Day: July 14, 2016

Environmental Engineering Students are Seeking Solutions to Lake Ontario’s Cladophora Problem

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Anika Kuczynski, a PhD candidate in environmental engineering, shows Cladophora growing in Lake Ontario
Hayden Henderson, an environmental engineering undergrad, shows some of the green alga collected from Lake Ontario
Hayden Henderson, an environmental engineering undergrad, shows some of the Cladophora collected from Lake Ontario

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Michelle Nitz, an environmental engineering undergrad, is studying samples taken from Lake Ontario

Cladophora is a filamentous, green alga that grows to nuisance levels in areas of the Great Lakes receiving phosphorus enrichment.  Anika Kuczynski, a Ph.D. candidate in environmental engineering working under Dr. Marty Auer, recently received an Editor’s Choice Award for her paper entitled, “The Cladophora resurgence in Lake Ontario: Characterization and implications for management” published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.  Anika is back on Lake Ontario this summer seeking engineering solutions to this problem plaguing the Great Toronto waterfront.  Anika was accompanied by environmental engineering undergrads Hayden Henderson and Michelle Nitz on her most recent trip to Lake Ontario in July.  Results from the field and laboratory studies performed there will be input to a 3D model developed by Anika, Chenfu Huang (also a  Ph.D. student in environmental engineering) and CEE’s Dr. Pengfei Xue to test management strategies to reduce nuisance growth of the alga.