Eva Riveros from Fordham University was excited to embark on environmental research through the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program. She’s learning a new skillset with research into pesticide leaching and how water moves through soil.
Funding for this program is provided by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Sea Grant, the UW Water Resources Institute and Water@UW-Madison.
Lake sturgeon first evolved around 200 million years ago, around the same time as the dinosaurs. This unique fish species once numbered more than two million. Fish biologists estimate about 3,000 adult fish exist in the Great Lakes proper today.
Wisconsin is an international leader in lake sturgeon conservation. The state’s efforts target sustaining populations that use four major tributaries of Green Bay for reproduction: the Fox, Oconto, Peshtigo and Menominee Rivers. The Freshwater Collaborative is funding undergraduate research at UW-Green Bay that centers on lake sturgeon reproduction, survival during early life stages and behavior.
“Because of the evolutionary history of lake sturgeon, and their cultural significance in the region, no one really wants to see the species at risk of extinction,” says Patrick Forsythe, an associate professor of biology at UW-Green Bay. He has studied lake sturgeon for about 20 years.
Lake sturgeon spawn in rivers, and their larvae need a long stretch of river to provide protective habitat for growth before they move into the bay and then Lake Michigan, where predators abound. The Menominee and Park Mill Dams, located about a mile upstream from Green Bay, restrict reproduction for lake sturgeon living in the bay.
Enter the Menomonee River Fish Passage Project, which allows adult lake sturgeon to access important spawning habitats upstream from the dams. Sturgeon swim into an “elevator” inside the Menominee Dam. They are then moved by truck upstream of the Park Mill Dam to reproduce further up the Menominee River. The adults and juveniles then journey back through several bypass routes in the dams and into the bay.
Using genetic techniques to determine parentage of recently produced larvae emerging from habitat downstream from the Grand Rapids Dam, Forsythe and his team have determined that nearly 90 percent of the fish passed upstream of the two lower dams —and those impeding access to historic spawning sites — reproduce successfully. That’s good news for conservation efforts, but it’s only on part of the equation.
With funding from the Freshwater Collaborative and supporting partners including the Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act and We Energies, Forsythe and students in his lab are looking at survival rates. Do juveniles in their first year of life survive the journey? If so, which routes do they take through the dams before entering the Bay of Green Bay?
Students are collecting larvae and raising them until they are large enough to surgically implant acoustic and PIT transmitters. The transmitters will track the fish as they move downstream. The collected data will inform whether river and dam management can improve survival rates of juveniles as they journey downstream. This knowledge could improve overall conservation efforts.
Forsythe says students are directly involved in every aspect of the project. This includes experimental design, setting up the tailer to collecting larvae, inserting transmitters, and caring for the fish before they are released and tracking can commence.
“This project gives students a lot of experiences,” he says. “My students are in a really good position to apply for graduate school or get their first job. I’m really proud of that.”
The students routinely participate in planning sessions with working professionals, giving them networking opportunities and insight into the complexities of large collaborative projects.
Partners include USGS, Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wisconsin DNR, Michigan DNR, the cities of Menominee and Marinette, WE Energies and the Mitigation Enhancement Fund, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Michigan Hydropower Reform Coalition, River Alliance of Wisconsin, and Eagle Creek Renewable Energy (owner and operator of the Menominee and Park Mill Dams) and fish biologists from Carlton University in Canada.
Lauren Klawiter is an undergraduate working on the project. She gained so much experience last year that she snagged a summer internship with Colorado State University. She is working with the Environment for Management of Military Lands at Fort McCoy.
“I will be using my skills from last summer and adding additional skills, which I am extremely excited for,” she says. “I have really enjoyed my experiences with fish. I hope to obtain a position working at a fishery or potentially with the DNR.”
Klawiter shared her research at Research in the Rotunda in March 2024. She also presented it at the 154th National American Fisheries Society Conference, attended by more than 3,000 people. Graduate students Steve Hughes and Zach Nordstrom presented posters at the AFS conference as well.
In 2023, students helped collect and care for about 1,500 lake sturgeon. This summer, three new undergraduates and a graduate student joined the team to continue the research. The project is expected to wrap up at the end of 2025 when results will be submitted for publication.
The 2024 Research in the Rotunda featured 16 Freshwater Collaborative-funded research projects. Students shared more about their experience.
Student: Andrew Glasgow
University: UW-Madison
Major: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Emphasis
Graduation date: December 2023
Mentor: Haoran Wei
Summarize the research and your role.
The research was aimed at developing a novel, innovative approach for detecting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. Despite PFAS exposure’s strong links to various cancers and other health effects, current PFAS detection approaches are very expensive and time-consuming, rendering them inaccessible to many communities — especially marginalized groups and those without financial resources. This inaccessibility is made even more pressing because marginalized communities are more likely to be continually exposed to high levels of PFAS in their drinking water.
Together with my advisors, Hanwei Wang and Dr. Haoran Wei, I worked to assess the viability of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a low-cost approach for the rapid detection of PFAS in drinking water. My role consisted of preparing, testing, and analyzing experimental data for different PFAS species, to determine if our experimental approach could help detect various compounds. I likewise had the unique opportunity to choose many of the next steps for experimental and variable analysis, and gained experience with advanced scientific instrumentation (e.g., scanning electron microscopy). Much of my work during the research program was accomplished in an independent manner, with my advisors being available for consultation as needed.
What skills have you gained?
The most valuable skill was gaining a strong comfort with the research process. Most of my prior research work had been “automatic,” with next steps being self-evident due to the nature of the experiments. My PFAS research through the SROP required a much more intensive and nuanced approach, as a slew of confounding variables (e.g., chemical properties) could potentially be influencing the results we obtained. Learning to trace and navigate the potential influence of these factors was an arduous process at first, but one that I believe made me a much more versatile researcher.
What was your favorite part of this project?
My favorite part was the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about research that impacts the environment and society. Over the summer, one graduate student shared with me the importance of developing friendships with one’s coworkers, as they serve as a powerful motivator when the research process inevitably becomes discouraging. I found this piece of wisdom to be unequivocally true through my summer research experience and hope to continue to apply it during my future research endeavors.
What are your plans after graduate?
In autumn 2024, I will begin pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. In the interim between my graduation and the start of my doctoral studies, I have been working as a research assistant in two laboratories to gain additional experience with PFAS and contaminant research. Career-wise, I hope to become an environmental chemistry professor, to improve public health through the development of novel detection and treatment approaches for contaminants.
How will this experience help you attain your career goals?
This experience has provided me with significant knowledge and skills that will allow me to navigate graduate school and a career in the environmental chemistry field more easily. The experience solidified my dedication to scientific research that can improve society. For example, a true hope of mine one day is to aid in addressing the widespread and marked PFAS contamination in Okinawa, Japan. This goal stems directly from my research through the SROP, as the experience allowed me to fully realize my passion for research that can tangibly address severe environmental injustices.
The 2024 Research in the Rotunda featured 16 Freshwater Collaborative-funded research projects. Students shared more about their experience.
Student: Lauren Klawiter
University: UW-Green Bay
Major: Biology with an emphasis in Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology and minor in Environmental Sciences
Expected graduation date: May of 2025
Mentor: Patrick Forsythe
The main goal of this research was to determine the larval production downstream from the Grand Rapids Dam, and to evaluate the timing of the drift as a function of river conditions. My role was to take part in collecting the sturgeon larvae and data collection. Once data was collected, I compared the data from 2020, 2021 and 2023 to see how they correlated.
I have learned a wide variety of skills: how to collect the sturgeon larvae, how to feed them in the many different stages of life, and how to tag them. I also was able to expand my knowledge on fish hatcheries and all the skills that are needed to successfully take care of the fish.
My favorite part of this entire research project was probably being able to collect the larvae. It was something I’ve never done before and being outside till almost 3 in the morning with my coworkers was something I’ll never forget.
This research project has opened the door for me to several opportunities. I presented at the National American Fisheries Society (AFS) Conference. At the conference, I was also able to speak with multiple people and gain experience in presenting and making connections. Also, the skills I learned while on this project helped me gain a summer internship with Colorado State University, working with the Environment for Management of Military Lands at Fort McCoy. I will not only be using my skills from last summer but adding some additional skills which I am extremely excited for.
I’m looking into a DNR biologist role as of now. I have really enjoyed my experiences with fish and hope to obtain a position working at a fishery or potentially with the DNR. I have always enjoyed being outside and I know my internships from last summer and this upcoming summer are setting me up nicely to help me reach my goals.
My experience has helped make me a more confident person with my education and skills. I learned a variety of skills from electrofishing, tagging fish, water sampling and so much more, but I also learned to have confidence in myself.
Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholars arrived at UW-Madison on May 28 for orientation before heading off to conduct research under the mentorship of faculty, staff and graduate students. The 35 undergraduates hailed from 27 universities in Wisconsin and around the country.
Students learned about water research in Wisconsin. They also spent time together, building a strong and supportive network of water research peers.
The week kicked off with a speaker’s event. Who better to introduce them to lake and river ecology than Dr. Grace Wilkinson, UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology, and Dr. Kathi Jo Jankowski, USGS? They learned about the Freshwater Collaborative and their place in the bigger picture of water research from Dr. Marissa Jablonski and Dr. Alison Mikulyuk.
Later, the students took a water-themed tour of the Chazen Art Museum. They also learned about the First Nations of Wisconsin during the First Nations Cultural Landscape Tour. The tour provided a place-based introduction into the 14,000+ years of human history along the shores of Lake Mendota.
The next day was all about watersheds (everything flows downstream!). Activities involved four locations in the Madison area that highlight challenges facing the Yahara Watershed. A visit to Dane County Discovery Farm taught them about soil health and farmer-led councils. They helped out with invasive species control in the Lakeshore Reserve on campus. At a “sand boil” at Franklin Springs, undergraduates did sampling and scope work from the Center for Limnology’s Lake Mendota dock.
Students capped off orientation week with a more hands-on activities at the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences. Activities included kayaking in the Milwaukee Harbor, lab work in the fish labs, and a trip on the R/V Neeskay.
The students will present their research on Aug. 1 at the Summer Research Symposium at UW-Madison. Funding for the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program is provided by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Sea Grant, the UW Water Resources Institute, Water@UW-Madison, and the UW-Madison graduate school.
Written by Heidi Jeter, Freshwater Collaborative, and Alison Mikulyuk, Water@UW-Madison.
Thirteen undergraduates from UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, UW-Stout, and UW-Milwaukee took part in this year’s Freshwater Science Field Studies in Western Wisconsin course. Undergraduates spent two weeks exploring watersheds, contamination and restoration, and groundwater and surface waters throughout western Wisconsin.
Instructors from UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, UW-Stout, and UW Oshkosh taught students field and laboratory skills needed to conduct freshwater research. During the two-week advanced course, students conduct a wide variety of applicable fieldwork to prepare them for the freshwater science workforce.
Highlights this year included:
The data collected in Gilbert Creek in Menomonie will contribute to the Water Action Volunteers (WAV) stream monitoring program, a partnership between the WDNR and the UW–Madison Division of Extension that empowers volunteers to gather and share data to help natural resource managers in Wisconsin make decisions.
