Ohio Sea Grant Offers Elected Officials First-Hand Look at Lake Erie’s Issues
OutdoorHub 08.03.11
COLUMBUS, OH—Ohio Sea Grant will host the 19th Legislative Days on Lake Erie Thursday and Friday, August 4–5, giving elected officials the opportunity to learn about issues affecting the Great Lakes and Ohio State University’s research to solve those issues.
This year’s event is a two-day event, hosted by Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee, Ohio Representative Dennis Murray and Ohio Senator Mark Wagoner.
Elected officials will take a trip on one of OSU’s research vessels to pull a fish trawl and discover what lives under the surface. They will also have the chance to speak with scientists and Ohio Sea Grant staff and get the scoop on issues facing Lake Erie, including Asian carp, harmful algal blooms, and the economic contributions of fishing, birding and tourism. On Friday, participants can choose among tours of Kelleys, Middle Bass, and South Bass islands.
“This event provides legislators a chance to see for themselves the importance Lake Erie holds to Ohio and the need for continuing research, protection, and sensible development,” says Melinda Huntley, Ohio Sea Grant Sustainable Tourism Program Director. “It puts them among the opportunities, the problems, and the needs of the Lake’s resources and the people whose lives are tied to Lake Erie.
Located on the 6.5-acre Gibraltar Island in Put-in-Bay harbor, Stone Laboratory is The Ohio State University’s Island Campus on Lake Erie and the education and research facility of the Ohio Sea Grant College Program. The Ohio State University’s Ohio Sea Grant Program is part of NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 32 Sea Grant programs dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. For information on Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory, visit ohioseagrant.osu.edu.
