July 19, 2019

LSRI staff and students collect organisms for testing by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Staff and students spent more than 700 hours combing through sediment to collect organisms.

Study will help establish clean-up goals for the St. Louis River.

The past couple of days, 20-25 UW-Superior staff and students devoted more than 700 hours combing through sediment for Lumbriculus variegatus, commonly known as mudworms. It was all part of research by UWS’s Lake Superior Research Institute (LSRI) on sediment samples from the Mud Lake West area of the St. Louis River. The area has been deemed one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

LSRI is collecting the organisms’ tissue to be sent to the MPCA for testing to determine whether chemicals (nickel, zinc, dioxins and furans) in the sediment are harmful to the organisms. These data will provide information to establish clean-up goals for the AOC.

The St. Louis River is located on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin, and is the second largest United States (U.S.) tributary to Lake Superior. The lower estuary empties into the Duluth-Superior Harbor, the largest freshwater seaport in North America. It serves as a geographic boundary for Wisconsin and Minnesota and provides regional shipping access to Lake Superior.

Staff and students spent more than 700 hours combing through sediment to collect organisms.

Departments/Offices

Lake Superior Research Institute

UW-Superior Faculty/Staff

The Lake Superior Research Institute (LSRI) is one of four research institutes at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, conducting environmental research, education and outreach for the Great Lakes region and beyond. LSRI provides non-traditional learning and applied research opportunities for undergraduate students, and fosters environmental education and outreach in the Twin Ports and surrounding communities.