Meredith Nevers
Biography
Meredith B. Nevers is an aquatic research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, stationed at the Lake Michigan Ecological Research Station in Chesterton, Indiana. Nevers received her Bachelor’s in Biology and English from Wittenberg University and her Master’s in Marine Biology from University of North Carolina – Wilmington, where she was inspired by the influence and diversity of algal communities. Nevers has been with USGS since 1997 where she became an expert in water quality and human health, authoring seminal research articles on the topic and serving as President of the Great Lakes Beach Association. Nevers now focuses on aquatic ecology of the Great Lakes with an emphasis on identifying drivers of nuisance and harmful algal blooms, restoring and improving urban waterways, detecting invasive species, and improving ecosystems assessments using advanced technology and genomics. Nevers continues to publish broadly and regularly presents her research at scientific societies with which she is affiliated: Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, International Water Association, and International Association for Great Lakes Research. She serves on multiple research and community teams devoted to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes for ecosystem health and restorative enjoyment.
Science and Products
16S rRNA gene sequencing and E. coli for shorelines and the Grand Calumet River, Indiana, 2015, (version 2.0, July 2019)
Data were collected in August and September 2015 for analysis of bacteria communities of the Grand Calumet River and associated shorelines. Water samples were collected on three occasions corresponding to one rain-related (wet) events and two non-rain (dry) events. Water samples were collected in the Grand Calumet River, at the mouth of the river, at offshore locations around the pe
Identify sources of high E. coli concentrations, Grand Calumet River Area of Concern beaches of southern Lake Michigan, 2016-2018
Data were collected as part of a study to identify sources of E. coli contamination at several beaches located in the Grand Calumet River Areas of Concern, located in northern Indiana on Lake Michigan. The study was funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Water samples were collected at each site (Jeorse Park 1, Jeorse Park 2, Hammond East, Hammond West, Whihala West, Whih
Identify sources of high E. coli concentrations, beaches of southern Lake Michigan, 2015
Data were collected as part of a study to identify sources of E. coli contamination at several beaches located in the Grand Calumet River Areas of Concern, located in northern Indiana on Lake Michigan. Water samples were collected at each site (Jeorse Park 1, Jeorse Park 2, Hammond East, Hammond West, Whihala East, and the Grand Calumet River) three times a week for thirteen week
Round goby eDNA survey, evaluation, and laboratory data in Lakes Michigan and Huron 2016-2017
Data included are from a series of field sample collections from Lakes Michigan and Huron, and laboratory mesocosms targeting the round goby fish (Neogobius melanostomus). The round goby is a benthic fish that has heavily invaded four of the five Laurentian Great Lakes. Because it inhabits a variety of substrates, including coastal breakwaters, traditional methods (e.g., trawling%
Sequestration of microfibers and other microplastics by green algae, Cladophora, in the US Great Lakes
Daunting amounts of microplastics are present in surface waters worldwide. A main category of microplastics is synthetic microfibers, which originate from textiles. These microplastics are generated and released in laundering and are discharged by wastewater treatment plants or enter surface waters from other sources. The polymers that...
Peller, Julie R.; Nevers, Meredith B.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Nelson, Cassie; Babu, Bharath Ganesh; Evans, Mary Anne; Kostelnik, Eddie; Keller, Morgan; Johnston, Jenna; Shidler, Sarah Quantifying microplastics in Indiana’s Lake Michigan watershed and submerged aquatic vegetation
Environmental breakdown of plastics produces synthetic microfibers, a class of microplastics that are most prevalent in surface waters. A main source of these pollutants is wastewater treatment plants which discharge into surface waters, including those that flow into Lake Michigan. Microplastics can settle into aquatic sediment or exist for...
Peller, Julie R.; Nevers, Meredith B.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Evans, Mary Anne Influence of sediment and stream transport on detecting a source of environmental DNA
Environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used for early detection, population estimations, and assessment of potential spread of invasive species, but questions remain about factors that influence eDNA detection results. Efforts are being made to understand how physical, chemical, and biological factors—settling, resuspension, dispersion, eDNA stability/...
Nevers, Meredith B.; Przybyla-Kelly, Katarzyna; Shively, Dawn A.; Morris, Charles C.; Dickey, Joshua; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara Evaluating the impacts of foreshore sand and birds on microbiological contamination at a freshwater beach
Beaches along the Great Lakes shorelines are important recreational and economic resources. However, contamination at the beaches can threaten their usage during the swimming season, potentially resulting in beach closures and/or advisories. Thus, understanding the dynamics that control nearshore water quality is integral to effective beach...
Saffaie, Ammar; Weiskerger, Chelsea J.; Nevers, Meredith B.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Phanikumar, Mantha S. Utilization of multiple microbial tools to evaluate efficacy of restoration strategies to improve recreational water quality at a Lake Michigan Beach (Racine, WI)
Hydro-meteorological conditions facilitate transport of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) to the nearshore environment, affecting recreational water quality. North Beach (Racine, Wisconsin, United States), is an exemplar public beach site along Lake Michigan, where precipitation-mediated surface runoff, wave encroachment, stormwater and tributary...
Kinzelman, Julie; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Nevers, Meredith B.; Shively, Dawn; Kurdas, Stephan; Nakatsu, Cindy H Interaction of bacterial communities and indicators of water quality in shoreline sand, sediment, and water of Lake Michigan
Shoreline sand harbors high concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) that may be resuspended into the water column through washing and resuspension. Studies have explored coastal processes that influence this sand-water flux for FIB, but little is known about how microbial markers of contamination or the bacterial community interact in the...
Nevers, Meredith B.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Nakatsu, Cindy H.; Kinzelman, Julie L.; Phanikumar, Mantha S.; Shively, Dawn; Spoljaric, Ashley Real-time nowcasting of microbiological water quality at recreational beaches: A wavelet and artificial neural network-based hybrid modeling approach
The number of beach closings caused by bacterial contamination has continued to rise in recent years, putting beachgoers at risk of exposure to contaminated water. Current approaches predict levels of indicator bacteria using regression models containing a number of explanatory variables. Data-based modeling approaches can supplement routine...
Zhang, Juan; Qiu, Han; Li, Xiaoyu; Niu, Jie; Nevers, Meredith B.; Hu, Xiaonong; Phanikumar, Mantha S. Real-time water quality monitoring at a Great Lakes National Park
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used by the USEPA to establish new recreational water quality criteria in 2012 using the indicator bacteria enterococci. The application of this method has been limited, but resource managers are interested in more timely monitoring results. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of qPCR as a...
Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Nevers, Meredith B.; Shively, Dawn; Spoljaric, Ashley; Otto, Christopher Identifying and eliminating sources of recreational water quality degradation along an urban coast
Restoration of highly degraded urban coastal waters often requires large-scale, complex projects, but in the interim, smaller-scale efforts can provide immediate improvements to water quality conditions for visitor use. We examined short-term efforts to improve recreational water quality near the Grand Calumet River (GC) in the Laurentian Great...
Nevers, Meredith B.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Shively, Dawn; Buszka, Paul M.; Jackson, P. Ryan; Phanikumar, Mantha S. Environmental DNA (eDNA): A tool for quantifying the abundant but elusive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus)
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is revolutionizing biodiversity monitoring, occupancy estimates, and real-time detections of invasive species. In the Great Lakes, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), an invasive benthic fish from the Black Sea, has spread to encompass all five lakes and many tributaries, outcompeting or consuming native species;...
Nevers, Meredith B.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Morris, Charles C.; Shively, Dawn; Przybyla-Kelly, Katarzyna; Spoljaric, Ashley M.; Dickey, Joshua; Roseman, Edward F. Freshwater wrack along Great Lakes coasts harbors Escherichia coli: Potential for bacterial transfer between watershed environments
We investigated the occurrence, persistence, and growth potential of Escherichia coli associated with freshwater organic debris (i.e., wrack) frequently deposited along shorelines (shoreline wrack), inputs from rivers (river CPOM), and parking lot runoffs (urban litter). Samples were collected from 9 Great Lakes beaches, 3 creeks, and 4 beach...
Nevers, Meredith; Przybyla-Kelly, Kasia; Spoljaric, Ashley; Shively, Dawn A.; Whitman, Richard L.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara Prototypic automated continuous recreational water quality monitoring of nine Chicago beaches
Predictive empirical modeling is used in many locations worldwide as a rapid, alternative recreational water quality management tool to eliminate delayed notifications associated with traditional fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) culturing (referred to as the persistence model, PM) and to prevent errors in releasing swimming advisories. The goal of...
Dawn Shively; Nevers, Meredith; Cathy Breitenbach; Phanikumar, Mantha S.; Kasia Przybyla-Kelly; Ashley M. Spoljaric; Richard L. Whitman
GLSC Cladophora Research Featured in Environmental Health News
Microplastics in Algae
Nevers Presents on Great Lakes Cladophora Assessment at State of Lake Ontario Meeting
Upcoming State of Lake Ontario Meeting
GLSC Participates in Lake Ontario Data Synthesis Workshop with Partners
Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative Data Integration for the 2018 Season in Lake Ontario
Nevers presents research at NPS Coastal Monitoring and Research Symposium
Assessing Cladophora Growth in Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario
GLSC Partnership Near Indiana Shoreline Receives SWCD Award
Porter County Soil & Water Conservation District received a District Showcase Award as an outstanding district in Indiana.