Q&A: Ohio Sea Grant's Jeffrey Reutter explains the economic importance of Lake Erie

Ohio has a monumental stake in what happens to Lake Erie. Invasive species, algal blooms, chemical runoff and climate change all have the potential to stagger the economic engine that generates thousands of Ohio jobs. Since 1978, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has turned to Ohio State University -- which operates one of 30 Sea Grant College Programs around the country -- for some of the answers to Erie's most pressing problems. hiVelocity asked Program Director Dr. Jeffrey M. Reutter about the role the OSU Sea Grant Program plays in Ohio's economy. 

Ohio State University is the only Ohio participant in the Sea Grant program. How was OSU chosen?

OSU has been working on Lake Erie going way back. Stone Laboratory (on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie) is one of the oldest freshwater labs in the country, going back to 1895. And it's one of the premier labs in the world. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River burned, and the state came to the university and said "you have a lot of expertise on Lake Erie, could you help with this problem?" The university responded by developing CLEAR (Center for Lake Erie Area Research), which led the way to bring about the recovery of Lake Erie. In 1978, we joined the Sea Grant Program. It made sense, because Sea Grant is patterned after the land grant research, education and outreach system. OSU is a land grant institution, and the OSU Extension Service is part of that. In fact, we have Sea Grant extension agents from Conneaut to Toledo who work with the public in the same way that agricultural agents work with farmers.

How is the program at Ohio State funded, and what is your working relationship with NOAA?

We're part of NOAA in a department that offers the National Sea Grant Program. We're one of 30 programs nationwide; the Great Lakes states have seven programs. Sea Grant is a matching program -- for every $2 we receive from NOAA, we have to provide at least a $1 match in non-federal funds. .

Over the years, has the Ohio Sea Grant Program broken new ground that might cause others to view you as a pioneer?

We did that with aquatic invasive species -- in particular, research concerning zebra mussels. We also worked with water treatment plants and managers of water treatment plants to identify harmful algae blooms and new strategies to reduce algae and reduce toxins (that they produce). We pioneered underwater welding -- new techniques and new composites for welding rods. In fact, Ohio State is one of only two places where you can earn a graduate degree in underwater welding. We've done a lot of work in biotechnology. In economic areas we've received a number of awards for the work we did to improve the Lake Erie ecosystem from being a dead lake two decades ago to being the Walleye capital of the world today. When we started, there were 34 charter fishing businesses operating on Lake Erie. There are now more than 800. Now, the biggest thing we're working on is trying to reduce phosphorus load and remove harmful algal blooms. But we're also doing things like using sonar to clean up heavy metals and using light to degrade agricultural chemicals in wetlands. We have almost 400 programs, 280 investigators, and 25-30 courses offered at Stone Lab.

The average Ohioan probably tends to think of the Great Lakes in terms of recreational use, I think. Give us a bigger picture of what is at stake.

There is no doubt that Lake Erie is an economic engine for the entire state. But as Ohioans, we're sometimes too close to it. People tend to take it for granted. But I have what I call the 50-and-two rule. Lake Superior has 50 percent of the water in the Great Lakes, but only 2 percent of the fish. Lake Erie has only 2 percent of the water, but more than 50 percent of all the fish in the Great Lakes.

What areas are you looking at that have long-term economic implications for Ohio?

We have to find out how to reduce chemical and phosphorus load -- it amounts to 29,100 metric tons a year. Concentrations are way up, and it's clear that these contaminants are coming from agriculture. We have to find out how to decrease this loading without hurting agriculture. Another problem is that we have way too much sediment going into the lake. The Maumee River puts more sediment into Lake Erie than all the tributaries feeding Lake Superior.

What are some of the biggest challenges we face?

First, sediment loading. Two, nutrient loading (phosphorus). Then, harmful algal blooms -- the toxicity of algae is getting worse every year. Fourth, invasive species. Fifth, the dead zone at the center of Lake Erie. And sixth, climate change, because that's going to make the other five worse.

You've been researching the Great Lakes and teaching about them since the early 1970s. Are you encouraged by the changes you've seen since then in our approach to lake stewardship?

I am. Congress has appropriated $475 million to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. It's the largest appropriation I have ever seen that is focused on the lakes. You could argue that Congress's appropriation is well short of what is needed, but it's more than I ever though I'd see in my lifetime.