Projects & Funding

Minnesota Sea Grant supports and participates in scientifically rigorous research and outreach projects that focus on Lake Superior, Minnesota’s inland lakes, and national coastal issues.

The grants we award fund research led by a faculty member from a Minnesota academic institution and include support for a graduate research assistant. Staff, an advisory committee, partnering organizations, scientists, and the public help to identify research needs. Minnesota Sea Grant issues a competitive request for proposals (RFP) biennially.

External grants and partnerships drive and strengthen many of our outreach projects. Our extension educators and communications team ensure that accurate information on such things as aquatic invasive species, coastal community planning, water quality, fisheries and aquaculture, and maritime transportation reaches the right audiences in a timely way.

Featured Projects

Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Training Helps Businesses, Changes Federal and State Policies

The Aquatic Invasive Species-Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point program (AIS-HACCP), a Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Program led by Minnesota Sea Grant to prevent the spread of AIS by the aquaculture and baitfish industries, led to an estimated 1,035 plans put in place by businesses and agencies. These plans, similar to the HACCP system used by the seafood industry to minimize seafood consumption health risks, address points in the fish and bait handling business that are critical for AIS contamination or release. By addressing these points, fish farmers and hatchery operators can significantly reduce or eliminate the risk of spreading AIS through their operations.

During the grant, 540 private, state, and federal fish producers from at least 16 states and the Province of Ontario were trained. About 20% conducted their own workshops, training an additional 2,260 people. Workshop participant evaluations show that 90% think AIS-HACCP training is effective. The training also met participants' AIS-related needs, with 88% saying it was useful for that purpose. Over 90% of respondents said they gained a large or moderate amount of understanding of the AIS-HACCP process from the workshops. Over 60% became aware of new risks they posed for spreading AIS, which indicates the project had a significant impact on participants' knowledge and awareness. An overwhelming number of respondents (97%) said they would recommend AIS-HACCP to other businesses or organizations.

In the policy arena, AIS-HACCP training led the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to change regulations for harvesting baitfish in designated infested waters of two important harvest areas: Mille Lacs Lake and the Rainy River. The DNR allowed bait harvesters and their helpers to harvest out of Mille Lacs Lake (which had become infested with Eurasian watermilfoil) if they were trained in the AIS-HACCP process. Later, when zebra mussels were found in the lake, an AIS-HACCP-like approached allowed for harvest when risks were acceptable. When the Rainy River was infested with spiny waterfleas, the DNR allowed for baitfish harvest after harvesters attended AIS-HACCP training.

Other important current and future impacts from AIS-HACCP training include:

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sea Lamprey Control Program developed a HACCP team to address disease issues related to the transfer of sea lampreys around the Great Lakes for sterile male releases.
• The Indiana DNR developed a plan for their fish management and research fisheries survey activities.
• The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's Northern Monitoring Unit developed and implemented a plan and a new plan is being developed for the Southern Monitoring Unit.
• By 2010, all 2,000 bait producers in Ontario, Canada, will be required to have training and have a plan in place.
• Participants from South Africa intend to conduct training workshops in their country.

Preventing the Spread of Non-Native Plants and Animals Through National Campaign

The Great Lakes Sea Grant Network led by Minnesota Sea Grant in partnership with the pet industry and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched a major public education and outreach program called Habitattitude to prevent the release of non-native plants and animals.

To change people's "attitude" about "habitat," the campaign promotes the message "protect our environment; do not release fish and aquatic plants." It also offers alternatives actions that people can take, such as giving an unwanted fish to another aquarist. When aquarium hobbyists, water gardeners, and backyard pond owners make purchases at stores like Pet Smart and PetCo, they receive the Habitattitude message on fish/water plant bags, stickers on new tanks, and in-store displays.

The campaign also reaches consumers through pet magazine stories and ads, newspaper circulars, the Web, and presentations and displays at events. The pet industry has contributed over $1 million to spread the campaign's message and nearly 90 partners have joined the effort. A pre-campaign survey of aquarists and water gardeners in two communities in different states showed that Habitattitude is well positioned as a communication and education platform. Over 90% of survey respondents viewed the Habitattitude logo and messages favorably. Even though some respondents reported they had released unwanted organisms into the environment, 84% said the campaign information would keep them from releasing unwanted pets into the environment.

The aquarium industry, many federal and state agencies, and nearly half of the Sea Grant programs nationally support the campaign. The campaign offers consistent messages and easy implementation, offers low-cost materials, and strengthens existing business partnerships and establishes new ones. Habitattitude provides a communication tool that improves environmental protection and management of coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes ecosystems. The campaign recently expanded into Canada, and Mexico and New Zealand have expressed interest in adopting it.

Getting the Message to Boaters and Anglers to Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! is a nationally branded multi-media campaign that conveys simple, consistent guidelines to boaters and anglers that empower them to take action to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species by inspecting and cleaning their equipment. Campaign surveys of boaters and anglers conducted in 2006 show that in states like Minnesota, which dedicated more resources to the campaign and used more communication outlets, boaters and anglers were more aware of AIS and more likely to take future action at water accesses to clean and check their equipment than boaters in states where the campaign was not as active (Wisconsin and Iowa). After the campaign became more visible in Wisconsin and Iowa, surveys in 2007 showed that 20% more boaters and anglers in those states were influenced to take action at water accesses. These results strongly suggest that states and other jurisdictions that make the campaign a priority can influence this audience and work to protect waters from the spread of harmful AIS.

Over 60 partners have signed onto the campaign in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. By leveraging resources with Wildlife Forever to maximize impacts, the campaign reached over 1,000 people for every $1 spent.

Funding leveraged was 2.7:1. Through adapting and adopting existing campaign materials, the implementation cost savings for partners is considerable and demonstrates how the campaign can maximize impact, with possible savings in terms of million of dollars annually.

Creek Planning Process Improves Development and Changes Local Zoning

Working with the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the City of Duluth, Minnesota Sea Grant staff members organized, led, and publicized a charrette process to create a plan for developing land along Amity Creek, a local trout stream on the stateís impaired waters list. Controversy surrounded past development proposals due to competing county, city, neighborhood, and developer interests. Through the charrette process, competing interests were considered and included in the two-day event. The final plan included protection for all the land along the creek while allowing greater development density near the existing commercial district and paths for neighborhood access to the creek corridor. The charrette was also used to model how Duluth's comprehensive plan could achieve its goals of increasing development near existing neighborhoods and protecting important natural resources. Charrette results will aid the City of Duluth officials as they update zoning regulations.

Aiding the Coast Guard in Managing VHS Virus Threat

Minnesota Sea Grant staff provided assistance and direction to the U.S. Coast Guard Ninth Districtís Prevention Division in organizing and facilitating a workshop to discuss vessel ballast water management plans and best management practices with respect to the intra-lake movement of AIS and/or disease organisms. The focus was on slowing or preventing the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSv). The goal was to develop an integrated rapid response protocol to address a VHSv outbreak within the Great Lakes (or to respond to vessel movements within an area designated as a new aquatic invasive species hot spot).

Over 40 participants attended the Great Lakes Ballast Water Management Workshop in Cleveland on Jan 31, 2008, representing leading members of six Great Lakes state agencies, six U.S. federal agencies, two Canadian provinces, Transport Canada, Environment Canada, science, academia, and both domestic and international shipping interests.

The meeting resulted in a new collaborative interdisciplinary and interagency response to the detection and notification process for disease or AIS at the state and regional levels, which integrates and expands on existing strategies and protocols. The Coast Guard volunteered to leverage its Great Lakes-wide presence and communications resources to better inform the maritime industry of developing problems. The maritime industry, in collaboration with state and federal agencies, agreed to voluntarily revise and update its ballast water Best Management Practices to reflect newly available information and to proactively address the unintended spread of AIS within the Great Lakes system.

Research Aids Lake Superior Beach Monitoring Program

Sea Grant scientists have found that the potentially harmful bacteria species Escherichia coli (E. coli) that is used by beach monitoring programs to justify beach closures doesn't always come from harmful sources. They found the E. coli can be carried by benthic fish and can live as natural residents in the beach environment — in the sand, sediment, soils, and algae. Often, it's assumed that E. coli found during beach monitoring is washed into the water from the land or comes from sewage overflows. University of Minnesota researchers Randall Hicks and Michael Sadowsky have shown that's not always the case. Their results are being used by the Lake Superior Beach Monitoring Program to refine testing methods and health risk assessments.

Conference Planning Prompts Business Practices Changes

Soon after the Making a Great Lakes Superior Conference 2007, a representative from the Duluth Holiday Inn contacted Minnesota Sea Grant to report that the hotel had instituted a number of "green" initiatives inspired in part by Sea Grant's environmental vision in planning the conference. The hotel is reducing waste and energy consumption, and is recycling or reusing more materials. Specifically, the hotel is installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, replacing inefficient cooling and heating elements, and adding programmable thermostats in each room, and sending used mattresses to a materials reclaiming center. Further encouraged toward sustainable practices by Sea Grant's conference, Duluth Entertainment Convention Center managers continue to seek ways to minimize the environmental impact of the functions that happen there.