COLUMBUS, OHIO Ohio Sea Grant has funded six new research projects as part of its 2026-2028 research grants program. The projects cover topics ranging from environmental variability stressors and fisheries to wildlife ecology and contaminants, to help solve critical issues affecting the state’s environment and economy.
“We had a strong set of submissions for this proposal review cycle, and these projects in particular address a broad spectrum of critical issues affecting Lake Erie and the watershed. We were excited to see such a range in topics and universities in Ohio supported by these funds,” said Dr. Kristen Fussell, Ohio Sea Grant’s associate director. “We believe they’ll deliver important information to those working to protect Lake Erie and the health of local communities.”
Researchers will collectively utilize approximately $1.2 million in Ohio Sea Grant funding over two years to support the following projects:
- Investigating Vertical Hypoxia Dynamics in Lake Erie’s Central Basin Using a Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approach, Dr. Fasong Yuan, Cleveland State University
- AI-Empowered Smart Sewer Systems for Stormwater Overflow Reduction in the Lake Erie Watershed, Dr. Xiong Yu, Case Western Reserve University
- Development of On-site Detection of Bacterial Fish Pathogens, Dr. Vipaporn Phuntumart, Bowling Green State University
- Lake Erie Ecosystem Health Assessment to Benefit Fisheries Management Decision-Making, Dr. Stuart Ludsin, The Ohio State University
- Identifying the Relative Importance and Implications of Abiotic, Top-Down, and Bottom-up Drivers of Emerald Shiner Population Declines in Western Lake Erie, Dr. Lindsey Bruckerhoff, The Ohio State University
- Acoustic Monitoring for Wetland Birds in H2Ohio Wetlands, Dr. Volker Bahn Wright State University
Ohio Sea Grant is supported by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, and NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nation-wide dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s island campus on Lake Erie and is the research, education, and outreach facility of Ohio Sea Grant and part of CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources.