PA Sea Grant Hosts 4-Part Webinar Series On Bluff Recession Research & Science For PA Portion Of Lake Erie Shoreline

The Pennsylvania Sea Grant Program will hold a four-part series of webinars starting January 29 to highlight recent research and science on bluff recession along the Pennsylvania portion of Lake Erie shoreline.

Bluff recession poses a threat to the Pennsylvania Lake Erie economy, environment, and safety of its residents. 

The 76.6-mile long Pennsylvania Lake Erie shoreline includes Presque Isle State Park, Erie Bluffs State Park, several public access points, and privately owned properties. 

Researchers from Pennsylvania Sea Grant and Penn State Behrend Campus have assessed recession rates of the Lake Erie bluff using state-of-the-art remotely sensed data, including LiDAR and orthoimagery. 

The data and new information collected as a result of the effort will be integrated with existing Pennsylvania Lake Erie-related ecological and economic data, services, guidance, and information in order to assist decision-makers, planners and homeowners, and to better sustain Lake Erie’s natural shoreline.

Webinar Schedule

The webinars will be held from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. on--

-- January 29: Bluff Recession – An Overview of the Issue and Challenges. Presenter: Anthony Foyle, Ph.D., Department Chair of Environmental Science and Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Penn State Behrend.

-- February 26: Assessing Bluff Recession Using High Resolution Geospatial Data.  Presenter: Mike Naber, Ph.D., Associate Teaching Professor of Geosciences, Penn State Behrend

-- March 26: Overview of the latest and inclusive online resource related to Lake Erie - the PA Great Lakes Water and Land Technical Resources (WALTeR) Center. Presenter: Sean Rafferty, Ph.D., Research Director, Pennsylvania Sea Grant College Program.

-- April 30: A Bluff Erosion Potential Index (BEPI) for Pennsylvania. Presenter: Anthony Foyle, Ph.D., Department Chair of Environmental Science and Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Penn State Behrend.

Click Here to register and for more background on buff recession and these webinars.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Pennsylvania Sea Grant Program webpage.

Visit DEP’s Lake Erie Bluff Recession Control Point Monitoring webpage for more on regulating bluff recession.

[Posted: January 21, 2021]  PA Environment Digest