Interior and Agriculture Departments Announce Joint New Climate Change Research Projects on SE and NW Freshwater Systems (Jul 27, 2010)
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced joint scientific research projects that address the effects of climate change on freshwater systems and sensitive aquatic species. The multi-year $500,000 joint USDA-DOI projects, which will be carried out by U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Forest Service scientists, will make use of existing data, field studies and modeling to better understand the effects of climate change on aquatic ecosystems. Information from the project will help guide science-based land-use decisions by federal agencies and others engaged in long-term planning for climate adaptation.

NOAA Awards $2.5 Million for Research on Invasive Species in the Great Lakes (Jul 23, 2010)
DOC. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA has awarded $2.5 million to University of Notre Dame's Center for Aquatic Conservation and its partners to predict the next wave of invasive species likely to enter the Great Lakes and to identify cost-effective countermeasures. In the past, studies have focused on single species; this study will give the researchers the ability to look more broadly and strategically at the problem. In making their predictions about which species are likely to invade, researchers will consider such factors as the most likely paths of introduction and spread and the availability of suitable habitat across the Great Lakes.

States and Cities Launch Initiative to Modernize the Chicago Area Waterway System and Protect the Great Lakes from Asian Carp (Jul 22, 2010)
Great Lakes Commission.
Great Lakes states and cities have announced an initiative, Envisioning a Chicago Area Waterway System for the 21st Century (PDF | 65 KB), that seeks to transform water management and transportation in the Chicago region for the 21st Century, while safeguarding the Great Lakes from economic and ecological damage caused by Asian carp and other biological invasions from the Mississippi River basin. The 18-month initiative will assess modernization and improvements to the Waterway System in a way that enhances commercial, recreational and environmental benefits, while preventing the transfer of damaging invasive species.

MSU Sea Lamprey Research Sheds Light on How Stress Hormones Evolved (Jul 20, 2010)
Michigan State University.
Michigan State University researchers are the first to identify a stress hormone in the sea lamprey, using the 500 million-year-old species as a model to understand the evolution of the endocrine system. Corticosteroid hormones control stress response in animals with backbones, including humans. Scientists have learned quite a bit about these so-called stress hormones in most modern animals, but knew little about the hormones' earliest forms in prehistoric creatures such as the lamprey. The findings in 11-Deoxycortisol is a Corticosteroid Hormone in the Lamprey published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, allow for a better understanding of how the endocrine system in vertebrates evolved into the complex systems seen in humans today.

USDA Forest Service Releases New Roadmap for Responding to Changing Climate (Jul 20, 2010)
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA Forest Service has released the National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change (Jul 2010; PDF | 667 KB) and A Performance Scorecard for Implementing the Forest Service Climate Change Strategy (PDF | 141 KB) in response to the USDA's 2010-2015 Strategic Plan that sets a goal of ensuring that our national forests are made more resilient to climate change. This includes targeted monitoring and continued management of insects, pathogens, and invasive species that threaten the health and resilience of ecosystems. The report and scorecard can also be found on the Office of the Climate Change Advisor Web site.

Stabenow Opening Statement on Asian Carp Subcommittee Hearing (Jul 14, 2010)
Senator Debbie Stabenow.
On Jul 14, 2010, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chair of the Water and Power Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, held a hearing to examine the Federal response to the discovery of the aquatic invasive species Asian carp in Lake Calumet, Illinois. This included testimony from Nancy H. Sutley, Chair, Council on Environmental Quality, on the Obama Administration Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework. In addition, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced after meeting with Ms. Sutley, that the Obama Administration is working to appoint a Coordinated Response Commander within the next 30 days, for Asian carp.