Saginaw Valley State University has received grant funding to support research in the Saginaw Bay Watershed.
The 200-thousand dollar grant will help researchers identify and reduce fecal contamination in the watershed.
Funding comes from the Michigan DNR’s Office of the Great Lakes.
Tami Sivy is a professor of chemistry at SVSU.
“We’ve already been working on rapid DNA testing methods as well as current culture techniques in order to determine when beaches should be closed, but we’re trying to take that a step back also and determine what the source of the fecal contamination is that’s causing those beaches to be closed.”
Sivy said the goal is to find out whether the majority of fecal contamination comes from humans, cows, or other sources.
She said the funding has helped purchase new equipment, expanded lab capacity, and supported student wages for those conducting the analysis.
We note that the Michigan DNR is a financial supporter of WCMU.