Loading…
Monday, October 26
 

9:00am EDT

Stewardship Event {pre-registration required}
Monday October 26, 2026 9:00am - 11:30am EDT
Offsite
The Stewardship Event will highlight the importance of community-based coastal restoration by engaging Symposium participants directly in hands-on habitat restoration work. Erie MetroParks is designing a new "window on wildlife" education space at their Nature Center. Participants will help with on-site stewardship activities including site preparation and planting native seeds for a pollinator...
See More →
Monday October 26, 2026 9:00am - 11:30am EDT
Offsite

11:30am EDT

Lunch on your own
Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 1:00pm EDT
Offsite

Monday October 26, 2026 11:30am - 1:00pm EDT
Offsite

1:00pm EDT

Assembly Welcome
Monday October 26, 2026 1:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Banquet Hall

Speakers
avatar for Liz Berg

Liz Berg

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
JK
Monday October 26, 2026 1:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  General Session

1:15pm EDT

Mindful Moment
Monday October 26, 2026 1:15pm - 1:20pm EDT
Banquet Hall

Speakers
CD

Christine DeLoria

Tree Spirited Coaching LLC
Monday October 26, 2026 1:15pm - 1:20pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  General Session

1:20pm EDT

Keynote: Great Lakes as Great Uniters: Envisioning the Great Lakes Horizon
Monday October 26, 2026 1:20pm - 2:10pm EDT
Banquet Hall
The Great Lakes enjoy extraordinary support from the public and decision makers – they are the uniting force in the region. This presentation will begin by assessing how this support has been leveraged strategically to create and maintain the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Then the presentation will share the results of a recent analysis showing how the decline in federal Great Lakes...
See More →
Speakers
DM

Dr. Mike Shriberg

University of Michigan
Monday October 26, 2026 1:20pm - 2:10pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  General Session

2:10pm EDT

Announcements
Monday October 26, 2026 2:10pm - 2:15pm EDT
Banquet Hall

Speakers
avatar for Liz Berg

Liz Berg

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Monday October 26, 2026 2:10pm - 2:15pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  General Session

2:15pm EDT

Break with Exhibitors
Monday October 26, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Monday October 26, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Break

2:30pm EDT

Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives
Monday October 26, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Huron
Coastal restoration efforts across the Great Lakes have expanded over recent decades, supported by increased federal and state investment in hydrologic reconnection, invasive species control, nutrient reduction, and habitat improvement. Because these projects often pursue multiple objectives, evaluating their effectiveness depends on which ecological or management goals are prioritized and...
See More →
Speakers
WB

Wes Bickford

USGS - Great Lakes Science Center
EE
Monday October 26, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

2:30pm EDT

A Binational Framework for Resilient Great Lakes Coastal Ecosystems
Monday October 26, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Erie
Session participants will learn about the recently released (to-be-complete in October 2026) Science-Based Framework for Building Resilient Coastal Ecosystems in the Great Lakes Basin, which outlines a framework to support ecosystem resilience, enabling coastal systems to respond to and recover from climate-related disturbances. This work was funded and executed through a cooperative agreement...
See More →
Speakers
NK

Nate Kroeze

Great Lakes Commission and USGS
Monday October 26, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

2:30pm EDT

Data to Decisions: Monitoring in Green Bay Meets Coastal Wetland Restoration Design
Monday October 26, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
In the Lower Green Bay & Fox River Area of Concern, partners have worked together on a multi-step process for over a decade to develop fish and wildlife metrics, select habitat restoration sites and generate project concepts, and implement projects anticipated to meet goals for priority fish and wildlife habitats and population groups. Our presentation will summarize how this process has laid a...
See More →
Speakers
JB
BK

Brianna Kupsky

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
SS
MS
Monday October 26, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

2:45pm EDT

Measuring Restoration Success at Brandenburg Park
Monday October 26, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Huron
The Brandenburg Park Shoreline Restoration Project was identified as a priority project by the St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS) Initiative to address failing shoreline infrastructure and impaired fish and wildlife habitat in Lake St. Clair's Anchor Bay. The project utilized a combination of offshore habitat shoals, shoreline softening, and native plantings to increase shoreline protection...
See More →
Speakers
EE
JE

Jill Estrada

Coastal Conservation & Habitat Restoration Project Manager, Great Lakes Commission
CH
Monday October 26, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

2:45pm EDT

Developing Great Lakes Resilience Metrics Towards a Common Understanding of Progress
Monday October 26, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Erie
In 2024, the GLC Standing Committee on Climate Resilience - comprised of commissioners, observers, and partners from the 10 state and provincial jurisdictions of the Great Lakes - prioritized the following Recommended Action from the Action Plan for a Great Lakes Basin: “GLC facilitates development of a common set of metrics…to determine the current state of Great Lakes climate resilience and...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Great Lakes Commission
Monday October 26, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

2:45pm EDT

Restoration of the Hillman Marsh Barrier Beach and Wetland
Monday October 26, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Hillman Marsh is a designated Provincially Significant Wetland on the east side of the Pelee Peninsula, on Lake Erie. The formerly barrier-protected marsh covers a total area of nearly 1,000 acres providing ecosystem services to the region and critical habitat to endangered species and migratory bird populations. Due to the combined effects of human-induced disruption of coastal processes and...
See More →
Speakers
TC
DK
SL

Seth Logan

SJL Engineering Inc.
GM
KM
BY
PZ
Monday October 26, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

3:00pm EDT

Monitoring connectivity of restored marsh channels: Braddock Bay as a case study on Lake Ontario
Monday October 26, 2026 3:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Huron
Fish such as Northern Pike spawn in interior wet meadows; however, access to this habitat has been greatly reduced by the spread of invasive hybrid cattail, particularly in Lake Ontario coastal wetlands. Channels have been excavated through cattail marshes to restore connectivity, but monitoring is needed to determine whether restored habitats are accessible and functioning for fish. Braddock Bay,...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Rachel Schultz

Rachel Schultz

Associate Professor, SUNY Brockport
Rachel E. Schultz, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Wetland Science at SUNY Brockport whose current research focuses on Great Lakes coastal wetlands. On Lake Ontario, Dr. Schultz led post-restoration monitoring at Braddock Bay since 2020 and has investigated the impacts of wetland... Read More →
Monday October 26, 2026 3:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

3:00pm EDT

Enhancing Coastal Resilience through Multi-Scale Communities of Practice and Sea Grant Partnerships
Monday October 26, 2026 3:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Erie
Communities of Practice (CoPs) have been widely utilized to enhance collaboration across disciplines, geographies, and organizations in the Great Lakes and beyond. This presentation will explore how multi-scale collaborations such as CoPs and networks can serve as a powerful framework for connecting coastal stakeholders, practitioners, and scientists to share knowledge, resources, and encourage...
See More →
Speakers
KC
SP

Sarah Peterson

Coastal Engineering and Community Resilience Specialist, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant; Purdue University - Dept. Forestry and Natural Resources
Monday October 26, 2026 3:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

3:00pm EDT

Successful coastal wetland restoration in Lake Erie’s turbid estuaries without water management infrastructure
Monday October 26, 2026 3:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
This presentation will convey lessons learned from successful coastal wetland restoration work in the open waters of excessively turbid Sandusky Bay without the use of anthropogenic water level manipulations. This talk will include a brief overview of Lake Erie coastal wetland status and restoration strategies over the past 150 years, with discussion on the ecological winners and losers associated...
See More →
Speakers
MK

Matthew Kovach

Littoral Services LLC
Monday October 26, 2026 3:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

3:15pm EDT

Manoomin's Good Life: Wild Rice Monitoring and Restoration in Georgian Bay
Monday October 26, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm EDT
Huron
Manoomin (wild rice; Zizania spp.) restoration is both an ecological and cultural imperative throughout the Great Lakes. Wild rice beds provide essential habitat for fish, waterfowl, and invertebrates while stabilizing sediments, improving water quality, and strengthening economic and food sovereignty for Indigenous peoples. However, Manoomin populations in the Georgian Bay region of Lake Huron...
See More →
Speakers
FD
DG
SL
BP
SS
Monday October 26, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

3:15pm EDT

Design Development Framework and Theory of Change
Monday October 26, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm EDT
Erie
This session covers the history of the Sandusky Bay Restoration Initiative and the steps required to build support and move the Initiative from concept to implementation. The session will also highlight restoration goals, the theory of change, data collection requirements, water quality modeling, and ecological restoration design parameters (water level changes, herbivory, ecological functions,...
See More →
Speakers
TD

Tom Denbow

Biohabitats
Monday October 26, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

3:15pm EDT

Contrasting Landscapes, Shared Recovery: Ecological Restoration of Martin’s Run and the Black River
Monday October 26, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
The presentation will showcase two very different project sites where the City of Lorain used ecological solutions to address environmental challenges stemming from urbanization and heavy industry. The Martin’s Run Ecological Restoration Project will highlight how Lorain decreased localized flooding through the conversion of low-yield agricultural land into a high-quality stream and wetland...
See More →
Speakers
LC

Lauren Corrigan

Coldwater Consulting, City of Lorain
KG

Kate Golden

Coldwater Consulting, City of Lorain
Monday October 26, 2026 3:15pm - 3:30pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

3:30pm EDT

Monitoring reconnected diked wetlands: assessing site- and landscape-scale impacts
Monday October 26, 2026 3:30pm - 3:45pm EDT
Huron
Diked wetlands can be found in the coastal zone throughout the Great Lakes. These productive wetlands often were hydrologically connected to the lakes before construction of earthen berms that limited water exchange and fish access. This makes them priority targets for coastal wetland rehabilitation through installation of fish-passage structures. Work starting in the mid-1990s at places like...
See More →
Speakers
KK

Kurt Kowalski

U.S. Geological Survey
Monday October 26, 2026 3:30pm - 3:45pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

3:30pm EDT

Sandusky Bay Restoration Framework
Monday October 26, 2026 3:30pm - 3:45pm EDT
Erie
Speakers
SM
Monday October 26, 2026 3:30pm - 3:45pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

3:30pm EDT

Collaborative programming to increase coastal resilience through local capacity building and nature-based solutions
Monday October 26, 2026 3:30pm - 3:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Great Lakes communities are experiencing escalated threats from extreme flooding and erosion due to fluctuating lake levels, increased severity of storms, and other climate impacts.This presentation will provide an overview of two programs that provide technical support and capacity building to such municipalities: the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts, funded through the Great Lakes...
See More →
Speakers
BC
TH
EK

Emily Kuzmick

Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
BK
BN
Monday October 26, 2026 3:30pm - 3:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

3:45pm EDT

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Environmental Monitoring: Insights from the H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program
Monday October 26, 2026 3:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Huron
Transforming programmatic environmental monitoring into regional policy change requires an unbroken chain of resource-intensive actions: i) the generation of clear objectives and research questions, ii) the creation of study designs that can actually answer those questions, iii) the comprehensive QA/QC and analysis of data, iv) the ethical sharing and housing of datasets, and v) the communication...
See More →
Speakers
KA
LB

Lauren Brown

Bowling Green State University
JK
LK
ME

Mary Ellen Klukow

Kent State University
RM
JM
OS

Olivia Schloegel

Kent State University
Monday October 26, 2026 3:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

3:45pm EDT

Sandusky Bay Initiative Implementation and Adaptive Management
Monday October 26, 2026 3:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Erie
This session builds on previous sessions and covers completed and ongoing efforts to advance Sandusky Bay Initiative innovative projects to construction, as well as long-term adaptive management strategies to evaluate performance and improve designs, and lessons learned. Specifically, four innovative, synergistic projects have been completed that entail one lacustuary restoration at the mouth of...
See More →
Speakers
AM

Alexis McCarter

The Nature Conservancy
Monday October 26, 2026 3:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

3:45pm EDT

Climate and Coastal Resiliency Implementation in Buffalo Niagara
Monday October 26, 2026 3:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
The presentation highlights two climate and coastal resiliency projects completed by BNW in collaboration with landowners and stakeholders. The first features a coastal resiliency effort along the Niagara River on Grand Island; the second details a stream relocation project on Cayuga Creek in the Town of Niagara. Both projects employ innovative, nature-based techniques that strengthen community...
See More →
Speakers
ER

Emily Root

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper
Monday October 26, 2026 3:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

4:00pm EDT

Evaluating Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) Restoration Outcomes for Birds
Monday October 26, 2026 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Huron
The Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) Program, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, has invested in Great Lakes restoration for nearly two decades. In 2021, Audubon Great Lakes began evaluating SOGL effectiveness by monitoring migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, and breeding marsh birds at restoration sites. Using a Before-After-Control-Impact framework, we analyzed data from...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Stephanie Beilke

Stephanie Beilke

Senior Manager, Conservation Science, Audubon Great Lakes
JF
avatar for Sarah Saunders

Sarah Saunders

Quantitative Ecologist, National Audubon Society
Monday October 26, 2026 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

4:00pm EDT

The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study: Assessing Vulnerability Using Future Scenarios
Monday October 26, 2026 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Erie
The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study (GLCRS) is a watershed study being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in partnership with the eight Great Lakes states. The study aims to identify potential vulnerabilities of coastal resources under a range of plausible future lake level conditions and develop recommendations to improve the resilience of the U.S. Great Lakes coast. This...
See More →
Speakers
MP
CP

Cara Pattullo

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
JP
Monday October 26, 2026 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

4:00pm EDT

Climate-driven impacts on Great Lakes coastal habitat suitability for at-risk species in Michigan
Monday October 26, 2026 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
The amplitude, frequency, and direction of Great Lakes water-level changes over the coming decades is uncertain, with the potential for dramatic impacts on coastal ecosystems and the rare species that depend upon them. Whether the trend will be lake-level rise and ecosystem inundation or lake-level recession and potential ecosystem expansion is unclear. Identifying which species and coastal...
See More →
Speakers
TB

Tyler Bassett

Michigan Natural Features Inventory
HD
MJ
LM
NJ
Monday October 26, 2026 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

4:15pm EDT

Regional Coastal Wetland Monitoring to Guide Restoration and Adaptive Management
Monday October 26, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Huron
Long-term and multi-site monitoring programs are essential for understanding coastal wetland condition, identifying ecological change, and informing restoration priorities across the Great Lakes. The Durham Region Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (DRCWMP) has monitored coastal wetlands along the north shore of Lake Ontario for nearly two decades using standardized protocols aligned with regional...
See More →
Speakers
MG
DM

Dan Moore

Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority
Monday October 26, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

4:15pm EDT

Scoping a Lake Ontario Adaptation Atlas: Operational Landscape Units and Strategy Suitability for Shoreline Resilience
Monday October 26, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Erie
ommunities along New York’s Lake Ontario shoreline face increasing flood and erosion risks associated with high water levels, shoreline change, and climate variability. While natural and nature-based features (NNBF) are increasingly promoted as alternatives to shoreline hardening, implementation remains limited by uncertainty about where specific strategies are appropriate and how they can be...
See More →
Speakers
KH
RP
Monday October 26, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

4:15pm EDT

Lake Michigan Bluff Erosion: Geology, Lake Level and Management Impacts
Monday October 26, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Along the eastern coast of Lake Michigan, bluff failures are influenced by lake water levels, bluff groundwater saturation, and lithology. The bluffs are composed of unconsolidated glacial tills interbedded with/overlain by glaciodeltaic sand and lacustrine silt and clay, and experience toe erosion, creeping, and slumping. Lake Michigan water levels peaked at record levels in 2019-2021 following a...
See More →
Speakers
RR

Richard (Ricky) Becker

University of Toledo
JY
Monday October 26, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

4:30pm EDT

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation Efforts to Address Environmental Priorities
Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Huron
Since 2007, NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation has funded more than 130 habitat restoration projects in the Great Lakes region, primarily through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. These projects have collectively restored more than 5,700 acres of habitat and opened more than 860 miles of streams for Great Lakes fish species to access their habitat. We provide funding and...
See More →
Speakers
RD
TH
CL
JS

Julie Simmons

Great Lakes Regional Manager, NOAA
Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

4:30pm EDT

Modeling with the Community – Advancing Coastal Resilience through Stakeholder Engagement
Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Erie
New York’s Lake Erie communities are increasingly facing the impacts of flooding, erosion, storm surge, and varying water levels, yet technical modeling efforts often fall short of incorporating the perspectives and lived experiences of the people most affected. The presentation shares Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper’s Niagara River/Lake Erie Watershed Expanded Coastal Resiliency Study - an...
See More →
Speakers
JB

Jeanne Beiter

Senior Program Manager, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper
Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

4:30pm EDT

Investigating invasive wetland plant biochar production coupled with harvesting to facilitate wetland biodiversity
Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Wetland ecosystems are negatively impacted by invasive species proliferation, often driven by disturbance and nutrient pollution. Prior research has shown that invasive clonal plant harvesting [e.g. hybrid cattail (Typha × glauca)] effectively reduces invasion pressures to improve biodiversity across trophic levels. This practice, however, accumulates metric tons of low-value biomass rich...
See More →
Speakers
SL
BO
Monday October 26, 2026 4:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

4:45pm EDT

Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs – Panel Discussion
Monday October 26, 2026 4:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Huron
Coastal restoration efforts across the Great Lakes have expanded over recent decades, supported by increased federal and state investment in hydrologic reconnection, invasive species control, nutrient reduction, and habitat improvement. Because these projects often pursue multiple objectives, evaluating their effectiveness depends on which ecological or management goals are prioritized and...
See More →
Speakers
WB

Wes Bickford

USGS - Great Lakes Science Center
EE
Monday October 26, 2026 4:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Huron
  Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives

4:45pm EDT

Panel: Basin-wide resilience implementation efforts
Monday October 26, 2026 4:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Erie
Speakers
avatar for Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Great Lakes Commission
Monday October 26, 2026 4:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Erie
  Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?

4:45pm EDT

Successful Phragmites Management at Tommy Thompson Park
Monday October 26, 2026 4:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Phragmites australis is among Ontario’s most problematic invasive plants, degrading wetlands and coastal habitats, and reducing biodiversity. Located on a constructed landform on Toronto’s waterfront, Tommy Thompson Park is highly vulnerable to invasive plant species. Phragmites rapidly outcompeted native vegetation across more than 8 hectares within emergent aquatic zones, sheltered...
See More →
Speakers
AC
Monday October 26, 2026 4:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

5:00pm EDT

Happy Hour at the Hotel
Monday October 26, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall

Monday October 26, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Social

5:30pm EDT

Bus into town for dinner
Monday October 26, 2026 5:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
Offsite

Monday October 26, 2026 5:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
Offsite
  Meal
 
Tuesday, October 27
 

7:00am EDT

Bird Walk at Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve {pre-registration required}
Tuesday October 27, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am EDT
Offsite
Join us for a morning bird walk at Sheldon’s Marsh State Nature Preserve, a 472-acre preserve home to nearly 300 bird species and diverse wildflowers. Located adjacent to the conference resort, it is one of the last undeveloped shoreline sections in the Sandusky Bay region. The preserve contains a variety of habitats, including old fields, hardwood forests, woodland swamps, cattail marshes,...
See More →
Tuesday October 27, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am EDT
Offsite
  Bird Walk

7:30am EDT

Breakfast
Tuesday October 27, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am EDT
Banquet Hall

Tuesday October 27, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am EDT
Banquet Hall
  Meal

8:30am EDT

Opening Remarks
Tuesday October 27, 2026 8:30am - 8:45am EDT
Banquet Hall

Speakers
JK
Tuesday October 27, 2026 8:30am - 8:45am EDT
Banquet Hall
  General Session

8:45am EDT

Keynote: H2Ohio - Partnerships and Measuring Success
Tuesday October 27, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am EDT
Banquet Hall
Panel discussion exploring the progress, implementation, and prospects of wetland restoration within the statewide H2Ohio Initiative, highlighting the importance of partnerships and scientific research in achieving success. 
Speakers
AM

Alexis McCarter

Natural Infrastructure Director, The Nature Conservancy
DL

Dr. Lauren Kinsman-Costello

Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, Kent State University
CK

Carol Kauffman

Chief Executive Officer, Ohio Environmental Council
MM

Mary Mertz

Director, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
BH

Breann Hohman

Director, Erie Conservation District
Tuesday October 27, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am EDT
Banquet Hall
  General Session

9:45am EDT

Break with Exhibitors
Tuesday October 27, 2026 9:45am - 10:00am EDT
Banquet Hall
Tuesday October 27, 2026 9:45am - 10:00am EDT
Banquet Hall
  Break

10:00am EDT

Applying the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Framework in Lake Erie
Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Erie
The Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Framework (Framework) is a binational effort that aims to accelerate coastal wetland conservation by establishing a shared, lakewide approach for assessing wetland extent and condition. Laker Erie and the Huron to Erie Corridor was selected as the pilot geography for demonstrating the Framework. In this workshop, we’ll demonstrate how partners can use the...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Liz Berg

Liz Berg

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
BK
TR
BH
Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Erie
  Workshop

10:00am EDT

Using the Adaptation Workbook and Great Lakes Coastal Adaptation Menu in real-world planning
Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
This workshop will be an active, hands-on training for attendees of the Great Lakes Coastal Assembly. The goal for the workshop is to describe and use a decision-support framework, the Adaptation Workbook, designed for practitioners to use in ecological and nature-based project planning within the Great Lakes watershed. The decision-support framework supports practitioners to document the...
See More →
Speakers
DS
Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Workshop

10:00am EDT

Workshop TBD
Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Huron

Tuesday October 27, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Huron
  Workshop

12:00pm EDT

Lunch pick-up
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Meal

12:30pm EDT

Field Trip to South Bass Island {pre-registration required}
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite
This field trip will take participants to South Bass Island, also known as Put-In-Bay, a year-round community of approximately 800 residents located three miles offshore from mainland Ohio. After the 20-minute ferry across Lake Erie, participants will visit The Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Aquatic Visitor Center. The visits will include...
See More →
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite
  Field Trips

12:30pm EDT

Field Trip: Contrasting Landscapes, Shared Recovery - Ecological Restoration of Martin’s Run and the Black River {pre-registration required}
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite
The site tours will showcase two very different project sites where the City of Lorain used ecological solutions to address environmental challenges stemming from urbanization and heavy industry.  The Martin’s Run Ecological Restoration Project will highlight how Lorain resolved localized flooding by converting low-yield agricultural land into a high-quality stream and wetland complex that...
See More →
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite
  Field Trips

12:30pm EDT

Field Trip: H2Ohio - Incorporating agricultural drainage into existing or restored wetlands {pre-registration required}
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite
The site tours will showcase how water quality and wetland habitat projects work together to improve both aspects of the environment.  The Marinewood project demonstrates a former golf course that has been converted into a conservation area with several restored wetlands.  The Libben project enhanced a severely degraded wetland with infrastructure repair and now incorporates ag drainage...
See More →
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite
  Field Trips

12:30pm EDT

Field Trip: H2Ohio Wetlands - From “Headwaters” to Coast {pre-registration required}
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite
Ohio is investing significantly in improving water quality, especially in the Western Lake Erie Basin, through the H2Ohio Initiative. Black Swamp Conservancy has partnered with Ohio Department of Natural Resources to restore wetlands and streams across the upper reaches of the basin using this initiative. The Nature Conservancy has leveraged H2Ohio funds with grants from GLRI, NOAA and private...
See More →
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite
  Field Trips

6:00pm EDT

Poster Session and Reception
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall

Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Allouez Bay Marsh Bird Habitat Restoration
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
The Allouez Bay Lake Superior coastal wetland complex in Superior, Wisconsin is a crucial coastal wetland for many species of declining birds, fish, and other wildlife. While there is still a diverse community of native plants and wildlife, this wetland is being degraded by non-native species, including invasive cattail (Typha angustifolia and Typha x glauca). Audubon Great Lakes (AGL) and...
See More →
Speakers
TP

Tom Prestby

Audubon Great Lakes
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Analyzing Soil Microbial Diversity in Organically Managed Fields Amended with Dredged Material in Northwest Ohio
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Each year, around 1.5 million tons of sediments are excavated from the federal navigation channels at Toledo Harbor, which used to be disposed in an open lake placement area in Lake Erie. After the ban on open water disposal, utilizing this dredged material (DM) as a soil amendment became an attractive approach to managing DM disposal issues. Previous research has shown the DM can improve soil...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
ML
SG

Shikshya Gautam

Bowling Green State University
JG
CD
AV
PW
ZX
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Benthic algal community composition: It’s not all Cladophora
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Great Lakes coastal waters and shorelines experience sporadic but concerning overgrowth and washup of benthic algae. These events can lead to nuisance conditions and ecosystem impairment. Coastal research and management of benthic algae have often focused on specific genera, often Cladophora sp. and Lyngbya (Microseira sp.), that were perceived to be problematic. However, we have observed multiple...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
MB
MA

Mary Anne Evans

U.S. Geological Survey – Great Lakes Science Center
KP
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Classifying wetlands by hydrologic regime using remote sensing imagery
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Wetland hydrology is highly variable across Ohio’s landscape due to differences in water source and connection. This variability in hydrologic regime controls the function of how nutrients are stored, released, and moved throughout wetlands. Knowledge of these functions allows for better management of wetlands and can provide greater insight for future restoration...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
KA

Kenneth Anderson

Kent State University
HE
LK
JM

Jackson Miller

Kent State University Department of Geography and Department of Biological Sciences
HY
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Comparing seasonal changes of stem CH4 flux of Acer saccharinum and co-occurring Quercus species in the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas that is naturally produced in wetlands and terrestrial-aquatic interfaces (TAIs) through microbial methanogenesis. CH4 can be transported directly into the atmosphere via soil-atmosphere diffusion, a pathway that is understood. In contrast, a more understudied CH4 transport pathway is through tree stems. Recent advances in CH4 analysis have enabled us to...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
SB

Sacha Brewer

Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Toledo
DI
DR
DN
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: GLCRS: Identifying Vulnerabilities in Erie's Blue Economy
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Staff from the Pennsylvania Coastal Resources Management Program have actively participated in the U.S. Army Corps-led Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency study since 2022. This six-year, $14.4 million cost-shared study between the USACE and the eight Great Lakes states aims, among other goals, to identify assets in each state that are vulnerable to storms, flooding, extreme water levels, and related...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
SC

Shelby Clark

Pennsylvania Coastal Resources Management Program
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: High Resolution Mapping of Invasive Buckthorn
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Common buckthorn(Rhamnus cathartica) and glossy buckthorn(Frangula alnus) are invasive shrubs in North America that grow along forest edges and wetlands. Remote detection of this species is typically done using NIR aerial/satellite imagery. Spatial resolutions of 1-10m are high enough for detecting large patches of the shrub but too low to capture individual plants. Our study tested...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
RB

Rabecca Bakker

Michigan Tech Research Institute
LB

Laura Bourgeau-Chavez

Michigan Technological Research Institute
CC
DV
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Identifying potential wetland restoration sites and assessing health for coastal resilience
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Wetlands perform vital ecosystem services, including stormwater storage, improved water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Identifying potential wetland restoration sites can enhance green infrastructure planning and improve watershed resilience to increasing precipitation and land-use pressures. Working with the South East Michigan Council of Governments we developed a geospatial approach...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
MB
LB

Laura Bourgeau-Chavez

Michigan Technological Research Institute
JG
JL
ME

Mary Ellen Miller

Michigan Tech
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Invasive cattail harvest and biochar application influence on Great Lakes wetland manoomin restoration
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Invasive cattail (Typha) threatens native plant diversity in Great Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCWs), including manoomin (northern wild rice, Zizania palustris), a culturally foundational species to the Anishinaabe people. Harvesting Typha is an effective strategy to reduce plant dominance, while collected biomass has the potential to be converted into biochar and applied as a wetland soil amendment....
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
avatar for Liz Berg

Liz Berg

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
DH
SL
BO
MW

Megan Wenner

Loyola University Chicago
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Invasive Typha biochar amendment increases manoomin (Zizania palustris; northern wild rice) biomass despite presence of invasive Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian watermilfoil)
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Historical manoomin (Zizania palustris) stands have been drastically reduced within the Great Lakes region due to wetland disturbances, eutrophication, and invasive species establishment (i.e. Typha x glauca; Myriophyllum spicatum). Manoomin is a species of high cultural and ecological importance, thus establishing self-sustaining populations is a priority for tribal communities and wetland...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
AB
CJ
DF
SC

Shane C. Lishawa

Loyola University Chicago
avatar for MacKenzie Michaels

MacKenzie Michaels

Graduate Research Assistant, Loyola University Chicago
BM
HR
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Marsh Bird Passive Acoustic Monitoring Detections Affected by Invasive Plant Populations
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCWs) provide habitat and resources for marsh-dwelling birds. Invasive species, such as invasive cattail (Typha x glauca, hereafter Typha), have altered the plant composition of GLCWs and impacted marsh bird populations. Passive acoustic monitoring is a promising species survey method using acoustic recording units (ARUs), given low boundaries to entry and...
See More →
Speakers
MC

Mikaila Cadavona

Loyola University Chicago
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Modeling the Second Phase of Restoration at Allouez Bay, WI
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Allouez Bay in Superior, Wisconsin hosts one of the highest-quality remaining Lake Superior coastal wetlands in the St. Louis River Estuary including large beds of restored manoomin (wild rice), fostering many recreation interests including fishing and hunting. The second phase of a large-scale restoration of Allouez Bay that fits into the broader Headwaters Vision Plan, phase 2 of the restoration...
See More →
Speakers
TP

Tom Prestby

Audubon Great Lakes
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Obtawaing Biosphere Region Coastal Resilience
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
The Obtawaing Coastal Resilience Planning Project was a 2-year project completed in Fall 2025 to address collaborative efforts identifying and prioritizing coastal resilience projects and conservation efforts within the Obtawaing Biosphere Region (OBR), located in northern Michigan. The project defined coastal resilience as ability of “communities, infrastructure, ecosystems and economy to...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
avatar for Liz Berg

Liz Berg

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
JE

Jill Estrada

Coastal Conservation & Habitat Restoration Project Manager, Great Lakes Commission
AG
ZG
SL
avatar for Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Great Lakes Commission
SN
DP
AS
KT
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Phosphorus Trends in Little Long Lake
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Eutrophication of freshwater environments due to increased human caused nutrient pollution has become a major problem in the the Great Lakes and globally, leading to harmful algal blooms. Past research has mostly focused on the effects of eutrophication on larger lakes, but limited attention has been centered on inland lakes. Smaller, populated inland lakes are also susceptible to eutrophication,...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
AB

Alison Bressler

PhD Student, University of Michigan Water Center
Soil nutrient cycling and farmer adaptation to climate change. Keywords: Agriculture, Food Systems, and Food Security, Climate Systems, Ecosystems
AE

Alex Edwards

University of Michigan Water Center at the Graham Sustainability Institute
ZF
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Quantifying wave impact hours for eroding bluff shorelines in Southeastern Lake Huron
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Fundamentally, coastal bluff recession is driven by wave attack at the bluff toe. However, the water level fluctuations that characterize the Laurentian Great Lakes, combined with sparse nearshore bathymetric data, make it difficult to quantify the frequency at which these bluff toes are exposed to wave attack. This project will use a novel GIS tool – CoastalAnalyst - to assimilate deepwater...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
DC
BW

Ben Woodward

University of Waterloo
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Rates of bluff retreat and shoreline change along the north shore of Lake Erie
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Increasing shoreline development, changes in water levels, storm activity, and reduced lake ice has resulted in accelerated shoreline erosion around the Laurentian Great Lakes. Along the northern shore of Lake Erie, retreat of glacial bluffs threatens sensitive habitats, infrastructure, and personal property. This study quantifies the extent of modern shoreline change and bluff retreat along 186...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
CO

Cooper O'Rourke

University of Waterloo
JV
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Restoration and Resilience Case Studies under the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
This presentation includes multiple case studies of shoreline restoration and aquatic habitat creation projects undertaken throughout the Great Lakes region under the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts. Funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and implemented through a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Great Lakes & St....
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
BC
TH
BK
EK

Emily Kuzmick

Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
BN
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session

6:00pm EDT

POSTER: Speculative Ecology: Wetlands, Coastal Resilience, and Real Estate Capital on Buffalo's Outer Harbor
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
In October 2023, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation celebrated the completion of a new wetland ecosystem in Buffalo's Outer Harbor — a former industrial shipping slip filled with dredged sediment and enclosed by a concrete breakwater. The slip wetland is simultaneously a dredge disposal solution, a regulatory compliance mechanism, and an ecological...
See More →
Moderators
BH
Speakers
PC

Phillip Campanile

Binghamton University
Tuesday October 27, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Poster Session
 
Wednesday, October 28
 

7:00am EDT

Bird Walk at Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve {pre-registration required}
Wednesday October 28, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am EDT
Offsite
Join us for a morning bird walk at Sheldon’s Marsh State Nature Preserve, a 472-acre preserve home to nearly 300 bird species and diverse wildflowers. Located adjacent to the conference resort, it is one of the last undeveloped shoreline sections in the Sandusky Bay region. The preserve contains a variety of habitats, including old fields, hardwood forests, woodland swamps, cattail marshes,...
See More →
Wednesday October 28, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am EDT
Offsite
  Bird Walk

8:00am EDT

Breakfast
Wednesday October 28, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Banquet Hall
Wednesday October 28, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Banquet Hall
  Meal

9:00am EDT

Mindful Moment
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:00am - 9:05am EDT
Banquet Hall

Speakers
CD

Christine DeLoria

Tree Spirited Coaching LLC
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:00am - 9:05am EDT
Banquet Hall
  General Session

9:05am EDT

Opening Remarks
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:05am - 9:10am EDT
Banquet Hall

Speakers
avatar for Cherie Hagen

Cherie Hagen

GLCA Co-chair, Wisconsin DNR
As the Lake Superior Unit Manager with Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources Office of Great Waters, Cherie Hagen collaborates with partners from federal, provincial, tribal, state and local governments, universities, and nongovernmental organizations to identify shared goals and actions to protect and restore the Lake Superior ecosystem and communities. She’s oversees implementation... Read More →
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:05am - 9:10am EDT
Banquet Hall
  General Session

9:10am EDT

Keynote: Connect the Dots, Catalyze the Culture: Lessons from Cuyahoga County’s Fresh Water Institute 
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:10am - 9:55am EDT
Banquet Hall
Along the shores of our great Lake Erie or the banks of the crooked Cuyahoga River, you are bound to hear stories of how Cleveland’s waterways have powered industry, supported generations of workers, and sparked one of the nation’s most influential environmental movements. But not all of these stories are past tense. Today, these waterways are driving the region’s next chapter of...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Emily Bacha

Emily Bacha

Program Director, Fresh Water Institute
Emily Bacha is the Director of the Fresh Water Institute, a Cuyahoga County initiative that convenes regional water leaders to advance freshwater stewardship through collaborative education, economic development, and advocacy efforts. Previously, she led strategic communications and... Read More →
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:10am - 9:55am EDT
Banquet Hall
  General Session

9:55am EDT

Announcements
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:55am - 10:00am EDT
Banquet Hall

Speakers
avatar for Liz Berg

Liz Berg

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:55am - 10:00am EDT
Banquet Hall

10:00am EDT

Break with Exhibitors
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:15am EDT
Banquet Hall
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:15am EDT
Banquet Hall
  Break

10:15am EDT

Priority Islands for Conservation in the Lake Erie-St. Clair/Detroit River System Region
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:15am - 10:30am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
The Laurentian Great Lakes host the largest collection of freshwater islands in the world with approximately 32,000 islands. Many of these islands hold significant ecological, economic, cultural, and historic significance and serve as an ecological refuge under various stressors. Despite the importance of these features, islands are often understudied and overlooked. The Great Lakes Coastal...
See More →
Speakers
MP

Matt Preisser

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
JC

Jessica Collier

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:15am - 10:30am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Conservation of Great Lakes Islands

10:15am EDT

Interdisciplinary Research to Relate Coastal Wetlands to Great Lakes Water Quality
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:15am - 10:30am EDT
Huron
Through funding from NASA's MUREP program, research was done on the resilience of Great Lakes coastal wetlands to environmental disturbance and how wetland behavior impacts Great Lakes nearshore water quality. In particular, the ability of wetlands to retain nutrients was assessed under different inundation levels using the Mondrian ecosystem model, revealing that nutrient retention is...
See More →
Speakers
ZA
KB
LB

Laura Bourgeau-Chavez

Michigan Technological Research Institute
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:15am - 10:30am EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

10:15am EDT

What If Partnerships Are Living Systems?
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:15am - 10:30am EDT
Erie
Across the Great Lakes, we know that our most important coastal conservation challenges cannot be addressed by a single organization, agency, or discipline. Success increasingly depends upon partnerships and collaborations that bring diverse people together around a shared purpose. In fact, that is what spurred the birth and growth of the Great Lakes Coastal Assembly! Yet we often overlook an...
See More →
Speakers
CD

Christine DeLoria

Tree Spirited Coaching LLC
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:15am - 10:30am EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

10:15am EDT

Concurrent Sessions
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT
TBD
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT
TBD

10:30am EDT

Conserving Lake Huron Island Habitats of Northeast Michigan
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:30am - 10:45am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Northeast Michigan contains many miles of Lake Huron shoreline and a wide array of islands that support rare species and natural communities. The disruption of natural processes from pollution, development, climate change and invasive species has caused the extirpation and decline of many species in the region. While many of the Lake Huron islands have been spared the pressure of...
See More →
Speakers
AH

Amber Hubbard

Huron Pines
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:30am - 10:45am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Conservation of Great Lakes Islands

10:30am EDT

Connected wetlands meaningfully contribute to nutrient retention within the Lake Erie watershed
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:30am - 10:45am EDT
Huron
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has constructed, restored, or enhanced wetlands throughout the state with the goal of capturing nutrients to improve water quality, and mitigate harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. The H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program was developed to evaluate a subset of those wetlands, measuring inflowing and outflowing nutrient concentrations to understand both the...
See More →
Speakers
EA
KA

Kenneth Anderson

Kent State University
CB
RB
TB
LB

Lauren Brown

Bowling Green State University
DC
KD
SJ
LJ
JK
LK
ME

Mary Ellen Klukow

Kent State University
GL
KM
RM
HM
avatar for W. Robert Midden

W. Robert Midden

Assoc. Vice Provost, Bowling Green State University
SN
OS

Olivia Schloegel

Kent State University
CW
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:30am - 10:45am EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

10:30am EDT

Engaging Communities in Resilience Planning
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:30am - 10:45am EDT
Erie
Communities throughout Northeast Ohio are experiencing extreme weather evens such as extreme heat, cold, and flooding as a direct result in changes in our weather and climate. However, underserved communities are often the most impact, unprepared, and disconnected from resilience and emergency planning and resources. Our presentation will explore how the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition...
See More →
Speakers
YH

Yvonka Hall

Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:30am - 10:45am EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

10:45am EDT

Monitoring Rare Species and Habitats on Lake Huron Islands
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:45am - 11:00am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Michigan is home to more than 1,700 islands, many of which are remote and difficult to access. While their isolation can be helpful to protect biodiversity and reduce invasive species introductions, Great Lakes islands often have sporadic, incomplete, and outdated biological inventories. This lack of data was apparent across several islands in Lake Huron, underscoring the need for...
See More →
Speakers
AH

Amber Hubbard

Huron Pines
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:45am - 11:00am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Conservation of Great Lakes Islands

10:45am EDT

Plant influences on nutrient retention in restored wetlands are both species-specific and trait-specific
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:45am - 11:00am EDT
Huron
Managing and monitoring wetland restorations for nutrient retention is a critical component of Ohio’s H2Ohio Water Quality Initiative, which aims to reduce nutrient loading to Lake Erie in part through wetland restoration. Leveraging data from the H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program and funding from the Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative (HABRI), this study advances understanding of...
See More →
Speakers
LB

Lauren Brown

Bowling Green State University
TD
EG
SH
JK
LK
CK
KM
HM
avatar for W. Robert Midden

W. Robert Midden

Assoc. Vice Provost, Bowling Green State University
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:45am - 11:00am EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

10:45am EDT

Restoring the Willow Creek Watershed through Partnerships, Funding, and a Holistic Vision
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:45am - 11:00am EDT
Erie
The Willow Creek Watershed in Lorain County, Ohio has become the focus of a coordinated effort to restore stream, wetland, and floodplain function while improving watershed resilience within a Lake Erie tributary system. Among these initiatives, the Gerber Stream and Wetland Restoration Project serves as a key implementation effort demonstrating how watershed-scale visioning, strategic...
See More →
Speakers
DR

Donald Romancak

Lorain County Stormwater Management District
MR
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:45am - 11:00am EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

11:00am EDT

The Nature Conservancy of Canada's work to conserve and restore Ontario's Great Lakes Islands
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:15am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Due to their high biodiversity and unique habitats, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has identified islands and coastlines as priorities for conservation in all the Canadian Great Lakes. In many cases, we have worked to protect these islands from development through direct securement and working with partners, along with restoration projects on NCC lands intended to bring back natural habitat and...
See More →
Speakers
JC

Jill Crosthwaite

The Nature Conservancy of Canada
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:15am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Conservation of Great Lakes Islands

11:00am EDT

Data Management Strategies and Challenges in the H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:15am EDT
Huron
Environmental monitoring programs can generate actionable data that informs management and policy, but they require intentional design of shared data infrastructures that consider the timeline of decision-making activities, the primary audiences they serve, and potential pain points to ensure robust data-to-action systems. The H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program (WMP) was established in 2020 to...
See More →
Speakers
CG
LK
avatar for Raissa Marques Mendonca

Raissa Marques Mendonca

Lead Data Manager, Kent State University / H2Ohio WMP
IR
OS

Olivia Schloegel

Kent State University
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:15am EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

11:00am EDT

Managing New York’s Great Lakes Coasts through Collaboration and Partnerships
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:15am EDT
Erie
New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda (GLAA) is a strategic, ecosystem-based action plan to guide restoration and conservation, and foster sustainable, resilient communities in New York's Great Lakes region. Implementation of the GLAA is coordinated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Great Lakes Program and requires collaboration with a diverse network of local,...
See More →
Speakers
RE

Ryan Elliott

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Great Lakes Program in Partnership with the New York State Water Resources Institute at Cornell University
KF
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:00am - 11:15am EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

11:15am EDT

Beyond protection: restoring and stewarding Great Lakes islands
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
For many Great Lakes Islands, protection is just the first step in ensuring these biological gems provide the best habitat for the many species they support. Following securement, the Nature Conservancy of Canada works to restore habitat that has been degraded by human impacts, from creating wetlands and planting former agricultural fields to removing old buildings and invasive species control....
See More →
Speakers
JC

Jill Crosthwaite

The Nature Conservancy of Canada
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Conservation of Great Lakes Islands

11:15am EDT

Optimization of Soil Sampling in Wetlands When Monitoring Resources are Limited
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am EDT
Huron
Soil plays a major role in wetland effects on watershed transport of phosphorus and nitrogen which drive the formation of Harmful Algal Blooms. Determining soil chemical characteristics is important for estimating and predicting wetland performance and understanding how performance can be improved. Soil in wetlands is spatially heterogeneous and unlike water, is relatively stationary and doesn’t...
See More →
Speakers
GH
LK
ME

Mary Ellen Klukow

Kent State University
CK
avatar for W. Robert Midden

W. Robert Midden

Assoc. Vice Provost, Bowling Green State University
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

11:15am EDT

Treading New Marshes: Advancing the Midwest Marshbird Partnership Under a Translational Ecology Approach
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am EDT
Erie
Despite decades of ecological research, implementing effective marshbird conservation remains limited by barriers in translating science into management. The Midwest Marshbird Partnership, with the Upper Mississippi Great Lakes Joint Venture, developed a conservation framework to directly address this science-to-management gap. The framework establishes four hierarchical goals designed to improve...
See More →
Speakers
NM

Nathan Michael

Audubon Great Lakes & Upper Mississippi Great Lakes Joint Venture
RP
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:30am EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

11:30am EDT

Natural Community Surveys of Isle Royale National Park, Lake Superior Park I
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 11:45am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Great Lakes islands provide critical habitat for native biodiversity & support rare & endemic natural communities. A diverse assemblage of over 32,000 islands occurs across the Great Lakes, constituting the world’s largest collection of freshwater islands. The crown jewel is Isle Royale. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of our ecological surveys of Isle Royale National Park,...
See More →
Speakers
JC

Joshua Cohen

Michigan Natural Features Inventory
JL
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 11:45am EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Conservation of Great Lakes Islands

11:30am EDT

Interpreting Wetland Conditions with Multiple Taxonomic Indices
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 11:45am EDT
Huron
In recent decades, aquatic ecosystem conditions have been monitored using a tool known as an index of biotic integrity (IBI). An IBI combines taxon-specific metrics into one score for easy interpretation of ecosystem health. The Great Lakes are an example of a highly monitored ecosystem where the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (CWMP) uses multiple taxonomic IBIs for assessing...
See More →
Speakers
VB
MC
EE

Emily Eberly

Grand Valley State University
CR
TR
DU
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 11:45am EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

11:30am EDT

Community Engagement of the Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 11:45am EDT
Erie
The Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health is a partnership of researchers and engagement specialists who are connecting harmful algal bloom science with those who need it most. Center projects include research into environmental factors impacting HABs, known and unknown products of HABs, aerosolization and transport of toxins, and the human health impacts of blooms. This...
See More →
Speakers
SG

Sara Guiher

Ohio Sea Grant
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:30am - 11:45am EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

11:45am EDT

Natural Community Surveys of Isle Royale National Park, Lake Superior Part II
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Great Lakes islands provide critical habitat for native biodiversity & support rare & endemic natural communities. A diverse assemblage of over 32,000 islands occurs across the Great Lakes, constituting the world’s largest collection of freshwater islands. The crown jewel is Isle Royale. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of our ecological surveys of Isle Royale National Park,...
See More →
Speakers
JC

Joshua Cohen

Michigan Natural Features Inventory
JL
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Conservation of Great Lakes Islands

11:45am EDT

Mapping Multi-Decadal Coastal Wetland Responses to Shifting Lake Levels and Invasive Species Pressure
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Huron
Using a multi-season SAR-optical approach, we mapped historical changes in extents of invasive Phragmites australis and Typha spp. in wetland ecosystems of Lake Huron from circa 1998, 2010, and 2018. Field data on dominant vegetation cover, water depth, and presence of invasive plants from >500 locations were used to train supervised machine learning algorithm Random Forest. We applied hybrid...
See More →
Speakers
MB
DV

Dorthea Vander Bilt

Michigan Tech Research Institute
LB

Laura Bourgeau-Chavez

Michigan Technological Research Institute
RG
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

11:45am EDT

Developing an Actionable Roadmap for Nutrient Reduction in Michigan’s Western Lake Erie Basin
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Erie
The Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) faces ongoing challenges with adoption and sustained use of conservation practices across agricultural landscapes to reduce nutrient pollution. Despite substantial investments in incentive programs for conservation adoption, long-term adoption rates lag due to complex social, behavioral, and economic barriers. To address this problem, the National Wildlife...
See More →
Speakers
JB
AB

Alison Bressler

PhD Student, University of Michigan Water Center
Soil nutrient cycling and farmer adaptation to climate change. Keywords: Agriculture, Food Systems, and Food Security, Climate Systems, Ecosystems
AM
AR
BY
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

12:00pm EDT

Lunch
Wednesday October 28, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
Wednesday October 28, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Banquet Hall
  Meal

1:00pm EDT

The Bird-friendliness Index: Assessing wetland restoration impact on Great Lakes marshbirds
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Huron
Quantifying biodiversity outcomes remains one of the greatest challenges in evaluating wetland restoration success. The Bird-Friendliness Index (BFI) was developed as a practical biodiversity indicator that uses bird community composition to assess ecosystem condition by integrating bird abundance, conservation importance, and functional diversity into a standardized metric of habitat quality....
See More →
Speakers
JF
NM
avatar for Sarah Saunders

Sarah Saunders

Quantitative Ecologist, National Audubon Society
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

1:00pm EDT

Communicating uncertainty in wetland nutrient retention: Lessons from dialogue among researchers and practitioners
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Erie
Wetlands have been restored, enhanced, or created across Great Lakes watersheds to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus delivery to rivers and lakes. Whether data encompass policy-relevant metrics (e.g. nutrient load reductions) or the underlying biological mechanisms, the ways in which scientists communicate uncertainty around these measurements affects the pace at which data transforms to results and...
See More →
Speakers
KA

Kenneth Anderson

Kent State University
SJ
JK
LK
ME

Mary Ellen Klukow

Kent State University
SL
RM
avatar for W. Robert Midden

W. Robert Midden

Assoc. Vice Provost, Bowling Green State University
EA
OS

Olivia Schloegel

Kent State University
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

1:00pm EDT

Like a Rolling Stone: Tracking Cobble Transport and Student Discovery on Lake Ontario
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
An innovative cobble tracer study is advancing our understanding of coarse beach sediment transport while engaging students in hands-on learning along the Lake Ontario shoreline. The southeastern shoreline of Lake Ontario is dynamic and continually shaped by wave conditions, precipitation patterns, fluctuations in lake levels, and interactions with shoreline infrastructure. These factors influence...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for David Clarke

David Clarke

Great Lakes Program Engineer, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

1:00pm EDT

Concurrent Sessions
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
TBD
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
TBD

1:15pm EDT

Improved Great Lakes marsh bird monitoring using Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs)
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huron
Marsh birds are important indicators of wetland health, many of which face decline due to wetland loss and degradation. Monitoring is therefore crucial for assessing wetland restoration success, but their secretive nature and inaccessible habitat present challenges. We evaluated whether autonomous recording units (ARUs) combined with deep neural network (DNN) sound recognition software can improve...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Stephanie Beilke

Stephanie Beilke

Senior Manager, Conservation Science, Audubon Great Lakes
avatar for Jennifer F. Fuller

Jennifer F. Fuller

Project Coordinator, National Audubon Society
AG
SP
SS
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:30pm EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

1:15pm EDT

Creating Harmful Algal Bloom resources for lake residents in Michigan
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:30pm EDT
Erie
Michigan Sea Grant convenes a broad coalition of Michigan partners to create resources about Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) for Great Lakes and inland lake residents. Based on the need for continuing basic HABs awareness and education for Michigan lake residents, as identified by the Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health in 2021, Michigan Sea Grant started hosting Michigan “HABs...
See More →
Speakers
EA

Erica Anculle

Michigan Sea Grant Extension
LL
GL
SS
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:30pm EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

1:15pm EDT

Understanding Community Perceptions of Dredged Material Management
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:30pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Understanding Community Perceptions of Dredged Material Management  Abstract This study examines community perceptions of dredged material management and the beneficial use of dredged material in the western Lake Superior region. Dredging is essential for maintaining navigation channels in Great Lakes ports, yet long-term beneficial use of dredged material often faces social, institutional,...
See More →
Speakers
JM

Joseph M Lane

Department of Environment, Sustainability, and Geography; University of Minnesota Duluth
KP
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:30pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Stewardship and Coastal Resilience

1:30pm EDT

Dynamic stability in a Great Lakes coastal wetland: Cecil Bay MI, 1971-2020
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:30pm - 1:45pm EDT
Huron
Great Lakes water-level fluctuations drive coastal wetland plant species composition and abundance. Receding levels stimulate seed-bank germination and increase plant diversity, while increasing levels drown flood-intolerant species, reducing diversity. While short-term studies have quantified aspects of these dynamics, long-term studies of natural wetlands undergoing multiple water-level cycles...
See More →
Speakers
DA
SC

Shane C. Lishawa

Loyola University Chicago
BG
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:30pm - 1:45pm EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

1:30pm EDT

An Introduction to GLC's Sediment Management to Support Restoration and Resilience Project
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:30pm - 1:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
To set the stage for this session, the Great Lakes Commission will present an introduction its three-year Sediment Management to Support Restoration and Resilience project. The goal of this project is to explore pressing issues related to Great Lakes sediment management, including its role in restoration, coastal resilience, and maritime transportation efforts, with a focus on the Eastern Lake...
See More →
Speakers
JE

Jill Estrada

Coastal Conservation & Habitat Restoration Project Manager, Great Lakes Commission
avatar for Samantha Miller

Samantha Miller

Great Lakes Commission
MS
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:30pm - 1:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Exploring policies, practices, and partnerships for beneficially using dredged material for restoration in coastal communities

1:30pm EDT

Cuyahoga County’s Lakefront Public Access Plan (LPAP) / Construction of the Euclid Beach Connector
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:30pm - 1:45pm EDT
Erie
Cuyahoga County’s 2022 Lakefront Public Access Plan established a vision for transforming the County’s 32 miles of Lake Erie shoreline into a more connected, equitable, resilient, and publicly accessible shoreline. The plan identified that only approximately 15% of the county shoreline is publicly accessible today. Through a Communitywide survey of 4,000 lakefront property owners, the County...
See More →
Speakers
TH

Trevor Hunt

Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works
JS
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:30pm - 1:45pm EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

1:45pm EDT

Identifying Ecologically Significant and At-Risk Coastal Wetlands of Lake Ontario
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
Huron
Competing land-use demands along the Canadian Lake Ontario Coastal Margin necessitate a strategic approach to coastal wetland conservation, protection, and restoration. This study presents a prioritization assessment of 81 wetlands that can be used to identify coastal wetlands sites in most need of conservation action. Ecological significance and environmental pressure were evaluated by...
See More →
Speakers
SD
AH

Anders Holder

Canada Water Agency
RK
GM
PZ
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

1:45pm EDT

Keeping Sediment in the System: Lessons from Beneficial Placement Across the Great Lakes
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Coastal communities and harbor managers across the Great Lakes face persistent challenges with sediment accumulation. The traditional response—dredging and hauling sediment away—treats sediment as waste rather than a resource essential for healthy shorelines. Beaches, dunes, barrier bars, and wetlands depend on coarse sediment moving through longshore transport. When harbors interrupt this...
See More →
Speakers
SA
OG

Olivia Green

Freshwater Resilience Specialist, The Nature Conservancy
KH
RP
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Exploring policies, practices, and partnerships for beneficially using dredged material for restoration in coastal communities

1:45pm EDT

Planning for Resilience: Engaging a Lake Erie Port Community
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
Erie
With increasing climate-related challenges on the Great Lakes, planning for costal resilience has become a necessity. The small Lake Erie Port of Conneaut, Ohio has done just that. On the cusp of redevelopment, Conneaut embarked on the creation of a Costal Resilience Plan through engagement of community members and stakeholders, with the support of partners at Environmental Consulting and...
See More →
Speakers
AC
CM
TT

Terri Trisket

Environmental Consulting & Technology Inc. (ECT)
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

2:00pm EDT

What’s happening in there? Using aerial imagery from UAS to monitor coastal wetlands
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Huron
The interior of large coastal wetlands can be difficult to access, making monitoring the presence and extent of wetland vegetation communities/invasives in the wetland problematic. Collecting data on wetland vegetation community composition by way of transects across wetlands in boats or on foot can be challenging and may cause damage to sensitive vegetation or miss features/communities of...
See More →
Speakers
DR
DL
DD

David Dean

The University of Toledo, H2Ohio WMP
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

2:00pm EDT

Ohio's Commercial Lake Erie Harbors Dredge Material Management and Beneficial Use Projects
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Maintaining Ohio's Lake Erie federal navigation channels for commerce is vital to local and regional economies. To maintain these navigation channels, regular dredging of accumulated sediment is necessary. Managing the beneficial use of the sediment removed from the navigation channels is a priority for Ohio to protect the long-term health of Lake Erie. Ohio is working closely with local public...
See More →
Speakers
JC
VS

Vanessa Steigerwald-Dick

Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Exploring policies, practices, and partnerships for beneficially using dredged material for restoration in coastal communities

2:00pm EDT

SEAS in Pennsylvania: A U.S. Great Lakes Waterfront Trail Collaboration
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Erie
Inspired by the success of Canada’s 2,200-mile (3,600-km) Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, the emerging U.S. Great Lakes Waterfront Trail (U.S. GLWT) aims to expand outdoor recreational opportunities, promote conservation, and enhance local economies in all eight GL states. The goal is to empower communities to complete and connect existing shoreline trails, reaping the benefits of being part of a...
See More →
Speakers
EC
XC
XC
SC

Shelby Clark

Pennsylvania Coastal Resources Management Program
JH
JL
RC
CS
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

2:15pm EDT

Great Lakes Geospatial Gaggle
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Huron
Gain a comprehensive overview of the geospatial datasets, tools, and technical training resources developed and disseminated by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management and the Digital Coast. Key topics include the development of high-resolution land cover data through the Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP), enhanced functionality within the Lake Level Viewer, and the current progress of the...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Brandon Krumwiede

Brandon Krumwiede

Physical Scientist, NOAA Office for Coastal Management
Brandon Krumwiede is a Physical Scientist at NOAA's Office for Coastal Management in the Science and Geospatial Division. He currently serves as the Great Lakes Regional Geospatial Coordinator and is located in Minnesota. He has been with NOAA for over ten years working on GIS and... Read More →
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

2:15pm EDT

Innovative Use of Dredge Material in Sandusky Bay Water Quality Projects
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Sandusky Bay is a 64 sq mi shallow embayment that supports the region’s ecotourism economy. Historically, the Bay supported a complex matrix of wetlands, however, regional land use has negatively altered the Bay’s water quality and its ability to regulate as a healthy system. Wetlands, habitat, and wildlife populations are diminished, shorelines are largely armored, and the Bay is plagued by...
See More →
Speakers
AD

Ashlee Decker

The Nature Conservancy
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Exploring policies, practices, and partnerships for beneficially using dredged material for restoration in coastal communities

2:15pm EDT

Surf's Up! How Engaging Recreational Users Improves Coastal Project Outcomes and Benefits
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Erie
Ensuring that a broad spectrum of coastal recreational users are meaningfully engaged in coastal planning and project development can play a critical role in improving project outcomes and benefits. Beyond merely stakeholders, recreational users are economic drivers, sources of valuable knowledge and insight, and long-term stewards of coastal resources. Protecting and enhancing the conditions...
See More →
Speakers
SD

Sarah Damron

Surfrider Foundation
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

2:30pm EDT

Delineation of Critical Dunes in Michigan
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Huron
The State of Michigan has long recognized the importance of protecting its freshwater sand dunes. In response to development pressures and the recognition of the need to protect especially important dunes, in 1989 the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) designated approximately 74,000 acres of critical dune areas (CDAs) throughout the state that require special...
See More →
Speakers
TB

Tyler Bassett

Michigan Natural Features Inventory
ZC
BM

Brian Majka

GEI Consultants
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

2:30pm EDT

Beneficial Reuse of Dredge Material in Wetland Creation at Tommy Thompson Park
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Tommy Thompson Park, a wilderness area on a constructed landform along Toronto’s central waterfront in Lake Ontario, includes three confined disposal facilities (CDFs). Two CDFs reached capacity by the late 1990s and were subsequently capped to physically and biologically isolate contaminated material, with coastal wetlands established on the cap surfaces. The Cell 2 CDF was capped and restored...
See More →
Speakers
AC
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Exploring policies, practices, and partnerships for beneficially using dredged material for restoration in coastal communities

2:30pm EDT

Waterfront Integrated Restoration Prioritization Implementation Update: Building Effective Partnerships and Collaboration Outcomes Arisen From The Development of a Strategic Restoration Strategy
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Erie
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has developed their Watershed Integrated Restoration Plan (WIRP) that uses local environmental data, restoration opportunity mapping, and future landform and development plans to prioritize restoration by ecotype. The development of the WIRP included extensive collaboration with internal and external agencies to build consensus on priority...
See More →
Speakers
AR
TS
JS

John Stille

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
RT
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement

2:45pm EDT

Monitoring surface water, inundation and ground water elevation across the Great Lakes Basin
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Huron
The overall state of surface water and groundwater systems in the Great Lakes Basin (GLB) remains insufficiently understood to accurately predict water storage and flow across the region. A USGS assessment of GLB science needs (Carl et al. 2021) concluded that limited groundwater quantity and quality information is available to support water-resource management, and that groundwater’s role in...
See More →
Speakers
AA
RB

Rabecca Bakker

Michigan Tech Research Institute
MB
LB

Laura Bourgeau-Chavez

Michigan Technological Research Institute
JG
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Huron
  Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics

2:45pm EDT

[PLACEHOLDER]
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
Speakers
JE

Jill Estrada

Coastal Conservation & Habitat Restoration Project Manager, Great Lakes Commission
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Daisy/Marigold
  Exploring policies, practices, and partnerships for beneficially using dredged material for restoration in coastal communities

2:45pm EDT

Building Coastal Wetland Resilience Through Restoration, Partnerships, and Adaptive Management at Lynde Shores
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Erie
Coastal wetlands along Lake Ontario are increasingly vulnerable to climate-driven water level fluctuations, invasive species pressures, and ongoing habitat degradation. At Lynde Shores Conservation Area, a multi-phase restoration initiative is underway to enhance wetland resilience through large-scale habitat creation, improved hydrological function, and targeted vegetation management. This...
See More →
Speakers
DM

Dan Moore

Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
Erie
  Partnerships and Community Engagement
 
  • Filter By Date
    Oct 26 - 28, 2026
  • Filter By Venue
    Sawmill Creek Resort, Huron, OH
    All
    Banquet Hall
    Daisy/Marigold
    Erie
    Huron
    Offsite
    TBD
  • Filter By Type
    Bird Walk
    Break
    Conservation of Great Lakes Islands
    Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics
    Exploring policies, practices, and partnerships for beneficially using dredged material for restoration in coastal communities
    Field Trips
    General Session
    Meal
    Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives
    Partnerships and Community Engagement
    Poster Session
    Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?
    Social
    Stewardship and Coastal Resilience
    Workshop
  • Timezone

Get help with the event

Contact event planner Event login
View support guides Find upcoming events
Create an event you'd love to attend!
Explore why organizers choose Sched • Success stories
Event App • Event scheduling • Event registration • Event ticketing • Sched forms • Call for papers • Badges • Conferences
© 2026. SCHED LLC - All rights reserved - Helping events since 2008
Event Planning Software • Privacy • Terms
Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link

Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.
Monday, October 26
Tuesday, October 27
Wednesday, October 28
Banquet Hall
Daisy/Marigold
Erie
Huron
Offsite
TBD
  • Bird Walk
  • Break
  • Conservation of Great Lakes Islands
  • Ecosystem Monitoring and Metrics
  • Exploring policies, practices, and partnerships for beneficially using dredged material for restoration in coastal communities
  • Field Trips
  • General Session
  • Meal
  • Monitoring for diverse Great Lakes restoration needs with a focus on fisheries objectives
  • Partnerships and Community Engagement
  • Poster Session
  • Recent Great Lakes resilience implementation highlights: What’s happened since the last Symposia?
  • Social
  • Stewardship and Coastal Resilience
  • Workshop