Research

A Carrying Capacity Analysis for Presque Isle State Park

This study used a coordinated series of visitor counts and visitor surveys to assess the recreational use of Presque Isle State Park (PISP) and its associated impacts. The study was initiated in spring 2018, with field data collection occurring over a 12-month period during the 2018 and 2019 use seasons. People and vehicles were counted […]

Four states including Pennsylvania and the Canadian province of Ontario all border Lake Erie. The Pennsylvania Lake Erie shoreline is approximately 76.6 miles and is known for its beaches, wildlife, and scenic bluff views. Unfortunately, 90 percent of that shoreline is subject to bluff recession. The topography of the area varies from sandy beaches, to […]

Comparison of Age and Growth Patterns of Flathead Catfish in Invasive and Native Populations: A Meta-analysis with Implications for Invasive Species Management

Flathead Catfish are a long-lived apex predator native to the Gulf Coast drainage including the Ohio Basin in Pennsylvania; however, they are invasive in the Atlantic Slope of Pennsylvania.  Large-scale range expansion and population increases were not realized until the late 1990s in the Delaware River drainage and the early 2000s in the Susquehanna River […]

Keystone Microtrack: Mapping Microbes and Pathogens in the Susquehanna River Basin

This project sought to characterize Salmonella in the Susquehanna River Basin, with a focus on both prevalence and which serovars were present. Additionally, we wanted to examine basic physical characteristics, as well as the bacterial communities, of those streams. Lastly, we collated this information and developed an open-source, interactive mapping tool (Keystone MicroTrack) to make […]

Assessing the Ability of Green Adsorbents to Improve Water Quality and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Performance

Stormwater runoff from urban areas is primary cause of flooding and erosion of urban streams, as well as a major source of pollution of receiving water bodies. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is increasingly being employed as a stormwater management tool in urban areas, with the intent of using infiltration to address both water quantity and […]

Wastewater as an indicator of the physical and mental health of Pennsylvania communities

Wastewater-based epidemiology is increasingly being viewed as a powerful tool for providing information about the health of a community because each person in a treatment plant’s service area inevitably contributes to the wastewater. Here, we partnered with two wastewater treatment plants in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – Derry Municipal Water Authority (WWTP A) and a […]

Evaluating the Comprehensive Impacts of Urbanization and Restoration on Stream Processes

Successful restoration of the urbanized Delaware Estuary will provide great benefit to people and wildlife alike by improving ecosystem services. Although considerable progress has been made towards this goal of restoration, the estuary’s location at the center of complex urban, suburban, and agricultural land use makes this a challenge. In urban areas, one of the […]

Stormwater Nitrogen Management – Evaluating the Intersection Between Stormwater Management Practice (SMP) Design, Nitrogen Speciation, and Performance

Nonpoint sources of contaminants and nutrients have led to impairments of many water systems in the Delaware and Susquehanna watersheds. Stormwater management practices (SMPs) have been implemented to improvement both water quantity and water quality outcomes, and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI), a stormwater management approach which is largely based on water retention and infiltration, is […]

Quantifying Urban Litter Contribution to Plastic Pollution and Assessing Best Mitigation Practices

Thousands of tons of plastic pollution end up in the Great Lakes every year having adverse effects on marine life and on water quality. Quantifying major sources and pathways of plastic pollution entering the Great Lakes can be highly valuable for developing suitable mitigation strategies. We propose a two yearlong study to quantify urban plastic […]

Evaluating the Effects of the Recently Discovered Non-Native, Parasitic Copepods Salmincola Edwardsii and S. Californiensis on Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout, Respectively in Pennsylvania Inland Streams and Lake Erie Tributaries

The primary focus of this project is to determine the distribution, prevalence, and genetic composition of non-native Salmincola spp. (commonly referred to as gill lice) and the potential impacts that Salmincola spp. are having on the Commonwealth’s wild trout populations. Of particular concern are the impacts of Salmincola spp. on Pennsylvania’s wild Brook Trout and […]