Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can cause fish kills, foul up nearby coastlines, and produce conditions that are dangerous to aquatic life, as well as humans. As part of the 2025 Summer Lecture Series at the University of Michigan Biological Station, Dr. Silvia Newell will give a free, public talk titled “Nitrogen as a Driver of HABs in the Great Lakes.”

Newell is the director of Michigan Sea Grant and a professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. She is a nutrient biogeochemist and microbial ecologist with experience working on Great Lakes issues. Newell researches the effects of excess nutrients from fertilizer and wastewater on inland and coastal waters, with a focus on harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. She has experience engaging stakeholders to develop realistic pathways for nutrient reduction. She serves on the board for a number of organizations, including the Earth Science Women’s Network, the Great Lakes Commission HABs Collaborative, the Saginaw Bay Monitoring Consortium Advisory Committee, and is the past president of the Lake Erie Area Research Network.

The U-M Biological Station — the largest of U-M's campuses at more than 10,000 forested acres surrounded by lakes — is one of the nation's largest and longest continuously operating field research stations.

Founded in 1909, the Biological Station supports long-term research and education. It is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.

The Summer Lecture Series is a tradition at UMBS, where we explore scientific topics with distinguished guest speakers from across the country so our community can learn about our natural world.

The free, public talks are on Wednesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. in the spring and summer in Gates Lecture Hall at the University of Michigan Biological Station, located at 9133 Biological Rd. in Pellston, Michigan — about 20 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge.