Previous Research Priorities

A goal of the Minnesota Sea Grant program is to encourage multidisciplinary, integrated solutions to resource management issues that incorporate good science with economic, societal, and political concerns. Within this context, and within our funding constraints, we are focusing on 8 broad topics that relate to national priorities. We are particularly interested in receiving proposals on socio-economic research to help formulate public policies that minimize the ecological impacts of coastal development and coastal resource use. These topics are described in alphabetical order below with links to full topic descriptions by NOAA Sea Grant for each.

The following 2007 research priorities were developed in cooperation with the Minnesota Sea Grant Advisory Committee, our partners, and ad hoc groups of University scientists. Issues identified by the groups were compiled, categorized within the National Sea Grant theme areas, and used to help us structure this RFP. The intent of the following is to illustrate the types of projects that may be considered in response to this RFP, but they are not exclusive of other projects that could fit within the broad themes listed below.

Aquatic Invasive Species

Outreach Contact: Doug Jensen

Challenge:

Lake Superior’s ports, especially the Duluth port, will continue to receive potentially invader-laden ballast water. Early detection and spread prevention will continue to be critical, as will new control measures. The Great Lakes will continue to be a source of invaders for inland waters. A better understanding of the long-term impacts of established invasives on invaded ecosystems, and the accompanying economic and social costs, is needed.

Goal:

Continue research on the impacts, spread, and control of aquatic invasive species in Lake Superior and the Great Lakes, and from the Great Lakes to inland water bodies. Topics of interest include:

• Developing new technologies to help us better monitor for the presence and abundance of invaders, rapidly detect and remove new invaders (including microbial taxa), and control established species.
• Characterizing the genetics of invasive populations and factors that allow them to spread and gain a foothold in the invaded ecosystem.
• Effects of invasive species on invaded ecosystems, including food webs, contaminant bioaccumulation, and competitive interactions.

Biotechnology

Outreach Contact: Jeff Gunderson

Challenge:

Pollution problems and the challenges of resource management continue to mount for the Great Lakes and aquatic ecosystems. We need to harness the potential of biotechnology to help solve these and other pervasive issues facing the Great Lakes. For example, biotechnologies have the potential to help us identify sources of ecological stresses, protect coastal resources, and discover natural products beneficial to humans. Biotechnologies may also help to better inform resource managers about the populations they manage, and help them protect the natural genetic diversity of aquatic organisms.

Goal:

Promote research on biotechnologies to improve and protect human and environmental health as well as create economic benefits by fostering development of new technologies. This goal includes:

• Assessment of transient pollutant exposures to aquatic organisms.
• Use of implantable devices and telemetry systems to study organism responses to pollutants, invasives, etc.
• Rapid determination of environmental problems due to pollutants, invasives, microbes, HABS, etc., using biotechnologies including bioinformatics.
• Application of biotechnologies and bioinformatics to bioremediation and natural product development.

Full topic description: http://www.sga.seagrant.org/pdf/tt_biotechnology.pdf

Coastal Communities

Outreach Contact: Jesse Schomberg

Challenge:

Coastal communities depend on healthy ecosystems for their economic survival. However, population growth, increasing tourism and coastal development threaten the natural resources upon which coastal regions depend. Balancing economic growth and coastal resource quality is a critical issue that requires both an understanding of coastal resources and a commitment to the principles of sustainability.

Goal:

Foster research and outreach programs that promote a balance between economic growth and coastal resource quality for Minnesota's coastal communities. This goal includes:

• Developing and evaluating best management practices (BMPs) for human activities along the coast.
• Assessing the environmental, economic, and social costs of pollution and remediation, and investigating pollution reduction incentives.
• Developing tools and techniques for more environmentally informed coastal land use management decisions.
• Investigating the relationship between coastal land use and coastal biotic communities.
• Determining public perceptions and values of coastal habitats and clean water.

Full topic description: http://www.sga.seagrant.org/pdf/tt_coastal_communities.pdf

Coastal Natural Hazards

Outreach Contact: Dale Bergeron

Challenge:

Both the Lake Superior coast and the shores of inland lakes are at risk from natural hazards and water level changes, and this risk may be changing due to global climate change. Erosion from flooding, storm events, changing water levels, and improper shoreline development can lead to economic, environmental, and social impacts.

Goal:

Develop and implement an integrated research and outreach agenda that helps predict, explain potential effects, and remediate the impacts of Great Lakes natural hazards. This goal includes:

• Investigation of the economic impact of coastal natural hazards to property owners and communities along Lake Superior.
• Forecasting changes in coastal natural hazards frequency and intensity due to global climate change.
• Investigation of mitigation techniques for impacts to coastal aquatic ecosystems.
• Investigation of the frequency, predictability, forecastability, and risk of rip currents.

Full topic description: http://www.sga.seagrant.org/pdf/tt_hazards.pdf

Digital Oceans

Outreach Contact: Cindy Hagley

Challenge:

Digital data collection, representation, and dissemination are a powerful suite of tools that can be used to ensure sustainable economic and aquatic resources. Such tools can be used by researchers, resource managers, decision makers, policy makers, and educators to tailor management activities, policies, and economic development to create a sustainable balance of natural resource use and conservation.

Goal:

Build on efforts to develop methods creating digital representations (models) of aquatic resources and phenomena. This goal includes:

• Development of new technologies that help us better understand and manage Great Lakes and coastal resources.
• Development of in situ sensors for long-term monitoring, including over-winter and during storm events; also development of a centralized system to store and access sensor data.
• Creation of visualization and interpretation tools for resource managers, public education, and outreach.
• Development of better links between economic and environmental data for decision makers.

Full topic description: http://www.sga.seagrant.org/pdf/tt_digital_oceans.pdf

Ecosystems and Habitats

Outreach Contacts: Doug Jensen, Barb Liukkonen

Challenge:

Lake Superior faces an increasing threat from nonpoint and point sources of pollution, global climate change, and atmospheric deposition of nutrients and pollutants. Coastal environments face increasing human use pressure as shoreline development proliferates. At the same time, the ecosystem remains poorly understood. We can help provide the knowledge and resources to ensure that Lake Superior retains its status of being relatively pristine and having high water quality.

Goal:

Implement a comprehensive research and outreach program to promote a balance between economic growth and coastal resource quality for healthy coastal ecosystems and biological communities. This goal includes:

• Improved basic understanding of the Lake Superior ecosystem, including carbon cycles, primary production, winter biogeochemistry and ecology, deepwater communities, nearshore coastal ecology, and episodic influences on the ecosystem.
• Development of indicators of environmental condition for coastal, nearshore, and deepwater communities.
• Development of protection and restoration tools for Lake Superior coastal zones and tributaries.
• Characterization of the threat from pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and other emerging chemicals of concern, and from harmful algal blooms.
• Improved understanding of impacts of climate change, and atmospheric deposition of pollutants and nutrients to ecosystems and economies.

Challenge:

Lake Superior, although relatively pristine and known for exceptional water quality and quantity, faces problems from point and nonpoint sources of pollution similar to the other Great Lakes. Lake Superior’s ecosystems and habitats are threatened or already stressed by human activity and by the proliferation of aquatic invasive species, particularly in the Duluth Superior Harbor. At the same time, this unique international resource remains the least well understood of the Great Lakes.

Full topic description: http://www.sga.seagrant.org/pdf/tt_ecosystems.pdf

Fisheries

Outreach Contacts: Jeff Gunderson

Challenge:

Lake Superior supports both recreational and commercial fisheries, including the only naturally sustaining population of lake trout in the Great Lakes. Restoration of several species (e.g., coaster brook trout, sturgeon) is underway. We need to understand the implications of fisheries management decisions to better attain economic and environmental goals. We also need a better understanding of food web dynamics and the impacts of global climate change in order to make informed fisheries management decisions.

Goal:

Identify the most pressing needs in fisheries science related to the Great Lakes and its coastal zone and develop a research and outreach program aimed at prioritizing and addressing those needs. This goal includes:

• Determining carrying capacities and sustainable fishing rates for the Lake Superior commercial and sport fisheries, including the influence of food web dynamics.
• Investigating the impacts of climate change on fisheries and food webs.
• Advancing fish disease and immunological science.
• Examining the socio-economic impacts of fisheries management.
• Developing stream restoration strategies that promote native fish habitat.

Full topic description: http://www.sga.seagrant.org/pdf/tt_fisheries.pdf

Urban Coasts

Outreach Contacts: Dale Bergeron

Challenge:

Coastal urbanization along Lake Superior and the Great Lakes has put increasing pressures on coastal ecosystems. Research that reduces the spread of invasive species, increases shipping industry efficiency, and decreases reliance on highly polluting energy sources will help protect our ports and coastal zones, while at the same time increasing port and shipping industry economies.

Goal:

Develop a research and outreach agenda that addresses the most pressing needs related to urban coasts along Lake Superior and the Great Lakes. This goal includes:

• Identification of the most damaging pollution problems associated with shipping and urbanization, and development of pollution reduction incentives and strategies.
• Investigation of cost-effective invasive species control measures and assessment of the probability of adoption by the shipping industry.
• Increasing shipping industry efficiency, and decreasing hydrocarbon-based energy use, and exploring the economic viability of expanded shipping.
• Research on harbor corrosion causes and solutions.

Full topic description: http://www.sga.seagrant.org/pdf/tt_urban_coasts.pdf