CFRE Partners

Danielle (Dani) Fegan
Coastal Program Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

B.A. 2011, Hope College
M.S. 2016, Michigan State University

In 2023, I joined the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Coastal Program as a biologist and the lead for the St. Marys River and Straits of Mackinac focus area. My work focuses on promoting conservation and restoration of coastal systems in this geography, with a particular focus on work that benefits federal trust species. In this role, I aim to make connections between conservation partners and the technical and financial resources they need to get this work done. My professional interests include collaborative coastal wetland restoration, conservation planning, invasive species management, and wildlife monitoring.

Prior to joining the USFWS Coastal Program team, I worked for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Sault Tribe) as an assessment biologist within the Natural Resources Department – Wildlife Program for six and a half years. I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University (MSU) in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and am working toward a dual degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. I am a student in the Center for Cooperative Ecological Resilience, a Sault Tribe-university partnership. My research aims to bring Anishinaabe values and community perspectives into decision- making processes for natural resources stewardship and focuses on stewardship planning for a suite of upland birds in the eastern Upper Peninsula.

I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, and I am happy to call the St. Marys River home. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, hiking, and swims in the big lake.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Projects

• We focus on the conservation and protection of ecosystems and their species in coastal wetlands.
• We coordinate resources to help protect the coastal wetlands around the St. Marys River.
• We develop research, practice conservation, and provide project management.
• We have a coordinated and strategic approach to distribute resources to potential partners either looking to start a project or looking for assistance with ongoing projects.
• We are continually distributing funding and resources to help get the job done, which can be in the form of expertise, physical equipment, or other collaborations.
• We are partnered with many organizations, such as the Grand Traverse Land Conservancy and the Michigan Audubon Society.
• We are working towards hosting our own internships or helping place students with partners in ongoing projects that could be used for senior research projects in the future.
• Ongoing Activities:
  • Regional planning processes, such as identifying projects that need to be done, making sure that funding is ready, and that those interested in making use of the funds have the proper information and paperwork to start the process of receiving the funding.
  • We also help build partnerships between organizations which can be of use to one another.

Mr. Elliot Nelson
Extension Educator, Michigan Sea Grant

I am an employee of Michigan Sea Grant, a joint program through Michigan State University Extension, the University of Michigan, and the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. Since I started in this position, I have been housed at the Center for Freshwater Research and Education. This exciting partnership allows me to work closely with CFRE staff on a variety of collaborative projects.  I couldn’t think of a better place for my Sea Grant position to be housed.

I am originally from the Les Cheneaux Islands area, growing up on the shores of Lake Huron. I believe my proximity to the lakes and copious amount of time running through the woods as a child instilled a love for the outdoors in me. I left the UP for about 13 years when I pursued college degrees and worked a variety of environmental education jobs. I received a B.S. in Biology at Michigan State University in 2010. I then went on to become a teacher for a number of years in the Grand Rapids area. I also worked other jobs including connecting urban students to environmental science professors and research through the Third 90 program. After a time I returned to school full time to pursue my Master’s degree. I attended the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, obtaining an M.S. in Natural Resources and the Environment in 2016.

I now am very fortunate to have returned to my home area and work with MI Sea Grant. MI Sea Grant works to promote the sustainable use of Great Lakes resources, and promote coastal economies across the state of Michigan. We take research from the universities and NOAA to communities and help run education and outreach programs to make science work for Michigan’s coastal communities and to protect Great Lakes ecosystems. My focus areas include aquaculture (hatcheries and fish farms), Great Lakes environmental literacy programs, ecotourism including birding trails, and Great Lakes resiliency and restoration.

In my personal time I enjoy spending time with my three children, wife and two dogs anywhere outside. I love kayaking, camping, mountain biking and most of all birding. Birding has been a passion hobby of mine for many years and I love any chance I get to get outside and watch the amazing biodiversity around us.

Michigan Sea Grant Projects

• Partnering with LSSU and located within CFRE, we work with the EUPISD; 4-H programs around the state; tribal, state and federal agencies; schools; libraries; and various business associations.
• We develop educational programming on Great Lakes topics and work with local organizations and community partners to help promote Great Lakes economies and protect Great Lakes resources.
• We elevating local community partners and help them flourish with Sea Grant resources.
• We, potentially, will assist with senior research projects relating to either aquaculture or outreach and education (In Development).
• Events: The Aquaculture Challenge, the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, planning and running summer camps, and the Birding 101 class.

LCDR Kit Pace
U.S. Coast Guard, Great Lakes Center of Expertise

B.A. Mass Communications
M.S. Environmental Policy and Management
M.A. Global Affairs

Lieutenant Commander Christopher “Kit” Pace supervises the U.S. Coast Guard’s Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise (GLCOE), collocated with LSSU’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education. The GLCOE’s purpose is to operationalize innovative ideas that improve freshwater and arctic oil spill responses.

He most recently served as USCG Marine Safety Unit Savannah’s Chief of Response, where he Directed all Ports, Waterways & Coastal Security response missions for two economic/military Strategic Ports. The capsizing of the GOLDEN RAY, the largest maritime salvage effort in U.S. history, was a notable response overseen by LCDR Pace. While in Savannah, he was deployed twice to lead joint operations in support of the U.S. African Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership in Cote D’Ivoire, Cabo Verde, Senegal, Benin, & Nigeria to counter maritime threats in the Gulf of Guinea, deter influence campaigns of non-ally nations and strengthen relations with regional partners.

U.S. Coast Guard Projects

• We regulate potential polluters. Any vessel or shoreline facility operates with the express permission of the captain of the port to make sure that all those involved are operating within the proper safety and regulatory guidelines.
• We are the federal on-scene coordinator in the event of a spill, making sure those responsible for a spill are held accountable for cleaning it up and do so properly and to the standards that have been set. In the event that the responsible party is unable to adequately clean it up, then the U.S. Coast Guard will handle the clean up either themselves or hire the proper response team.
• We advocate for the potential use, or discussion of the use, of new tactics for addressing and remediating an oil spill.
• We put forth a call for proposals regarding potential oil spill research that is needed, based on certain criteria.
• Potential Senior Research Projects
  • These could be available through our calls for proposals, or possibly working in conjunction with ongoing projects.
  • Past Projects and Internships: Study of the presence of microbes capable of breaking down hydrocarbons.