ResearchTopic: Water Quality & Watersheds

Harmful Algal Bloom Public Service Announement

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT When in Doubt, Stay Out! Harmful Algal Blooms Can Occur in All Bodies of Water Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a natural occurrence, but they can pose serious health risks to humans and animals. These blooms are often caused by certain types of Cyanobacteria that can produce harmful toxins and are most […]

Using sorbent media to address the impact of deicing salt on contaminant dynamics in infiltration-based green stormwater management: nutrients, metals, and trace organics

Abstract: Degraded water quality can negatively impact the key waterways of Pennsylvania. For example, excess nutrients can result in development of a Total Maximum Daily Load, metal concentrations can exceed aquatic life criteria particularly in saltwater ecosystems, and trace organic contaminants including poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are under increased scrutiny due to persistence, toxicity, […]

Groundwater and Nutrient Inputs, Sequestration and Direct and Indirect Fluxes to Lake Erie Coastal Waters associated with Viticultural Activities, Erie County, PA

Abstract: Along the Lake Erie coast, thousands of acres of fruit farms are cultivated over thick sand and gravel soils in catchments adjacent to coastal bluffs. These agricultural practices may be a significant source of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) entering Lake Erie via groundwater as these catchments have minimal surface runoff (runoff <25% of recharge). […]

Microbial Menaces on Microplastics: A Spatiotemporal Study in the Schuylkill River Watershed

Abstract: Rivers are sources of freshwater habitats for organisms, and conduits for transfer of natural and anthropogenic materials from land to sea. The societal and ecological services of rivers are threatened by numerous contaminants, of which microplastics (MP) are among the most pervasive. However, the ecological risks of MP, especially in urban rivers and downstream […]

The Influence of Freshwater Algal Blooms on the Fate of Anthropogenic Particulate Pollutants

Lake Erie, like many freshwater lentic ecosystems, is under threat from microplastics pollution and increasing prevalence of harmful algal blooms. Lake Erie has the highest concentrations of microplastic contaminants of all the Laurentian Great Lakes. In particular, very small microplastics (< 333 microns) have been under sampled and likely exist at higher concentrations than have […]

Flood Adaptation Co-benefits of Nutrient Management

Effectively managing nutrient pollution and flood risk are two decisive challenges for the sustainability and resiliency of the Susquehanna River Basin (SRB) and Chesapeake Bay. This project will advance an innovative strategy to simultaneously address these two challenges. The strategy integrates climate adaptation and hybrid green-blue-grey infrastructure to increase regional resilience, which is a focus […]

Ecosystem Services Assessment for Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Lancaster, PA

Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is growing in interest and implementation. Though it is primarily implemented as part of efforts to manage stormwater quantity or quality concerns in urban areas, there is also an interest in leveraging it as a place-making tool to provide additional ecosystem services or co-benefits to improve people’s quality of life. Rarely […]

Developing flash-flood resilience in areas with buried streams and shallow groundwater: Improving stormwater design guidance and community understanding through science and ethnography

High-intensity rain events are increasing, often exceeding the pipe capacity, and resulting in flooding of streets and houses. In older towns, this pipe capacity also may be reduced because streams were buried in pipes and land development created compaction layers in the soil. These compaction layers reduce deep infiltration, resulting in shallow groundwater movement laterally […]

Green Stormwater Infrastructure Fact Sheet

Pennsylvania Sea Grant developed this fact sheet to provide a basic overview of green stormwater infrastructure for municipal leaders. The resources were distributed in advance of the Green Stormwater Infrastructure webinar, as a tool for attendees during the webinar and to use and distribute in their communities. What is Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI)? Green stormwater infrastructure […]

Chester City Green Stormwater Infrastructure Guide

Resilient Coastal Communities – Chester City Pennsylvania Sea Grant worked with the City of Chester to help the community become more resilient to flooding and extreme weather hazards. Known as the oldest city in Pennsylvania, the City of Chester is situated on the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. While Chester has experienced financial […]

ResearchTopic: Water Quality & Watersheds

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