By Eric Bauer
A northeastern Wisconsin college has recently received over a quarter of a million dollars in funding to study the Great Lakes.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay was awarded $330,000 in grant funding from SC Johnson to study the impact microplastics in Lake Michigan and the Bay of Green Bay have on aquatic life.
Key aspects of the study will investigate how often fish swallow these plastics, what kinds of plastics are common, and where the biggest problem areas are.
Patrick Forsythe, UW-Green Bay’s Herbert Fisk Johnson professor of Environmental Studies, will lead a team tasked with collecting fish from regular sites that will then be tested in university labs.
The group will examine the contents of each fish’s stomach.
On the funding from SC Johnson, UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander said, “This is a great step forward for our region. It’s public-private partnerships improving student outcomes, the natural environment, and community health.”
Those looking for more information on the grant and what the research will look like can visit uwgb.edu.
Source:UW-GB Receives Grant to Study Microplastics in Lake Michigan