Five New Fellows in 2011!!

Michigan Sea Grant helped five graduate students secure fellowships this year - a record number! This post will provide a brief introduction to each of the new fellows.  Hopefully you will hear from them directly in the coming months.

Michigan native, Cassie Bradley, received the Great Lakes Commission - Sea Grant Fellowship. Cassie is a graduate of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science where she studied how shoreline development, like rip rap and bulkheads, affect marine life.  During the fellowship, which began in June 2011, Cassie will work on projects related to wind energy, invasive species and water management in the Great Lakes region.  We're excited that this fellowship was able to bring Cassie, and her ecological and wave energy modeling know-how, back to the Great Lakes region.

Liz Durfee and Zach Hecht-Leavitt, both graduates of the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources, were awarded NOAA Coastal Management Fellowships. During this two year fellowship, Liz will be working with Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan’s Coastal Management Program on working waterfronts. Her mission is to use her planning background to study waterfront privatization and help ensure coastal access for a variety of uses, including shipping, commercial fishing and recreation. 

Zach's fellowship assignment is based in Albany, New York where he will use his GIS expertise to support marine spatial planning.  Marine spatial planning is essentially a way of thoughtfully divvying up coastal and offshore areas for fishing, oil and gas production, wildlife sanctuaries and other uses. You can read one of Zach's earlier posts below. Although we will probably see more of Liz during the next two years, we are excited to learn from both NOAA fellows about these hot topics.

Kyle Molton and Eric MacMillan were selected for the Knauss Fellowship and will move to Washington, D.C. in January 2012. Both Kyle and Eric recently completed MS degrees in Michigan State University’s Fisheries and Wildlife Department where they researched Great Lakes fisheries issues. Kyle and Eric have already gotten some press attention!  See: State News and MSU News

Neither will know their exact assignment until after a weeklong interview process in November. Kyle expects to work in a congressional office researching issues, communicating with constituents and helping legislators address marine and Great Lakes concerns. Eric hopes focus on fisheries management and work in a federal agency like the National Marine Fisheries Service or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Four of the five new fellows joined Michigan Sea Grant for our annual staff retreat in Port Huron.  They successfully survived long discussions about program planning and a fun night of Great Lakes perch and Michigan beer.  We all hope the fellows will stay in touch.

These paid, full-time fellowship positions should help launch each recent graduate into exciting careers as natural resource professionals. We are excited to hear the stories! Stay tuned.

- Lynn, Michigan Sea Grant Fellowship Coordinator

Invasive Phragmites: Wicked

My, how time flies! There are only a few weeks remaining in my fellowship at the Great Lakes Commission, and I’m busy trying to finish up my work in between traveling. Given all the interesting experiences I’ve had since my last post – including the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill to advocate for Great Lakes priorities in February, and planning and conducting a workshop on the Ecological Effects of Wind Energy in Indianapolis in March – it’s hard to select just one topic to write about. But I think I’ll focus on the project that I’ve had the most involvement in during my time here: a partnership with the Michigan DNR, DEQ and other groups to build capacity for the management and control of invasive phragmites.

Non-native phragmites is a tall, aggressive wetland grass that has invaded many coastal areas in the Great Lakes region. This invasive species seriously impacts native biodiversity, habitat quality and human uses such as recreational access and lake views. In response to this issue, the Commission worked with various partners to plan and convene Phragmites Invasions in Michigan: A Symposium to Build Capacity for Management, held March 28-30, 2011. The symposium was attended by over 120 stakeholders representing diverse sectors. I was fortunate to be involved in every stage of planning this event, and was asked to present on the results of a state wide questionnaire we conducted on invasive phragmites management and control.

What really struck me at the symposium was the level of local engagement and commitment to combating invasive phragmites. Ordinary citizens across the state, with day jobs unrelated to natural resources management, are turning their concern about this invasive species into decisive action. These “local champions” are giving countless hours to galvanize their communities, educate their neighbors, and seek resources to control phragmites along their shorelines.

In my Environmental Policy class at graduate school, we learned about “wicked problems” in which stakeholders disagree on the definition of the problem, values are in conflict, and a large community will be required to resolve the issue. I never truly understood the nature of a wicked problem until I became involved in invasive phragmites management in the Great Lakes region. Although most who attended the symposium shared a desire to eradicate invasive phragmites, I was surprised at how frequently participants’ values differed. Some felt strongly that herbicide use was damaging the ecosystem, and that phragmites should not be treated without a clear plan for ecosystem restoration and a strong likelihood of success. Others felt that eradicating invasive phragmites was always justified, even if other invasive plants moved in after treatment. Although most symposium attendees spoke of private landowners willing to cooperate to control phragmites, I was amazed to hear that some landowners want to keep infestations on their property to serve as privacy screens.

There is no simple answer to the invasive phragmites problem, but what I have taken away from this experience is this: The 120 participants at the symposium were not daunted by the immense challenge of invasive phragmites. I believe the commitment and strength of local communities, combined with the resources and knowledge of environmental professionals, can overcome just about any wicked problem.
- Julie, GLC Fellow 2010

Coastal Management Fellowship matching workshop

It was a busy and occasionally stressful week, but a productive and ultimately successful one. Finalists from across the country came to Charleston, SC to participate in the 2011 NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship matching workshop. In this process, 6 of the 11 finalists were placed with 6 different state coastal management agencies through a partnership between the state and the NOAA Coastal Services Center. Our backgrounds were as varied as the projects themselves, which ranged from climate change policy and adaptation to development of a coastal erosion index.


Zach and his new mentor from NY.

During the first day of the workshop, representatives from each state office presented their project and talked a bit about the pros of living in their particular city. States from colder climes endured some good-natured jabs from South Carolina regarding its superior weather. As if to underscore that point, it was beautiful that week in Charleston. It's a charming town.

During the second day, the tables turned and the finalists gave presentations on their backgrounds. This was the most nerve-wracking part of the process for me. Some of us tailored our presentations to certain projects we knew we were interested in, while others gave a more general overview. I spoke to my background in GIS and coastal mapping, as I thought I'd be a good fit with the two marine spatial planning projects. Hearing about the accomplishments and skills of the other candidates was a humbling experience, and all of us felt honored to be among the group of finalists.

During the third and fourth days we interviewed with our potential hosts to determine if the fit was mutual. Most nights saw the finalists going out to dinner and/or bars as group. Despite the fact that we were "competing", the group bonded quickly and developed a real sense of camaraderie in the face of the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the week. The Coastal Services Center, which acted as a sort of intermediary between the state hosts and finalists, also helped allay our nerves and ensure a smooth process. In the end, I was matched with the state of New York's Division of Coastal Resources. I'll be helping with their offshore spatial planning efforts, and my two-year fellowship will being sometime in August. I think it will be a great fit with a great group of people. Stay tuned for details on that front.  - Zach, CMF 2011

A Year at the U.S. State Department’s Office of Marine Conservation

It is hard to believe that my Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship at the Office of Marine Conservation has already ended. It was a great year in which my knowledge of international fisheries has grown beyond my expectations. Since my last post I have traveled around the world to numerous conferences and meetings as a representative of the U.S. Government. In June I attended a meeting on tuna by-catch in Brisbane, Australia. At this meeting I worked with representatives of Australia to help write the official report of the meeting. In September I traveled to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia to participate in the negotiations for a new Regional Fisheries Management Organization in the North Pacific. At this meeting I not only worked as part of the U.S. delegation but I also worked for the Interim Secretariat documenting the meeting, writing the report and tracking the agreed changes to the draft Convention text.

In October I traveled to Pohnpei, Micronesia to participate in the Technical and Compliance Committee meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. For this meeting I led the U.S. efforts to review applications for cooperating non-member status to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. As lead on this effort I worked with multiple bureaus within the Department of State to analyze and formulate positions on applications before then working to incorporate the thoughts and concerns of other federal agencies as well as stakeholders. I was then able to speak on behalf of the U.S. delegation in relation to the review of these applications at the meeting in Pohnpei. In November I traveled to London, UK as the sole U.S. representative to the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission.

In my year at the State Department I not only learned the specific complexities associated with international fisheries but I also learned how policy is developed and implemented at the national and international level. I attained the invaluable skills associated with working as a professional in the international policy field. I am now finding these skills and experiences are giving me new perspective as I move forward to complete my PhD at Michigan State University.  - Maggie, Knauss 2010

Looking Back on 2010

As I welcome in the New Year I can’t help but look back at the blur that was 2010 with a little amazement. Since my last post I’ve gotten to travel to Pittsburgh, Seattle, San Diego, Virginia Beach, and Galveston on work trips. In retrospect a frequent flier program might have been a good idea. While in Galveston I was able to arrange a visit to NOAA's "turtle barn," which houses a sea turtle hatchery for recovering Gulf sea turtles. The picture here is me with a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, the most endangered sea turtle in the world.

My office has obviously been excellent in terms of travel, but the important thing is that I’ve truly contributed to our efforts and am building experiences and connections for myself. I attended the American Fisheries Society and Restore America’s Estuaries Conferences this fall, presenting the results of the 2010 National Fish Habitat Action Plan Coastal Assessment that my coworkers and I produced. While I do a number of things in my office, my goal was to produce at least one big project that I could really hang my hat on, and the Coastal Assessment was just that. The experience has kept me connected to habitat science and built connections amongst NOAA, Fish and Wildlife, and multiple DNR agencies. We’re expecting to publish these results, and hope for one or potentially two publications in addition to the stakeholder-focused National Fish Habitat Assessment and an agency/science focused technical memoranda.

While on travel to Seattle I met with members of the NFHAP team, was able to get some first-hand fieldwork in the region’s estuaries, and even caught a wild, native steelhead on the Methow River.

One of my goals coming to DC was to build program management and budget planning experience. I’ve gotten plenty of that, as I’ve been putting together budget initiatives for NMFS’ newly expanding habitat science program. We’ve put forward a request for $3 M per year dedicated to improving habitat science in support of fisheries management, and it seems that despite budgetary constraints there may be funding for this effort. The legwork and experience putting an initiative like this together have given me confidence and valuable insight into how to successfully navigate the budget process in government.

I’ve been fortunate in that it my office has offered me a position to continue my current work as a contractor when my fellowship ends. My role will be to continue with the projects I've worked during my fellowship: Habitat Science, NFHAP, and NMFS Science Board. I’ve loved the people that I work with, the job that I’m doing, and the friends that I’ve made throughout DC. The experiences I’ve had and the doors that introducing yourself as a Knauss fellow open in DC have made me very glad to have participated in the fellowship. I’d highly recommend the fellowship for anyone wanting to build skills in the science/management/policy arena or relationships in DC. FYI not all fellows work for NOAA, there are Knauss fellows in EPA, Navy, Department of Transportation, BOEMRE and NSF too (those were just a few from my class).    -  Joe, Knauss 2010

A whole new world...

It's hard to believe this is my first blog post and I've already been at the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) for almost five months! I spent my summer getting to know my coworkers and familiarizing myself with the policies, agencies, and institutional structures that make up Great Lakes governance.

My transition from pure science to the science/policy interface has been eased by the science-based focus of my projects, and I have been pleasantly surprised to find the social science and policy aspects of my work just as interesting and engaging. For example, one of my primary responsibilities is to co-lead a project to plan and conduct a regional symposium on the management of non-native Phragmites australis. This invasive reed is taking over coastal and inland wetlands across the region, destroying native habitats and impacting human use of water resources by restricting access and impeding views. To address this issue, the GLC is working with Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources and Environment staff to bring together interested stakeholders in order to forge relationships and to develop a strategic framework for management on a statewide level. This symposium will be held in Lansing in March 2011, and I'm looking forward to seeing this project through from beginning to end. Since I devoted my graduate work to understanding the ecological impacts of invasive species in the Great Lakes, I have enjoyed the opportunity to see how this type of science is applied to complex decision-making processes.

I've also been heavily involved in the GLC's facilitation of the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative, a multi-sector coalition of stakeholders working towards the sustainable development of wind power in the Great Lakes region. One of my main projects is planning a State of the Science meeting on the ecological impacts of wind energy in the Great Lakes. Last week, I was in Lakewood, Colorado at the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative's 2010 Wind Wildlife Research Meeting. This year was the first time there was an offshore wind session at the meeting, and I really enjoyed learning about the unique ecological, scientific, social, policy and regulatory issues surrounding offshore wind development. With the lease for the first offshore wind farm in the US being signed by the Secretary of the Interior just a few weeks ago, it is a very exciting time to be working on offshore wind issues!

This is just a small samplling of the work I've been fortunate to be involved with at the GLC over the first part of my fellowship. My time here so far has been educational and exciting, and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to network with the Great Lakes community beyond the realm of academia. I am beginning to realize how important relationship-building, cooperation, and communication are to responsible governance of natural resources, and I am looking forward to delving even deeper into these issues in the latter half of my fellowship.   - Julie, GLC Fellow 2010

Controversy and Resolution - Lessons from a Year at the Commission

Anjali Patel recently completed a one year, Sea Grant fellowship at the Great Lakes Commission and has now moved onto a law firm in DC. I caught up with her this week to get her perspective on the fellowship and what she’d learned about science and policy in the Great Lakes region.

“This was just a good year to be a the Commission – between the growing interest in wind energy, the federal restoration initiative, ballast water regulations and Asian carp there was just a steady stream of really interesting work!” said Anjali. “By the end of the year, I realized I had worked with just about everyone on staff on some type of project.”

Anjali started her work at the Commission in the summer of 2009, just after securing her law degree from the University of Michigan. Anjal has a history of working with communities and non-profit organizatinons, but interstate compact agencies, interjurisdictional cooperation, and multi-stakeholder consensus building was a whole new game.

From day one of the fellowship, she was thrown into a series of contentious Great Lakes issues at the science-policy interface. I asked her what surprised her most about this new world.

“I was really struck by how small the community is,” Anjali said. She quickly became familiar with the players because she often saw the same people at meetings, even when the topics were very different, such as wind development and Asian Carp. Staff and time are limited, so leaders from state agencies and NGOs often had to be experts on many different topics.

This one observation – about the intimacy and overlap within the Great Lakes environmental policy community – is connected to many of Anjali’s other observations.

We’ve all witnessed the ebb and flow of political will, but this became a driver of Anjali’s daily work life. When she began the fellowship, there was a growing momentum to develop strict rules for ballast water in ships travelling into the Great Lakes. Anjali took a maternity leave mid fellowship and when she returned, this work had been completely eclipsed by concerns for Asian carp. I asked her what she thought was driving the shifting attention, is it driven by the media? Anjali thinks it is partly a function of the small community. Staff time is limited, so when a crisis comes up, energy is diverted from other less urgent issues. The Great Lakes region can only make progress on a few issues simultaneously, particularly if progress requires regional consensus and coordination.

Anjali got to watch how regional negotiations unfold. The Commission helped assist the Great Lakes states and provinces in developing a single resolution about Asian carp and the needed response. Commissioners from all ten Great Lakes states and provinces were able to agree that the best permanent solution for the health of both the Mississippi River and Great Lakes watersheds is ecological separation. Given the disagreement over short term solutions, the parties engaged in multiple conversations in which they expressed their underlying concerns and goals in order to craft language which was acceptable to all. 

“The Commission has a history of successfully building consensus and it was fascinating to see how it’s done. The sides weren’t nearly as polarized as the media portrayed, but it took face to face meetings to find the commonalities.”

Anjali was also really struck by the friendliness of Great Lakes community, despite the controversies. “People treat each other with respect even when things get heated. It might be the Midwest style.” She also had another explanation. Because the community is small, two people might be on opposing sides of the current issue, but find themselves on the same side of the next issue. So people tred lightly. Your enemies today might be your allies tomorrow. Rather than large polarized groups facing off over a controversial issue, discussions involved people who had established relationships that they wanted to maintain.

Before I said good bye to Anjali, I asked how her experiences and observations would help her in her new job with an energy law firm in DC. She said the Commission has trained her to write more quickly and cogently, a skill every lawyer needs. And her work with the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative will be a bonus as her law firm begins to focus on alternative energy issues. She also feels the fellowship has given her a broader perspective on how policy, industry and NGOs fit together. So when she’s focusing on the needs of a particular energy company she can see how it fits into the bigger picture. “I can now see how and why things happen and who makes it happen. And that’s just interesting.”

You can read more about Anjali’s work in these reports:

Report – The Role of Ports for Wind Energy
Prospectus – The Great Lakes Wind Collaborative

Updates from a 2010 Knauss Fellow

I started the Knauss fellowship last February, and six months have never gone by so fast. I’ve been working in the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Office of Science and Technology, focusing on habitat science.

It’s a bit staggering to sum up even six months of experiences in such a fast-paced environment, but suffice it to say that they’ve been diverse, challenging, and exciting. A freshwater ecologist by training, albeit with an interest in habitat, I was nervous that my background may not translate well to the marine environment. My first few weeks were slow, as I was getting up to speed with projects and acronyms. Feeling like I needed a chance to jump into something and contribute, I volunteered late one Friday afternoon to put together an abstract for an upcoming conference. I was in the office well after everyone else left that day, working with a leading habitat scientist in La Jolla, CA on the abstract, and we ended up getting it accepted. Lesson learned: there's plenty of work here that needs to be done and the experience is here for the taking. It seems like since that day, I haven’t had a chance to catch my breath in the office. It's definitely been transition from the academic and field environment to the office, but the last six months have flown by as I’ve contributed to a number of major efforts in our office.

I’ve worked on three major assignments in our office thus far: the National Habitat Assessment Workshop (NHAW), the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) Coastal Assessment, and the NMFS Science Board. The NHAW was held jointly with a stock assessment workshop in an effort to improve communication, science, and management with regard to habitat. The ~200 person workshop was in St. Petersburg, FL, and I was part of a small team in charge of planning, executing, and following through with recommendations generated at the workshop. I’ve also been fortunate to participate in some research, through the NFHAP coastal assessment. NFHAP is a network of habitat partnerships across the country, and they have requested a national assessment of the nation’s coastal waters. My experience with GIS and habitat science as well as connections I made at SNRE have allowed me to step immediately into the research team as a peer amongst some of NMFS’ best scientists. It’s been exciting to contribute to the assessment, an effort that featured travel to Boulder, CO and potentially to Galveston, TX and Pittsburgh, PA. Finally, a coworker and I have served as the Executive Secretaries for the NMFS Science Board. While planning, executing, and following through on actions from these quarterly meetings, I’ve had the opportunity to witness and sometimes contribute to very high-level science. Probably the most interesting experience on the Science Board was watching discussions during the May 4-6 meeting, which occurred in the early days of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

While the work has been great, I've also enjoyed the travel and life in DC. I've already been to St. Petersburg, FL and Boulder, CO for work and expect to go to La Jolla, CA, Seattle, WA and Galveston, TX along with two other work trips. The young and vibrant atmosphere in DC has been entertaining when I do actually have a chance to relax- there's plenty of music, sports leagues, and I was surprised to find a number of nearby parks for outdoors activities. Another highlight has been the friends I've made within the fellowship class, many of whom I expect to keep in touch with long after my time here is through. In sum, the fellowship has been a blur thus far, but between the chance to put my education to work and the experiences I've gained, I've definitely enjoyed being where the action is.

- Maggie, Knauss 2010

New Fellow Begins at the Great Lakes Commission

After a rigorous selection process, the next round of fellowhips recipients have been chosen - including two candidates from Michigan for two different fellowships.

Congrulations to Julie Mida, the next Great Lakes Commission Fellow. Julie just finished an MS in Aquatic Sciences from the University of Michigan, where she researched the role of the opossum shrimp (Mysis relicta) in the altered food webs of Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Julie is a Michigan native who loves swimming, boating, creative writing and just being outdoors. She says her interest in aquatic ecology was a natural extension of her childhood experiences, “…catching fish from her dock, exploring ice formations on the frozen shores in winter and discovering the secrets of wind-swept dunes and pebble-strewn beaches in summer.”

Julie found many outlets for her passion in school and beyond. As part of her MS research project, she spent 10 days living and sampling abroad the EPA’s research ship, the Lake Guardian, and many long hours processing and identifying plankton samples in University and USGS labs. Julie isn’t just good at doing science, she’s also great at sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm. She received glowing reviews from the students in her lab sections and she found time to lead volunteer stream monitoring trips. Julie has a great combination of interpersonal and technical skills and we are thrilled to see where the fellowship takes her.

After just two weeks on the job at the Commission, Julie expects her work to focus on issues of invasive species, habitat restoration and coastal wind development.  We look forward to blog updates from Julie!

Finalist Chosen for Marine Policy Fellowship

Colin Hume was recently chosen to be part of the 2011 class of Knauss Fellows - Congratulations! Colin and about 40 other fellows will be heading to D.C. in Janauary 2011, but he won’t find out which agency within the exectirve branch will be his host until November.

Colin just completed a MS at the University of Michigan, with a focus on Conservation Biology and Environmental Policy. Colin grew up near Seattle where both the coast and mountains made a deep impression and influenced his professional as well as recreational choices. After graduating from Western Washington University with a degree in biology he worked on number of field research projects –snagging bear hair for DNA anlaysis, tracking the movement of carnivores, and searching for amphibians in wetlands.

Ecology is only one of Colin’s passions. After college, he also spent time in Afganistan and Ethiopia, as a photographer, videographer and fundraising coordinator for two NGOs. These experiences contributed to Colin’s creativity, leadership and organizational skills – traits that will likely make him an effective environmental practicioner.

During his years in the field, Colin developed a desire to play a larger role in the decision-making and management of our forest and natural resources. He hopes his MS degree and the Knauss fellowship will deepen his understanding of environmental approaches within the public sector and will help launch his career. We look forward to learning a little bit about the journey!