Three years ago, Wisconsin Sea Grant developed a strategic plan that laid a course for our activity and investments to meet the research and applied-science needs of our Coastal Communities. We now have an opportunity to make a course correction, if needed, in our current strategic plan as we begin to look towards our next 4-year plan.

National Goals:

• Healthy coastal economies that include working waterfronts, an abundance of recreation and tourism opportunities, and coastal access for all citizens.
• Coastal communities that make efficient use of land, energy and water resources and protect the resources needed to sustain coastal ecosystems and quality of life.
• Coastal citizens, community and tribal leaders, and industries that recognize the complex interrelationships between social, economic and environmental values in coastal areas and work together to balance multiple uses and optimize environmental sustainability.
• Widespread understanding of the risks associated with living, working and doing business along our state and nation’s coasts.

Sustainable Development Needs:

• To know the effects shoreline structures have on coastal habitat.

• Techniques to predict and prolong the life of coastal infrastructure.
• State-of-the-art “Smart Growth” coastal development planning tools that are user friendly and accessible to planners and decision makers.
• Technologies to provide ready access to ecosystem-based Great Lakes information for local, tribal, state and federal decision makers.
• Remote sensing data to improve our understanding of the physical, chemical, biological and geological coupling at the land-water interface and make these improved data access and visualization technologies available to decision makers.
• A Great Lakes Observing System and decision-support tools for Great Lakes resource managers and coastal planners.

Strategies:

• Support research to predict and prolong the life of coastal infrastructure and determine the positive and negative effects shoreline structures have on coastal habitat and communicate strategies to cope with the infrastructure impacts of climate change and extreme changes in water levels in the Great Lakes to port and marina operators.
• Develop state-of-the-art “Smart Growth” coastal development planning tools that incorporate ecosystem-based information and that are user friendly and make them accessible to planners and decision makers.
• Integrate remote sensing data from systems like the Great Lakes Observing System to improve our understanding of the physical, chemical, biological and geological coupling at the land-water interface and make these improved data access and visualization technologies available to decision makers.
• Support the development of regional coastal observation systems and other collaborative efforts that advance our capability to predict the effects of human activities and environmental changes on coastal resources in order to take steps to mitigate their effects.

Sustainable Economies Needs:

• Determination of the value of Great Lakes and coastal businesses, property, infrastructure and facilities.
• Ability for waterfront businesses to remain financially viable while satisfying state and federal environmental regulations related to protecting the Great Lakes and coastal ecosystems.
• Offshore wind energy and other forms of alternative energy in Great Lakes and coastal environments, communities and ecosystems.
• Energy conservation and alternative energy sources for water-based businesses, lakeshore industries and coastal communities.

Strategies:

• Evaluate and communicate the local, state and regional value of Great Lakes and coastal businesses, property, infrastructure and facilities.
• Support research to improve cost efficiencies, enhance energy conservation and develop environmentally sound alternative energy sources to help Great Lakes businesses and coastal economies remain viable.

Resilient Communities Needs:

• To know what causes extreme changes in Great Lakes water levels, the economic impacts of these changes and their effects on coastal infrastructure and coastal communities.
• To know what effect climate change will have on stormwater hydrology and the potential effects on coastal communities and Great Lakes industries.
• GIS, visualization technology, computer-aided designs and other technologies to assess and reduce the risks of coastal erosion, storm wave run-up and other natural hazards to coastal structures.

Strategies:

• Utilize GIS, visualization technology and computer-aided designs to determine the effects of climate change on Great Lakes water levels and stormwater hydrology; evaluate the economic impacts of extreme water level changes and their effects on coastal infrastructure and coastal communities and means to reduce these risks.
• Conduct research to assess hazard-related risks and increase the availability and usefulness of hazard-related information and forecasting for citizens, industries, and decision-makers in coastal communities.
• Work with coastal businesses to assess the risks associated with doing business in coastal areas in the context of severe coastal storms, climate-related changes, and dramatic changes in port and international trade activities.

Education and Outreach Needs:

• Marina and harbor operators who can adapt to changing lake levels and infrastructure impacts associated with climate change.
• Integration of habitat protection and rehabilitation into coastal development plans and infrastructure design.
• Local and tribal government officials who are aware of the ecosystem effects of urban areas and development in coastal watersheds and who know how to integrate land use planning, zoning and future development planning for environmentally safe, sustainable economies.
• Information about the effects of climate change on Great Lakes coastal erosion, stormwater hydrology, water quality and wave run-up so that Great Lakes users can improve public safety through greater awareness of Great Lakes hazards.

Strategies:

• Educate community planners, local and tribal government officials and decision makers about the ecosystem effects of urban areas and development in coastal watersheds and how to integrate land use planning, zoning and future development planning for environmentally safe, sustainable economies; communicate Smart Growth techniques that integrate habitat protection and rehabilitation into coastal development plans and infrastructure design.
• Communicate information about the effects of climate change on Great Lakes and stormwater hydrology and water quality to Great Lakes users and improve public safety through greater awareness of Great Lakes hazards.
• Work with federal partners to develop, test and promote beneficial uses for dredged material and the reuse of clean dredged material to help maintain healthy coastal communities and habitats.
• Work with the NOAA Climate Change Program and other public and private sector partners to develop and deliver comprehensive education/literacy programs on the immediate and long-term effects of climate-related changes, and other hazardous events, on human safety and property along the coast, and how to prepare for and survive them.

Currently Funded Projects:

Diving Deeper: Deepwater Archaeology, Geocaching, and Traveling Exhibits Supporting Wisconsin's Maritime Heritage
John Broihahn, Wisconsin Historical Society; John Karl, UW-Madison

The Great Lakes hold one of the world’s best-preserved repositories of historic shipwrecks. More than 750 shipwrecks lie in Wisconsin waters alone, representing a remarkable range of vessel types, genres and histories. The archaeological, historical and recreational value of these resources is enormous. However, continuing threats of looting by recreational divers, coupled with advancing depths of recreational dives, renders these resources vulnerable to exploitation and degradation. This project will mitigate those threats with a sustained program of outreach and education to increase divers’ and the public’s appreciation of these resources’ value and the need to protect them. In addition, this project will work closely with NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program, which is assessing factors for a possible shipwreck sanctuary in Wisconsin. C/SCD-1

An Economic Spatial-Dynamic Model of Great Lakes Coastal Development
R. William Provencher and Volker Radeloff, UW-Madison

This continuing project is focused on two land development issues. First, it is looking at the effects of coastal (shoreline and nearshore) land use policies and management tools on the spatial dynamics of private subdivision. Second, researchers hope to provide local Great Lakes governments and planning agencies with GIS tools that can be combined with econometric models of the subdivision decisions of private landowners to create a dynamic, spatial forecast of the effect of various landscape policies and management options. R/CC-1

Determining and Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change on Stormwater Hydrology and Management for Great Lakes Coastal Communities
Kenneth Potter and David Liebl, UW-Madison

This project will use the current scientific knowledge about the potential increase in magnitude and frequency of large rainfalls in a changing climate to update the methods used to design and evaluate stormwater-related infrastructure in the Great Lakes region. These updated methods will be made available to local decision makers in Wisconsin’s coastal communities for proactive design of stormwater management systems. R/SCD-2

Davidson’s Goliaths: Documenting James Davidson’s Remaining Vessels in Wisconsin and His Contributions to Naval Architecture
Keith Meverden, Wisconsin Historical Society; John Karl, Wisconsin Sea Grant

From 1870 to 1903, the James Davidson shipyard in West Bay City, Mich., pushed the limits of wooden ship construction beyond anything the world had ever known. At a time when other shipyards had converted to iron and steel, Davidson continued setting new size records for wooden vessels. Four of Davidson’s vessels have been archaeologically documented in Wisconsin; this project includes documenting the remaining two—the Australasia, which lies off Whitefish Dunes State Park, and the Adriatic, which lies within the city of Sturgeon Bay. Wis. Documentation of the Australasia will include constructing an interpretive display in partnership with Whitefish Dunes State Park. Documentation of the Adriatic will aid decision makers in development of the Sturgeon Bay waterfront while preserving an important historic vessel. Collected data will be used to evaluate and nominate both sites according to National Register of Historic Places criteria. C/SCD-02

The Wisconsin Coastal Atlas: Building a Coastal Spatial Data Infrastructure for Wisconsin
Stephen Ventura, UW–Madison

Coastal web atlases have emerged as an important resource to help organize and present maps and data about coasts and make them more relevant to decision making about coastal management. The Wisconsin Coastal Atlas (WCA) will serve as the primary portal to geospatial data about the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior coasts of Wisconsin. It will be organized into four sections—maps, tools, learn and search. The primary Webmapping interface will provide an overview of the Wisconsin coastal zone. A gallery of additional mapping interfaces will provide customized perspectives related to specific coastal issues. The atlas will allow users to search a catalog of coastal geospatial data. The catalog for the atlas will connect to distributed catalogs maintained by other data custodians, allowing discovery, assessment and download of a network of coastal geospatial data. In addition, the WCA will serve as a gateway to spatial decision support tools relevant to the Great Lakes and as a site to learn more about coastal issues and places. The research undertaken as part of this project will frame the WCA as an important building block of an eventual Great Lakes coastal atlas and will promote adaptive management of the Great Lakes at an ecosystem scale. R/SCD-01

Characterization of the Water Environment at the Apostle Islands, Lake Superior
Chin Wu, UW–Madison

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior is a treasured landscape, popular recreation area and a sensitive ecosystem. The 21 islands constitute a complex and poorly understood water environment. The investigator plans to observe and model the water environment at the Apostle Islands 1) to better understand the processes by which dangerous extreme (freak) waves are generated in popular areas of the park, 2) to identify at three spawning sites in the region a turbulence threshold that facilitates egg development and 3) to develop “nowcasting” and forecasting models to aid park managers and visitors in wisely using this resource. This limnological research study has also received support from the National Park Service at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and various citizen groups. R/SCD-03

The Wisconsin Coastal Atlas as a Foundation for Effective Spatial Decision-Support Tools Addressing Great Lakes Management
Stephen Ventura, UW–Madison

The Wisconsin Coastal Atlas (WCA) (wicoastalatlas.net) provides access to maps, data and tools to support decision making about the Great Lakes. It builds on many years of collaboration between Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility at UW-Madison to leverage sizeable investments made by local governments in land information systems and apply geospatial technologies to the sustainable management of the Great Lakes. This second phase of the WCA will incorporate satellite imagery and open-water observations in order to: 1) communicate water quality trends in Green Bay, 2) reduce conflicts between recreational fishermen and trap nets in Lake Michigan, and 3) improve the safety of water sports on the Great Lakes. The project will develop and apply social-science methods to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of spatial decision support tools and establish a webinar series to promote the development of a Great Lakes Coastal Atlas Network. R/SCD-04

Geotools for Fostering Citizen Engagement and Understanding of the Socio-Environmental Complexities of Great Lakes Coastal Estuaries
Janet Silbernagel, UW-Madison

Spatial narratives have been framed as conceptual tools for synthesizing multiple forms of bioregional knowledge for community-based decision making and stewardship. While the spatial narrative has been useful in several research and outreach applications, it has not yet been truly operationalized as a digital “geotool” or evaluated for its utility for citizen engagement and spatial literacy. In this project, researchers are partnering with the Applications Prototype Lab of Esri, a global leader in geographic information systems solutions, to develop a spatial narrative geotool application that allows coastal community groups to form digital spatial narratives for their own estuary-based bioregions and place-based issues. The project will evaluate citizen experiences and engagement in coastal estuaries with the geotool through a social science research design. With new modes of place-based learning, social media and participatory decision making, spatial narratives could be valuable in advancing spatial literacy and thoughtful dialogue around environmental sustainability in coastal communities. R/SCD-05

Algal Bioremediation of Wastewater Inputs to Great Lakes Ecosystems (FY13 Start)
Erica Young, UW-Milwaukee

Future sustainability of coastal communities demands a reduction of nutrients in effluents from wastewater treatment plants, and population growth is increasing pressure on communities’ infrastructure to manage and treat wastewater. Algal species like Cladophora can tolerate and take up high concentrations of nutrients, and this can be exploited for nutrient remediation of wastewater. The researchers have already shown in laboratory tests that Cladophora can deplete sewerage effluent of soluble reactive phosphorus to <5 ug/L and also provide a good biomass feedstock for biofuels production, offering combined sustainability benefits for use in remediation of wastewater. This project aims to develop algal nutrient remediation of wastewater that will provide cost savings to coastal communities and offer more sustainable options to improve lake ecosystem health. R/SCD-06

Assessment and Evaluation of the NOAA Climate Services Portal
Margaret Mooney, UW-Madison; Jean Phillips, UW-Madison

Scientists, educators, decision makers and the general public turn to various sources for climate information. Investigators will conduct a literature review to determine the types of information sources. Guided by those findings, researchers will then design an evaluation tool and apply it to plumb the perceptions of the NOAA Climate Services Portal. Funding source: Supplemental grant from the NOAA Sea Grant Office. A/AS-65

Currently Funded Outreach Projects:

Preparing Coastal Communities for Climate Change: Translating Model Results to Prepare Ports, Harbors and Stormwater Management Facilities in an Era of Climate Variability and Scientific Uncertainty (Harris/Clark)

This Great Lakes Sea Grant Network project involves two tasks: 1) the creation of economic tools or scalable models for evaluating the potential Great Lake economic impacts to navigation and port, harbor and marina infrastructure due to climate-induced variations and 2) the visualization of shoreline and water level change for three Great Lakes harbors based on updated climate change and lake level scenarios. Funding source: NOAA, Climate Program Office. A/AS-62

Great Lakes Mapping Mashups: Training to Leverage GLOS Products and Distributed Web Services (Hart)

This project supports holding one-day workshops on each of the Great Lakes to: 1) showcase existing Great Lakes mapping and decision-support tools, 2) help Great Lakes constituencies assess their needs for new Great Lakes mapping and decision-support tools, 3) identify existing sources of Great Lakes maps and data and, 4) provide hands-on training to show how participants can develop their own Great Lakes mapping mashups. Funding source: Great Lakes Observing System. A/GLOS-1

Enhancing Sea Grant Climate Extension Capabilities Through Training and Increased Interaction With NOAA Scientists (Hurley)

Sea Grant extension agents and specialists are constantly responding to stakeholders with concerns about potential impacts of climate change in coastal areas. However, at this time, there is no centralized training available for them, nor is there a convenient way for NOAA and Sea Grant climate research scientists to interact in a way that brings current science to coastal stakeholders. The co-principal investigators plan to form an advisory committee consisting of selected NOAA climate scientists and Sea Grant extension personnel to develop an online training course for coastal extension agents as well as a climate-based wiki to increase interaction between key NOAA scientists and coastal stakeholders. Public access to the site will allow coastal stakeholders access to all wiki content and the ability to locate key Sea Grant and NOAA climate personnel. Funding source: NOAA, Climate Program Office Sectoral Applications Research Program. A/SARP-1

Enhancement of the Wisconsin Coastal Guide (Hart)

The project enhances the Wisconsin Coastal Guide by completing a comprehensive inventory and classification of public access sites, enhancing panorama photos, partnering with Portal Wisconsin to map the calendar of cultural events in coastal communities, developing a map interface for “stories” that communicate the special nature of the Great Lakes, and adding several new map features to include nature centers, museums, marinas, geocaches, state natural areas and wildlife refuges. Funding source: Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. A/WCMP-4

Ports, Harbors and Marinas Initiative (Clark/Harris)

Wisconsin Sea Grant will assist Great Lakes ports, harbors and marina managers and owners with all aspects of port, harbor and marina infrastructure maintenance and repair, dredging technology and dredged material disposal, and facility management. A single non-advocacy source for reliable, up-to-date information to help managers and owners is critical to the operation and maintenance of our ports, harbors and marinas. New techniques need to be verified and information disseminated to assist managers with their project investigation studies and repairs. Wisconsin Sea Grant will partner with the Great Lakes port, harbor and marina managers, in addition to other regional and national entities, to establish a direct link between managers experiencing operational problems and valuable resources for technical information and engineering assistance.

In addition, Wisconsin Sea Grant will initiate a coordinated outreach and education campaign for Wisconsin’s coastal ports, harbors and marinas. Working with the newly formed Wisconsin Marina Association, Wisconsin Sea Grant will help establish and promote a Clean Marina Program in the state. Central to this effort will be a Sea Grant created website for timely information on port and harbor infrastructure, beneficial uses of dredged materials, guidance for adaptive response to changing lake levels in the face of climate change, and best management practices for a variety of operational and environmental issues.

Climate Change Outreach (All Outreach/IT Staff)

Wisconsin Sea Grant has already laid the groundwork for climate change outreach with funding from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program that supported the seminar series and corresponding publication Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region: Starting a Public Discussion. Now, Wisconsin Sea Grant is expanding climate change outreach by participating in state (Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts), regional (NOAA Sectoral Applications Research Program [SARP] grant as part of the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network: Preparing Coastal Communities for Climate Change) and national projects (NOAA SARP grant with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research & Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training: Enhancing Sea Grant Extension Capabilities through Training and Increased Interaction with NOAA Scientists).

Climate Change Adaptation and Wisconsin’s Coastal Communities: Connecting With Users (Moy/Hart/Clark)

Advisory Specialists Moy, Hart and Clark will work with coastal communities to inform planners and decision makers about the current science on climate adaptation. Moy, Hart and Clark served as co-chairs of the Coastal Communities Working Group of the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, and they will collaborate with coastal communities, non-governmental organizations, and university, state and federal agencies to conduct a comprehensive needs analysis to determine climate impacts, vulnerabilities and possible adaptation plans. Funding source: Supplemental grant from the NOAA Sea Grant Office.

Great Lakes Observing System – Teaching With Great Lakes Data (Hart)

As part of the Great Lakes Observing System education activities, Sea Grant is enhancing the “Teaching with Great Lakes Data” lessons that utilize real-time observation data and models to promote to better understand waves and water safety. Funding source: Great Lakes Observing System.

Great Lakes Observing System – Adaptive Management Needs Assessment (Hart)

The Great Lakes Sea Grant Network is developing an adaptive management needs assessments for three priority user communities—public health managers, fisheries managers and ecosystem restoration professionals. Funding source: Great Lakes Observing System.

Climate Adaptation Implementation Assistance for Coastal Communities in Wisconsin and Minnesota (Hart/Schomberg)

This is a joint project of Wisconsin and Minnesota Sea Grant to provide climate adaptation implementation assistance for Great Lakes communities. A half-time climate adaptation specialist based at Wisconsin Sea Grant will focus on the Lake Michigan coast of Wisconsin through collaboration with the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts. A second half-time specialist based at Minnesota Sea Grant will focus on the Lake Superior coast of Minnesota and Wisconsin through collaboration with the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve. Funding source: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Coastal Hazards Workshops (Clark/Hart)

This project is in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Office of the Great Lakes and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Hazards Team to conduct a series of coastal hazard workshops for two specific audiences. The first audience included regional and county zoning administrators, building inspectors and land and water conservation staff while the second audience will include WDNR water management specialists as well as zoning management specialists and basin supervisors. These workshops will educate these specific specialists to assist them in reviewing and permitting projects along the Great Lakes shorelines and to consider the impacts of future development projects. The goal of these workshops is to convey knowledge gained through experience, education and work of the Wisconsin Coastal Hazards Workgroup team.

Preparing Coastal Communities for Climate Change: Translating Model Results to Prepare Ports, Harbors and Stormwater Management Facilities in an Era of Climate Variability and Scientific Uncertainty (Clark/Hart)

This Great Lakes Sea Grant Network project involves two tasks: 1) the creation of economic tools or scalable models for evaluating the potential Great Lake economic impacts to navigation and port, harbor and marina infrastructure due to climate-induced variations and 2) the visualization of shoreline and water level change for three Great Lakes harbors based on updated climate change and lake level scenarios. Funding source: NOAA, Climate Program Office. A/AS-62