Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Where People Meet The Muck: An Integrated Assessment Of Beach Muck And Public Perception At The Bay City State Recreation Area, Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, Donna R. Kashian, Avik Basu, Joseph Depinto, Jason Duvall, Ray Fahlsing, Darrin Hunt, Frank Lupi, Bretton Joldersma

Biological Sciences Faculty Research Publications

In several regions of the Great Lakes, including Saginaw Bay, the proliferation of muck, decaying organics largely from aquatic plants such as Cladophora, has washed ashore, and is blamed for negatively affecting water quality and economic losses in the region. The current view is that excess nutrient loading into the system is a leading cause of this type of organic debris, though changes in food web dynamics may also be a contributing factor. Through an Integrated Assessment (IA) framework, we summarized the current state of knowledge on the causes and consequences of muck conditions at the Bay City State Recreation …