GLIN==> Michigan Sea Grant Awarded $1.5 to Help Restore the Great Lakes

[cid:3370587139_351735]

Michigan Sea Grant Awarded $1.5 M to Help Restore Great Lakes

Michigan Sea Grant was awarded more than $1.5 million to help tackle some of the most challenging issues facing the Great Lakes. The program will lead two restoration projects and will assist on five others. Projects focus on endangered fish, invasive species, beach contamination, sound boating and marina operations, and water pollution.

The grants are part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a $475 million federal commitment to improve environmental quality in the Great Lakes region. Michigan Sea Grant’s work, along with hundreds of other projects in Michigan and the region, will help meet key restoration priorities identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“For years, we’ve used the Great Lakes as dumping grounds—letting pollution from farm fields, sewers, and factories flow into the lakes, overharvesting fish, and building on valuable wetlands,” said Jim Diana, Director of Michigan Sea Grant. “The country has benefited from industrial production in this region, but our environment has suffered. This initiative is a major turning point for the Great Lakes. We now have some significant funding which enables us to tackle these issues in a comprehensive, coordinated way.”

Michigan Sea Grant will lead two restoration projects:
- Green Marina Education and Outreach – Total Funding: $478,262, 3-year period
- Restoring Native Fish Habitat in the St. Clair River – Total Funding: $1,040,000, 2-year period

To read more about the projects, see the attached release or visit: http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/restoration

In addition, Michigan Sea Grant is collaborating on five restoration projects led by other institutions. A portion of these grants will support the work of Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educators.
•     Outreach to Reduce the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species.
Michigan Sea Grant Extension Project Coordinator: Southwest Educator Dan O’Keefe.

·     Expanding Vessel-based Education Programs.
Michigan Sea Grant Extension Project Coordinator: Southeast Educator Steve Stewart.

·     Controlling Phragmites along Lake St. Clair.
Michigan Sea Grant Project Extension Coordinator: Urban Southeast Educator Mary Bohling.

·     Beach Information Communication System.
Michigan Sea Grant Project Extension Coordinator: Regional Coordinator Sonia Joseph Joshi.

·     Laser Technology for Tracking Beach Contaminants.
Michigan Sea Grant Project Extension Coordinator: Regional Coordinator Sonia Joseph Joshi.

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Michigan Sea Grant helps to foster economic growth and to protect Michigan’s coastal, Great Lakes resources through education, research and outreach. A collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, Michigan Sea Grant is part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network of more than 30 university-based programs.

For more information, see:
•     Michigan Sea Grant, www.miseagrant.umich.edu
•     Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, http://greatlakesrestoration.us

Apologies for any cross posting!

Questions about this email? Contact:
Stephanie Ariganello
Communications Coordinator
Michigan Sea Grant
stephaa at umich.edu


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