Hodgson Family Foundation Projects
Science Projects Manager - Nicole Carpenter
nicole.carpenter@gbf.org, 1-905-880-4945 x 7
Invasive Phragmites are so common and look so harmless, that most people don't know just how threatening they are to North America's ecosystem. They are, however, fast-growing, wide-spreading, and leave little to no room for biodiversity where they stand. With thick stalks growing up to 15 feet high in dense clusters, they impair wildlife, dominate shorelines, alter water levels, and diminish water quality. They also impact human life by causing property damage, increasing the risk of floods and wildfires, and obscuring recreation and shoreline views.
Since 2012 we have been working with local communities in the Georgian Bay area to safely and naturally manage and restore balance to the area. We do so by mapping stands in the water and wetlands all across Georgian Bay, and routinely cutting those stands below water level in the most effective natural method for invasive Phragmites management.
Watch Nicole Carpenter's presentation for the 2023 Invasive Species Forum here, and read more about invasive Phragmites below...

The Projects

Juvenile Fish Ecology in Georgian Bay: Movement, Predation, and the Influence of Aquaculture Net-Pen Operations
Michigan State University
This project will study how juvenile fish use habitats around aquaculture net-pens in Parry Sound and compare their movements to those in nearby natural nursery areas, including sheltered embayments and wetland shorelines. Using acoustic telemetry tags, researchers will track young fish for two years to determine where they spend their time, when they move, and whether net-pens influence their risk of predation. By focusing on juvenile fish, this work addresses a knowledge gap about how human activities shape Georgian Bay’s fish communities.

Building Coastal Resilience in Georgian Bay: Integrated Modeling and AI Tools for Extreme Water Levels, Flooding, and Coastal Erosion
Michigan Technological University
This project will develop an integrated coastal resilience assessment system for Georgian Bay that combines advanced hydrodynamic modeling, wave and sediment transport simulations, and artificial intelligence (AI)– based hazard prediction tools. Using a coupled modeling framework, the project will quantify extreme water levels, storm-driven flooding, wave impacts, and shoreline erosion across Georgian Bay. The results will be delivered as actionable datasets, maps, and decision-support tools to GBF and its partners, supporting shoreline stewardship, habitat protection, and climate adaptation planning.

Methylmercury Formation in Georgian Bay and the Influence of Invasive Quagga Mussels
UWM Foundation, Inc.
Mercury (Hg) remains a persistent threat to Georgian Bay as levels in fish remain high enough to warrant sustained fish consumption advisories. Hg accumulates in the food web and converts to neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg). This study seeks to characterize where in Georgian Bay this toxic MeHg is produced. Furthermore, we aim to investigate how the invasive Dreissenid mussel, which has fundamentally rewired the Bay's ecology, impacts the microbial production of MeHg. This research will provide the first comprehensive survey of MeHg production in Georgian Bay.

Wild Rice
Institution
A healthy, natural shoreline is biodiverse, allowing various kinds of plant-life to grow harmoniously, thereby supporting a rich food web. Access to water is made easy for land-dwelling and amphibious animals, and dead trees and branches provide shelter and help balance water levels.

Mapping the Microplastics Threat in Georgian Bay: Next-Generation Methods for Plastics Distributions and Ecotoxicology
Regents of the University of Michigan
This project will assess microplastics pollution across Georgian Bay’s waters and sediments using state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques and statistical frameworks to better assess transport, fate, and ecological risks of microplastics. The team will map plastic pollution at an unprecedented level of detail, quantify particle size ranges paired with new methods for error estimation and data harmonization, and apply these new data to develop hydrodynamic models of microplastics movement in Georgian Bay.
