Today on Giving Blueday, show your support for the #GreatLakes and help provide research opportunities for students who will shape the future of science! Follow your passion, be a part of the Great Lakes story! 💛

Make a gift to #CIGLR: giving.umich.edu/um/w/ciglr-g...

🌊 NEW BLOG! Listening to Storm Waves Beneath Lake Ontario

A study led by former #CIGLR postdoc Dr. Chu-Fang Yang & CIGLR's Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome & @umich.edu partners shows how a fiber-optic cable on the lakebed can monitor storm waves in real time: ciglr.seas.umich.edu/listening-st... #GreatLakes

Hello, Bluesky 🌊 We’re #CIGLR, advancing science to protect the #GreatLakes & support #NOAA’s mission to protect lives, property, & the region’s economy. Through research & partnerships, we connect science to society.

Learn more: ciglr.seas.umich.edu

Stay informed: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

#CIGLR Associate Director Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome joined
@FOX2News
to discuss winter conditions & #GreatLakes ice 🧊❄️🌊 Learn how ice cover affects weather, ecosystems, communities—& even how pancake ice is made!

Watch from 10:36: youtube.com/watch?v=1_zk...

2026 Great Lakes Summer Student Fellows Program – Application Information | CIGLR

🚨 PLEASE SHARE! 3 more days to apply! 🔈 #CIGLR is excited for our 2026 #GreatLakes Summer Fellow applications! There are (4) full-time, 12-week positions paying $10,000 each. Apps are due 09 Feb 2026 @ 11:59 pm (EST)! Eligibility & how to apply: ciglr.seas.umich.edu/2026-great-l...

What’s on the Menu? Not Microcystis, Say Mussels | CIGLR

check out our new blog post: What’s on the Menu? Not Microcystis, Say Mussels

A study led by #CIGLR w/ NOAA_GLERL
finds that these interactions may fuel cyanobacterial dominance & reveal key stressors shaping freshwater ecosystems.

🔗 Blog: ciglr.seas.umich.edu/menu-notmicr...

From #CIGLR on the other place: 🚨 Cuts would cripple NOAA’s wide-ranging science partnerships, because of the ongoing funding delays, “we’re looking at having to lay off a substantial number of our workers in the next few months,” said #CIGLR Dir. Greg Dick: #GreatLakes

Genomic Identification and Characterization of Saxitoxin Producing Cyanobacteria in Western Lake Erie Harmful Algal Blooms Saxitoxins (STXs), a group of closely related neurotoxins, are among the most potent natural toxins known. While genes encoding STX biosynthesis have been observed in Lake Erie, the organism(s) responsible for producing STXs in the Laurentian Great Lakes have not been identified. We identified a full suite of STX biosynthesis genes in a Dolichospermum metagenome-assembled genome (MAG). The content of sxt genes suggest that this organism can produce STX, decarbamoyl and deoxy-decarbamoyl saxitoxins, and other congeners. The absence of sxtX indicates this organism is unable to produce neosaxitoxin, a potent congener. However, a distinct, lower abundance sxt operon from an unidentified organism did contain sxtX, indicating neosaxitoxin biosynthesis potential. Metatranscriptomic data confirmed STX biosynthesis gene expression. We also recovered highly similar Dolichospermum MAGs lacking sxt genes, implying gene loss or horizontal gene transfer. sxtA was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction during 47 of 76 sampling dates between 2015 and 2019, demonstrating higher sensitivity than metagenomic approaches. sxtA gene abundance was positively correlated with temperature and particulate nitrogen:phosphorus ratio and negatively correlated with ammonium concentration. All Dolichospermum MAGs had genes required for nitrogen fixation. Collectively, this study provides a foundation for understanding potential new threats to Lake Erie water quality.

Great to see this paper from Paul Den Uyl's MS work out in
ES&T

"Genomic Identification and Characterization of Saxitoxin Producing Cyanobacteria in Western Lake Erie Harmful Algal Blooms" doi.org/10.1021/acs....
@GreatLakesGreg @pubs.acs.org #greatlakes #ciglr #noaaglerl