A resurgence of harmful algal blooms in the Lake Erie watershed has raised concerns over toxicity and low dissolved oxygen levels and their negative impacts on fish and drinking water.

UWindsor researcher Jill Crossman, assistant professor of quantitative hydrology at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, has established four buoys in Lake Erie to quantify nutrients levels in real time. These buoys report nutrient levels by cellular network to computers and cellphones, a first for the Great Lakes.

The project is a central component of “ErieWatch,” Dr. Crossman’s new research program aimed at understanding drivers of algal blooms in Lake Erie and its tributaries. The instruments and technical support were provided by the University of Windsor’s recently funded $17 million Realtime Aquatic Ecosystem Observation Network (RAEON), and the UWindsor Office of Research and Innovation.

This work also received support from US partners, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, the Co-operative Institute for Great Lakes Research at the University of Michigan, engineering and science firm LimnoTech, and Systea, the manufacturers of the real-time nutrient sensors.

RAEON science director Aaron Fisk says this is the network’s first significant deployment of equipment.

“Dr. Crossman’s buoys are equipped with state-of-the-art real-time phosphorous analyzers providing novel resolution necessary for understanding and ultimately controlling increasing harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes basin,” says Dr. Fisk. “This work would not have been possible without RAEON instruments and technical support.

“We are putting federal and provincial funding to work to solve real-world environmental problems.”

The buoys are currently based at Sturgeon Creek in Leamington and in the shoreline of Pigeon Bay in Lake Erie and will remain there until about early November. Each year they will be moved to a different tributary to collect and build the most comprehensive dataset of nutrients in the Great Lakes.

Algal blooms were a concern in the Lake Erie watershed back in the 1970s, when reduction of phosphorous loads successfully reduced their occurrence. There has since been a resurgence in algal blooms in Lake Erie — and now, many other areas of the Great Lakes. These blooms have led to drinking water advisories in communities across Lake Erie.

“These blooms have a higher dominance of toxic algae and are a concern for wildlife and human health,” says Crossman. “While phosphorous is a key concern, the buoys will also monitor for additional factors that may be influencing the algal blooms, including light, temperature, surface current, and other nutrients such as nitrogen.”

These buoys and instruments, along with additional RAEON equipment to be deployed in the coming years, are a game changer in protecting the Great Lakes.

“The goal is to determine what influences these algal blooms,” says Crossman. “Knowing this will help us develop effective management strategies.”

—Darko Milenkovic

A free exhibition through Aug. 17 at the Michigan Science Center exploring connections to water features an installation by UWindsor arts professor Jennifer Willet.

Dr. Willet, director of the Incubator Lab and Canada Research Chair in Art, Science, and Ecology, produced the Great Lakes Algae Organ as the first in a series of artworks investigating the complex biological, historical, and cultural ecology of the Great Lakes Basin.

Based on the trope of a Dutch street organ, it plays music for audiences while growing, displaying, and entertaining a live algae colony. The algae are grown in a fish tank mounted in back of the organ with a pump system that moves water and algae through front display tubes as organ music is played.

The organ becomes a talking point to discuss algae’s roles — as a superfood, as the largest producer of oxygen in our atmosphere, as a possible source of biofuel, and as an invasive species infesting waters in the Great Lakes.

Recent graduate Jude Abu Zaineh (MFA 2019) assisted with the installation of the work on site, and alumna Billie McLaughlin worked as a fabricator on this project.

The Michigan Science Center is located at 5020 John R St., Detroit.

—Susan McKee

Hundreds of students seeking jobs in engineering had the chance to engage with local employers June 7 at the university’s annual Engineering Career Fair.

The Office of Career Development and Experiential Learning and the Faculty of Engineering hosted the event for hundreds of new grads, soon-to-be grads, and recent alumni seeking full-time employment.

“Career fairs like this are a great way to showcase student talent and engage employers on campus,” says Sarah Overton, the event organizer and campus engagement co-ordinator. “We were thrilled with both student and employer participation today.”

The free event, held in the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation, included a LinkedIn photo booth and more than 40 representatives from industry. View photos from the event on the UWindsor Engineering Facebook page.

—Kristie Pearce

Early-bird registration for the Canadian Undergraduate Computer Science Conference, on the UWindsor campus July 25 to 27, will close June 30.

The national event will showcase undergraduate research in computer science and related disciplines, connecting students from across Canada to leaders in academia and industry. The general public is also welcome to attend.

Tickets purchased before month’s end cost $45 for students and $100 for professionals. After the early-bird deadline, those rates rise to $55 and $150.

Find more information on the conference website.

UWinsite Finance is offering June training sessions for anyone seeking extra guidance with Expenses or Self Service Procurement. Join Finance experts as they go through everything you need to know and get the opportunity to ask in person any questions you may have.

The Expense session will be held on June 18 and the Self Service Procurement session will be on June 19. To register, visit the training website; if you can’t make it to this month’s sessions, be sure to check out online resources available to help.

As always, if you are experiencing any difficulties or simply have a question, submit a ticket and the team will gladly assist you.