Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

Wes Bickford, Sasha Bozimowski, Kurt Kowalski, and Taaja Tucker-Silva (GLSC, Ann Arbor, Michigan) presented at the 2022 Great Lakes Coastal Symposium held in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, September 19-21, 2022. The theme of the symposium was “identifying priorities for coastal system conservation and restoration in less-altered coastal ecosystems.” Attendees were also offered the opportunity to visit and learn more about less-altered systems in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on several guided field trips. Dr. Kowalski shared an overview of the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Restoration Assessment, a basin-wide decision-support tool developed to support the restoration of coastal wetland habitats. Dr. Bickford discussed ongoing research efforts to evaluate the cut-to-drown treatment approach for the non-native Phragmites australis. Ms. Tucker-Silva gave an overview of the binational Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative and implementation details on the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework. Finally, Ms. Bozimowski described how a high-resolution sonar and machine-learning analysis approach are contributing to a large coastal wetland restoration project at the US Fish and Wildlife Service Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. Approximately 120 people attended the symposium and participated in presentations, training sessions, and networking opportunities focused on Great Lakes coastal issues.