Prof. Gerald Matisoff, Keely Lavelle, and Rita Cabral Set Sail on Lake Erie to Determine Sediment Oxygen Demand in the Central Basin

Prof. Matisoff, Keely, and Rita went aboard the EPA ship Lake Guardian for a two-day collection cruise. They were able to accompany the ship as it set sail for a dissolved oxygen study. Sediment cores were taken at each of ten sites for dissolved oxygen analysis and micro profiling with oxygen, nitrate, and pH. They are hoping to find a better value for the sediment oxygen demand for the central basin of Lake Erie. This will provide data for calibration of sophisticated sediment biogeochemical models. A second three day cruise is already planned for August to reach more sites, allowing expansion of the data set. Prof. Matisoff and Keely will both be presenting the project to her school, the Hathaway Brown School, in September as part of their Science Research Program.