New York State Great Lakes Protection Fund Small Grants 2002

Six projects were selected to receive grants of up to $10,000 each from the New York Great Lakes Protection Fund Small Grants Program. The program is administered by the Great Lakes Research Consortium, in cooperation with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York Great Lakes Basin Advisory Council, with earnings that accrue from New York State’s investment in the regional Great Lakes Protection Fund. The protection fund (NYGLPF) small grants program was developed to provide “seed” money for new, cooperative approaches to researching and protecting the environmental quality of the Great Lakes.

Meteorological Station at Sterling Nature Center in Support of Great Lakes Research and Environmental Education

James Pagano, of the SUNY Oswego Environmental Research Center, was awarded a grant to acquire a weather station for the Sterling Nature Center, located on the south shores of Lake Ontario. Site-specific data on wind speed, wind direction, humidity, rainfall, solar radiation, and barometric pressure will be used in support of Great Lakes research and environmental education. Project collaborators, such as the Lake Ontario Air Deposition Study (LOADS), Sterling Nature Center, and SUNY Oswego, will also use the weather station. For more information, contact Dr. Pagano-pagano@oswego.edu

Enzymatic Removal of Xenoestrogens from Lower Great Lakes Pollution Sites

Another grant was awarded to a professor at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, James Nakas, for his research in the enzymatic removal of xenoestrogens from lower Great Lakes pollution sites. Nakas and fellow researchers at SUNY ESF will examine a process for the enzymatic treatment of a class of compounds generally referred to as endocrine disruptors (EDCs). These compounds are a recognized threat to human health in that they disrupt normal hormonal functions. EDCs are increasingly found as persistent contaminants in the Great Lakes ecosystem. Laboratory scale model systems will be constructed for monitoring EDC removal and extended to sewage plant sludge and their effluents, which affect Great Lakes waters. For more information, contact Dr. Nakas- jpnakas@syr.edu

Molecular Identification of Coliform Bacteria at Two Lake Erie Beaches

SUNY Fredonia scientist, Theodore Lee, was awarded a grant for research in the molecular identification of coliform bacteria at two Lake Erie beaches, Point Gratiot and Wright Beach, in Chautauqua County, NY. Bacteria serve as indicators of water quality in aquatic ecosystems, and the identification of the bacteria present under different conditions may be a valuable method of characterizing the potential health impacts on users of these ecosystems. The research hopes to link the physical, chemical, and biological factors that influence the dynamics of the bacterial community in the aquatic environment and to investigate the use of these molecular techniques as tools for the identification of organisms. Colleagues from the Chautauqua County Health Department and SUNY Fredonia will join Dr. Lee on this project. For more information, contact Dr. Lee- theodore.lee@fredonia.edu

Pigments to Trace Utilization of Algae by Lake Ontario Invertebrates

Also funded was Katherine Alben, from the University at Albany, in collaboration with Joseph Makarewicz, from SUNY Brockport. The study involves the use of pigments to trace the utilization of algae by Lake Ontario invertebrates will be funded by a Great Lakes Research Protection Fund small grant. The intent of this project is to gain insight into pathways for utilization of algae in the benthic-pelagic food webs of Lake Ontario, particularly by non-native zebra and quagga mussels and invertebrates. Samples for this project will be collected primarily in the area near the Rochester Embayment, which is noted for eutrophication and undesirable algae in response to excess nutrients. Algal pigments will enable researchers to understand which classes of algae are being utilized by various species of invertebrates, what type of nutritional value algal pigments have to the invertebrates, and which biochemical factors influence the utilization of algae in Lake Ontario food webs. for more information, contact Dr. Alben - alben@wadsworth.org

Spatial Distribution and Adverse Health Effects of Toxic Air Emissions in Great Lakes Areas of Concern

Another research project, undertaken by David Carpenter, of the University at Albany, and Ronald Scrudato from SUNY Oswego, will generate a geostatistical method of modeling and monitoring air emissions. Toxic chemicals enter the atmosphere through a variety of mechanisms and sources, either in the gaseous phase or adhering to particles, rain or snow, and then settle into the Great Lakes through direct deposition or run-off from land. Many toxics substances, such as PCBs, have the potential to bioaccumulate in species high on the food chain, posing a health risk for humans. Scientists from the University at Albany and SUNY Oswego will collaborate to develop and test a pilot method for modeling and analyzing the spatial distribution and adverse health effects of toxic air emissions of six concern areas throughout New York State. Large-scale implementation of projects like this will be essential to prevent serious adverse effects of toxic air emission to public health and the environment of the Great Lakes region. For more information, contact Dr. Carpenter - carpent@uamail.albany.edu

Wetland and Streambank Buffer Study in the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern

Karl Korfmacher, from the Rochester Institute of Technology, has been funded to conduct a study of wetland and streambank buffer zones in the Rochester Embayment. This project will use high-resolution aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS), and fieldwork to delineate the extent, quality, and threats to six representative wetlands and 50-foot riparian stream buffers in the area. Additional guidance and assistance will be provided by researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District, the Monroe County Health Department, the Monroe County Environmental Management Council and the municipal conservation boards in the study area. Project results will be used to track progress towards delisting the “loss of fish and wildlife habitat” use impairment in the embayment area. For more information, contact Dr. Korfmacher - KFKSCL@rit.edu

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