Erica Young, UW-Milwaukee, (414) 229-3257, ebyoung@uwm.edu

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 waste water. 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 at developing 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

Sandra McLellan UW-Milwaukee(414) 382-1700, mclellan@uwm.edu

Indicators of fecal pollution of beaches include E. coli, used historically in the Great Lakes, and enterococci. Past studies demonstrate that sand acts as a reservoir for E. coli, which hampers beach-monitoring programs by introducing these bacteria into beach water in the absence of a primary source of fecal pollution. This project will evaluate the persistence and potential for growth of enterococci in sand, especially compared with new alternative indicators such as Bacteroides sp. and Lachnospiraceae sp. The researchers will use culture and qPCR detection methods to discriminate between viable cells in sand reservoirs or accumulation of nonviable cells that are detected with DNA-based methods. They will also examine the role of the microbial community in excluding fecal bacteria and evaluate microbial community structure at contaminated and non-contaminated beaches. Microbial community structure may serve as an overall “indicator” for beach ecosystem health. R/HCE-10

Stephen Ventura, UW–Madison, (608) 262-6416, sventura@facstaff.wisc.edu

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