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LAKES Letter In this issue, we take A call for community science standards for the a look at community Great Lakes science, aka citizen by Chris Winslow science, and how it adds to our knowledge of the COMMUNITY SCIENCE is often described as monitoring conducted by amateur scientists that can help to advance scientific research and lakes. understanding. As this issue of Lakes Letter attests, community science has become more popular with researchers and agency environmental monitoring programs over the years. This is due to several reasons. CONTENTS Monitoring activities can be both time- and resource-demanding, and 1 A call for community efforts are often reduced or abandoned when program budgets fluctu- science standards ate. In addition, the vast size of the Great Lakes Basin makes it difficult 3 Association news for agencies to effectively cover the area in a cost-effective manner. Meet the new board Thanks to technological advancements that make it easier to col- lect, analyze, and report certain environmental data (e.g., via smart IAGLR news shorts phones and new sensors), monitoring can now be efficient, accurate, and accessible. Such advance- Award & scholarship ments make it possible for community science to increase the availability of temporal and spatial winners data needed by agencies to assess watershed and lake conditions and to anticipate future environ- 6 Swim Drink Fish citizen mental changes. Further, people are curious about the land and water resources around them and science hubs want to protect and preserve the places they love. This simultaneous increase in ability and desire 8 The Smart Citizen Science of the public to engage in science efforts, as well as their influence on resource management policy, Initiative provide a unique opportunity to involve communities in robust data collection. 10 STREAM: Combining Yet these data must meet certain standards to be widely incorporated into monitoring programs. DNA and people power Currently, we lack a clear understanding of what these data standards are for the agencies and aca- for healthy freshwater ecosystems demics that would benefit from their use. We need to develop a roadmap and mechanism to ensure that both providers and potential users are speaking the same language. Ultimately, there is a need 12 Uncharted waters: A story of how community-based to develop a user-friendly community science handbook that summarizes best practices from exist- water monitoring can help ing materials and provides a tool to develop and deploy a robust and reliable monitoring network. fill data gaps There are a few guidebooks and websites to inform community science, but not all are targeted spe- 14 Member news cifically at water monitoring in the Great Lakes Basin, and they vary in the level of detail provided. As a result, the International Joint Commission will be soliciting proposals via the State Depart- Kudos ment’s RFP/work plan systems to identify a team to review existing community science materials, Welcome new members resources, and opportunities; identify potential roadblocks to conducting community science; New member spotlight develop a summary of requirements on “credible data” across the Great Lakes; and provide a Delaney Demro framework for the future development of a user-friendly community science handbook. This work Patricia Ann Owl plan highlights the need to review existing materials to not only identify best practices for use in the Great Lakes Basin but also to highlight common mistakes that prevent the long-term adoption of Michael Schmidt these monitoring efforts. Luwen Wan Finally, it is not uncommon for a community science program to be designed for one data col- In memoriam lection purpose or audience. The goal of this effort would be to identify collection standards that David Baker could be used to meet numerous needs and end users (e.g., students, watershed groups, university Deborah Swackhamer academics, state and federal agencies, etc.). Regardless of level of rigor, community science pro- grams offer the opportunity to engage younger and more diverse populations, which can contribute to enhanced understanding of environmental science as well as to greater diversity in the environ- mental sciences and resource management workforce. Chris Winslow is director of Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory. He serves on the IJC Science Advisory Board Research Coordinating Committee. IAGLR LAKES LETTER | SPRING 2021 1 PERFORM ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR STUDIES WITHOUT KILLING THE FISH Hehe! That tickles! NON-INVASIVE, EASY TO USE, ACCURATE ECOTOXICOLOGY ASSAYS Environmental impact matters. Use TECO® Mucus Contact us today to learn more. Collection Swabs and test kits to test fish for: + follow individuals and populations over time + endocrine disruption – vitellogenin ELISA + liver damage – hyaluraonic acid ELISA + stress – cortisol ELISA 800.526.5224 | diapharma.com + applicable to over 35 different fish species + save cost and time RESEARCH USE ONLY IN THE US AND CANADA + standards and controls included ML-00-00517Rev01 ASSOCIATION NEWS MEET THE 2021–2022 IAGLR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Andrew Bramburger Paris Collingsworth * Environment and Climate Change Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant / Purdue Canada University President U.S. Regular Member Jean Adams Susan Daniel * US Geological Survey - Great Lakes Great Lakes Center Science Center U.S. Regular Member Vice President Edward Verhamme Alexander Duncan * LimnoTech Centre for Indigenous Fisheries, Past President University of British Columbia Canadian Student Member Lizhu Wang * Donna Kashian International Joint Commission Wayne State University Treasurer U.S. Regular Member Katie Thomas * Trevor Pitcher Ontario Tech University University of Windsor Secretary Canadian Regular Member Alfred Otieno Achieng * Neil Rooney University of Eldoret, Kenya University of Guelph International Member Canadian Regular Member Evie Brahmstedt Rene Shahmohamadloo * Clarkson University University of Guelph U.S. Student Member Canadian Regular Member * Denotes new member IAGLR LAKES LETTER | SPRING 2021 3 ASSOCIATION NEWS IAGLR NEWS SHORTS Seeking papers for special section in CASS update JGLR IAGLR joined other members of the Consortium of Aquatic What is the role of the community in environmental cleanup Science Societies in several initiatives over the past few and revitalization? This special section of the Journal of months: Great Lakes Research will explore the social, community, and • Urged the Biden Administration to return to a Waters of organizational dimensions of environmental remediation, the US (WOTUS) rule based on science, citing the loss of habitat restoration, and community revitalization that are protections for millions of stream miles and acres of wet- unfolding throughout the region. Submissions will be accepted lands resulting from a 2020 update to the rule. This change July 1–September 30, 2021. Look for the call for papers, soon has led to "dire consequences for fish, fisheries, wildlife, to be posted on the IAGLR website. watersheds, water quality and supply, flood control, as well as the people and economies that rely on them." Help enhance member benefits • Collaborated on a proposal to NSF titled “RCN:LEAPS: Please join us for an open meeting of the IAGLR Member- A VOICE (Vision of Opportunity, Inclusivity and Com- ship Committee on Wednesday, June 4, 2:30-3:30 EDT. We munity Equity) in Aquatic Science.” Grant funding would will focus on gathering suggestions and getting your feedback support training opportunities for the IAGLR JEDI Com- on several ideas to enhance the benefits of IAGLR member- mittee. ship. An email invitation will be coming soon with a link to the Zoom meeting. We hope to see you there. If you have any • Explored opportunities for coordination on climate policy. questions, please contact Jean Adams, Membership Committee The World Climate Statement of Aquatic Science Societies Chair, at [email protected]. released by CASS members last September was distributed to all congressional environment and natural resource Nominate a notable paper staffers on Earth Day, April 22. The Chandler-Misener, JGLR/Elsevier • Continued Early Career Scientist, and JGLR/Else- planning the vier Student awards all recognize papers 2022 Joint published in the Journal of Great Lakes Aquatic Sci- Research based on originality, contribu- ences Meeting. tion, and presentation. If you read a paper CASS members published in 2021 that excels in these cat- adopted the egories, nominate it for an award! Nomi- theme “Rapid nations can be submitted at any point and will be considered Changes, Collaborative Solutions.” The meeting will in- for the appropriate award based on the career status of the lead clude a panel discussion with nine CASS member presi- author at the time of acceptance. dents. A site visit will be scheduled for summer 2021. Board moves to create ED role for State of Lake Conferences association Save the dates for two State of Lake At its meeting on May 13, the IAGLR Board of Directors conferences slated for next year. approved moving forward with plans to hire an executive The State of Lake Erie Conference director to lead the association. The board dissolved the ad will be held March 16–18, 2022, in hoc Executive Director Fact-Finding Committee established Cleveland, Ohio, and the State of last year and will create a search committee to develop a job Lake Michigan Conference is planned description and propose a timeline for hiring an executive for October 24–26, 2022, in Traverse director