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Early studies of Lake Superior nutrients, productivity, and currents 1956-1961
Citation:
Hollenhorst, T., S. Moen, R. Sterner, AND N. Langston. Early studies of Lake Superior nutrients, productivity, and currents 1956-1961. St. Louis River Summit, Superior, WI, March 05 - 06, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
This presentation reviews some historical research conducted on Lake Superior. Much of it has the potential to inform current work EPA-MED conducts in the Great Lakes and Lake Superior in particular. Reviewing this work, the type of sampling and locations may provide some useful comparisons and relevance for our current research efforts.
Description:
In 1956 the Minnesota Department of Health asked the School of Public Health of the University of Minnesota to conduct a limnological study of Lake Superior. The original planning of the project was conducted in conference with individuals now widely recognized as early leaders in the fields of limnology, oceanography and environmental health. These included Dr. Athelstan F. Spilhaus, who conceptualized the National Sea Grant Program; Dr. Gaylord W. Anderson, the first dean of the UMN School of Public Health; and Dr. Alfred C. Redfield of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the discoverer of the Redfield ratio (which describes the ratio between nutrients in plankton and ocean water). Dr. Redfield acted as a consultant to the project and provided a detailed memorandum regarding the development of a limnological institution for the continuous long-term study of Lake Superior. Since 1994, the Large Lakes Observatory at UMD has performed cutting-edge science on Lake Superior and other large Lakes of Earth, a mission rooted in Redfield's recommendation. Dr. Theron O. Odlaug, founding member of the UMN Department of Biology, also prepared a bibliography and abstracts of Great Lakes literature extending as far back as 1829. This poster will highlight the studies initiated in 1956, their results, and their relevance for current Great Lakes research.