Neve Hudson, a master of science student at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, is exploring how climate change and warmer winters have impacted Lake Erie's algal community. Her research utilizes light readings and water samples from the lake to investigate how minimal ice coverage affects algae in the winter.
In partnership with the Canadian and United States Coast Guards, Hudson will join a team of researchers aboard the Ice Cutter USCG Morro Bay this winter to conduct sampling. She also took samples in Port Stanley in November alongside GLIER technician Jon Leblanc.
Grad student Neve Hudson will sample Lake Erie waters in the winter, providing valuable insight into the effects of climate change.
"We are looking at the community makeup of phytoplankton, as well as their energy production rates and methods," Hudson says. "This research furthers the understanding of how Lake Erie's winter algal community is adapting to warmer winters that are associated with climate change."
Warmer winters have decreased ice cover and changed water precipitation patterns over the Great Lakes. Understanding these changes, particularly with winter period studies, will be key to measuring the impact on the environment.
Despite the significant impact on the Great Lakes ecosystem, water sampling rarely occurs during the winter. Studies during this season are crucial to understanding algal ecosystems in the Great Lakes and help to inform how varying conditions can impact them over the course of the year. Hudson's research will help to predict potential moving forward and provide markers on the effects of seasonal trends.
