Past Webinars

June 5, 2024 | 12:00-1:00pm

As we head into another season of harmful algal blooms, we are focusing this webinar on cyanobacteria in the context of global climate change, including nitrate, reduced ice cover, and increased temperatures and light. Tune in as we feature the work of Rebecca North, Associate Professor at the University of Missouri’s School of Natural Resources and Silvia Newell, Director of Michigan Sea Grant and Professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.

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Aired 7, 2024

This edition of the Algal Bloom Action Team featured Nicole Wagner, Assistant Professor at Oakland University, who explores how anthropogenic nutrient enrichment and imbalances of nitrogen to phosphorus ratios affects the eco-physiology and cyanotoxin concentration and quotas in cyanobacteria bloom-forming genera. This topic was explored at different scales from manipulative controlled laboratory experiments to whole ecosystem high-frequency monitoring.

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In anticipation of the release of the FY24 RFPs for 104G General, AIS, and PFAS nation competitions, the Great Lakes region is once again organizing a webinar for prospective applicants in these programs. The webinar will not be region-specific, however, and is meant for a nationwide audience of university researchers, potential USGS collaborators, and water center/institute staff.

The webinar start with a brief presentation of the FY24 funding opportunities, including the priorities in each RFP, budget requirements, and time for questions. The second portion of the webinar will be topic-specific breakout rooms for researchers to identify potential collaborators. USGS scientists are being invited to attend these sessions to briefly describe their work and interests in collaborating with university researchers.

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Co-hosted by White River Alliance, Institute for a Sustainable Future, and the Indiana Water Resources Research Center

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Aired December 7, 202

This installment featured Dr. Richard Stumpf from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science at NOAA and Dr. Jessica Ward from Ball State University. This session examined forecasting and monitoring cyanobacterial blooms and overviewing a recent assessment of the effects of developmental exposure to neurotoxins on minnow interactions.

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Aired August 2, 2023

During this webinar, we heard from two speakers who discussed how lake physics and internal nutrient loading can create toxic blooms and how constituents are understanding and assessing HAB risk in freshwater.

• Adam Heathcote, Director of the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Department of Water and Climate Change and the St. Croix Watershed Research Station: Lake physics and HABs: Internal nutrient loading delivers toxic blooms
• Katherine Canfield, Social Scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development in the Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division: Social perspectives and awareness of freshwater harmful algal blooms

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Aired June 7, 2023

The Algal Bloom Action Team as hosted two harmful algal bloom researchers from the North Central Region. Dr. John Lenhart from The Ohio State University presented his research on factors controlling activated carbon cyanotoxin removal. Dr. James B. Cotner from the University of Minnesota discussed how a changing climate is influencing HABs.

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Aired April 5, 2023

This webinar focused on the effect of HABs on wildlife populations and a community science initiative in Missouri. Dr. Jeanine Refsnider from the University of Toledo presented her research on the effects of Lake Erie HABs on wildlife health. Dr. Alba Argerich from the University of Missouri discussed the importance and lessons learned from 30 years of community science in Missouri.

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Aired March 9, 2023

USGS in cooperation with the National Institutes of Water Resources (NIWR) has released their annual request for proposals under its National Competitive Grants Program (104G, PFAS and Aquatic Invasive Species). Any investigator at an institution of higher learning is eligible to apply for these grants with research that focuses on priorities of regional and national importance. Application must be through the Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) in their State or Territory. The RFP has been released with an application deadline in late April 2023 – exact date will vary by your state institute. For more information about the funding opportunities.

WRRIs from across the US are organizing a joint webinar on March 9th, 2023 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time that focuses on the National Competitive Grants RFPs. We will discuss the full proposal process and funding priorities and include an opportunity for researchers to ask questions. In addition, researchers will be able to identify potential collaborators in topic specific breakouts. Also see USGS information or information for IWRRC.

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Webinar presentation slides 

Aired February 1, 2023

This webinar featured Donna Hill with the Office of Research and Development with the US EPA. Hill provided an overview of health effects seen in humans and animals from freshwater cyanotoxin blooms. Completed and planned cyanotoxin research in her EPA lab were also outlined.

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Aired October 5, 2022

This edition of the Algal Bloom Action Team webinar series hosts three great harmful algal bloom (HAB) researchers. Corey Markfort, Ph.D. and Greg LeFevre, Ph.D. discussed the exploration of complex HABs mixtures and mid-range remote sensing in Iowa lakes. Then Jennifer Graham, Ph.D. discussed the structured decision-making research around cyanoHABs management in New York state parks.

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Aired August 3, 2022

This edition of the Algal Bloom Action Team webinar series focuses on the removal of cyanobacterial blooms. Presenters, Dr. Halis Simsek and Dr. Pankaj Bhatt discuss the HABs research being conducted in their lab at Purdue University. More specifically, how cyanophages interact with the cyanobacteria and how this knowledge is applied to remove blooms.

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Aired June 1, 2022

This month’s Algal Bloom Action Webinar features Dr. Callum Whyte from the Scottish Association for Marine Sciences and Dr. Jia Liu from the University of Southern Illinois Carbondale. Dr. Whyte manages a monitoring program for the presence of toxin producing plankton in shellfish production areas in Scotland. Dr. Liu discussed her studies on mitigating harmful algal blooms under visible light for the first time using an innovative magnetic nanomaterial.

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Aired April 6, 2022

We will examine how climate change is impacting marine and freshwater ecosystems with Dr. Christopher J. Gobler, Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation, Professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. We will also learn about the history and current harmful algal bloom projects at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency from Alexandrea Terlep, Harmful Algal Bloom Coordinator, and Hillary Marler, Wildlife Toxicologist.

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Aired March 18, 2022

The National Institutes of Water Resources (NIWR) in cooperation with the USGS will be releasing their annual request for proposals under its National Competitive Grants Program (104G, PFAS, and Aquatic Invasive Species). Any investigator at an institution of higher learning is eligible to apply for these grants with research that focuses on water issues of regional and national importance. With the anticipation of a May 2022 grant application deadline, the Great Lakes Region WRRIs (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH. and WI) are organizing a joint webinar that focuses on these RFPs. We will discuss the full proposal process, funding priorities, and give researchers a chance to ask questions. For more information about the funding opportunities, see USGS information or information for IWRRC.

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Webinar presentation slides

NIWR Great Lakes contacts

Aired November 3, 2021

Predicting when and where conditions are ripe for harmful algal blooms would ideally reduce the bloom’s impact on water quality and mitigation costs. So, why is harmful algal bloom prediction so complex?

This webinar featured presentations from Justin Chaffin, Senior Researcher and Research Coordinator at Stone Laboratory at The Ohio State University, and Katie Foreman, Physical Scientist at the US EPA. The discussion focused on their research on the ecology and physiology of harmful algal blooms and how this work can be used to help solve the prediction puzzle!

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Aired July 7, 2021

Our July HAB webinar featured Yvonne Vadeboncoeur, Professor of Biological Sciences at Wright State University, who discussed her work on filamentous algal blooms and the rising threat they pose for nearshore habitats in lakes with high water quality. Dr. Vadeboncoeur discussed groundwater pollution, lake food webs, and the role of the public in better understanding this new threat to some of the world’s most iconic lakes.

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Aired June 17, 2021

Dr. Linda Prokopy will provide an overview of what the science tells us about farmers’ conservation decision-making. She will then provide an update on social indicators studies conducted around Indiana and how you can access and use the studies’ results to inform conservation adoption..

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Aired May 5, 2021

This webinar featured presentations from Victoria Christensen, Research Hydrologist with the USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center and Virginia Roberts, Epidemiologist with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Discussion focused on models to predict cyanotoxin mixtures that pose a human exposure risk and the CDC’s One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System.

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Aired March 3, 2021

The Algal Bloom Action Team is hosting a webinar series as a follow-up to January’s virtual symposium highlighting the latest HAB research.  Our March speakers were:

• Christopher Jones, IIHR Research Engineer, IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering, The University of Iowa
• Greg Druschel, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

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Aired November 7, 2019

Dr. Keith Cherkauer, Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University introduced the new State of Indiana Waters website and showed how to use the website to monitor current water conditions, review a summary of the new water year, and view long-term surface and ground water trends.

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Aired October 22, 2019

We hosted two of our past IWRRC small grants funding (104B) recipients to present on their research projects focusing on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).

Our first presenter was Dr. Nathan Bosch, Grace College Professor and Director of the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams.  Dr. Bosch will discuss the results of his project, Quantification of tributary nutrient transport and HABs in Lake Wawasee, Indiana’s largest natural lake.

Our second presenter, Dr. Zhi (George) Zhou, Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering at Purdue University, presented his project, Effects of viruses on the development of harmful algal blooms.

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Aired September 28, 2017

Presented by Linda Prokopy, Ph.D., Purdue University and Francis Eanes, Ph.D., Bates College

In 2016, Purdue University conducted surveys and interviews with agricultural producers, crop advisors (CAs), and conservation professionals in the Saginaw Bay watershed. This webinar shares the results from this research, including:

• Information on relationships and trust between farmers and crop advisors regarding conservation
• Key barriers preventing crop advisors from engaging in conservation

Co-sponsored by the Michigan State University’s Institute of Water Research

*This webinar is approved for CEUs for CCA, CPAg, CPSS, and CPSC for 0.5 CEU SW and 0.5 CEU CM.  To receive CEUs, registration is required here.

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Aired January 23, 2017

Presented by Linda Prokopy, Ph.D., Laura Bowling, Ph.D, and Ron Turco, Ph.D., Purdue University

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