GLNF-CESU Lake Superior Monitoring and Research - APIS

Description

This project aims to engage a university partner in joint nearshore monitoring and management activities at Lake Superior national parks including Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and to develop management solutions related to emerging nearshore issues such as harmful algal blooms. The objectives of this cooperative agreement modification are to 1) sustain nearshore monitoring activities, 2) conduct experimental work addressing causes of emerging algal blooms, and 3) support modeling work to improve predictions and understanding of algal bloom occurrence. The project will engage the recipient and partners in shared environmental stewardship through coordination of Lake Superior nearshore and tributary monitoring activities. The Great Lakes scientific community and researchers external to NPS will gain new knowledge about nearshore Lake Superior ecosystems and emerging algal bloom issues through the planned monitoring and modeling activities. Through its link to NPS interpretive activities and outreach efforts by the recipient, the project will improve public understanding of natural and recreational aspects of nearshore Lake Superior ecosystems and the Apostle Islands. The University of Minnesota-Duluth Large Lakes Observatory will assist the National Park Service with ongoing nearshore monitoring activities at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and develop related research addressing tributary-lake interactions and recent ecological changes. This project supports a public purpose of engaging leaders in large lakes research (Dr. Robert Sterner and others) in nearshore management issues affecting Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and coastal communities in western Lake Superior. The proposed collaboration will provide the scientific and management communities with new information about nearshore conditions and facilitate public understanding of Lake Superior ecosystem changes.

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