The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a grant of $150,000 to fund a research project, “Nearshore and Offshore Lake Erie Nutrient Study.” Its purpose is to understand the movement of nutrients, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, between nearshore and offshore areas in Lake Erie’s eastern and central basins. Christopher Pennuto, research scientist with the Great Lakes Center and associate professor of biology, is the principal investigator (PI).

Eventually, these efforts will help guide policymakers who seek to diminish “dead zones”—areas with excessively low concentrations of oxygen—and minimize outbreaks of nuisance algae.

Co-PIs from Buffalo State are Alicia Perez-Fuentetaja, associate professor of biology; Lyuba Burlakova, research scientist; and Alexander Karatyev, director of the Great Lakes Center. Other institutions involved include Case Western Reserve University, Ohio State University, the National Center for Water Quality Research, and Kent State University.