microcystin concentrations in Grand Lake St Marys during a period of exceedingly low external runoff (Newell and Jacquemin: $28K)
  • 2022 International Joint Commission, CSMI planning workshop (Newell, $23K)
Accolades

STUDENT ADVISEE AWARDS

2022 Marissa Despins, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
2020 Joe Davidson, College of Science & Math Honors Top Scholar
2019 Zak Schultz, College of Science & Math Honors Top Scholar
2018 Allison Savoie, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
2018 Allison Savoie, WSU Honors Research Scholarship
2018 Allison Savoie, College of Science & Math Honors Top Scholar
2018 Justyna Hampel, Environmental Science Ph.D. Graduate Excellence Award
2017 Megan Reed, College of Science & Math Honors Scholarship, $250
2017 Megan Reed, Women in Science Giving Circle Scholarship
2017 Allison Savoie, NSF REU Fellowship
2017 Justin Myers, College of Science & Math Honors Top Scholar
2016 Justin Myers, WSU Student Employee of the Year
2015 Justin Myers, Ohio EPA Environmental Education Scholarship, $2500
 

HONORS AWARDED

2022 “Excellence in Grantsmanship” for securing over $1,000,000.00 in
funding for research over the last 5 years.
2021 AGU Top 10 Most Downloaded Paper of the Year (Vieillard et al. 2020)
2021 Limnology & Oceanography Outstanding Reviewer
2019-2020 ASTRA Fellow, Estonia
2018 Women in Science Giving Circle Award ($5K)
2010 Princeton University APGA Teaching Award
2010 Princeton University Dept. of Geosciences Teaching Award
2010 Eco-DAS IX Symposium Participant
2009 First International Conference on Nitrification, Graduate Student poster prize
2004 Highest Departmental Honors in Biogeochemistry, Smith College

Education

Ph.D. in Geosciences, Princeton University
M.A. in Geosciences, Princeton University
A.B. in Biogeochemistry, Smith College