Claire Serieyssol Bleser

Claire Serieyssol Bleser

[email protected]

Education and Outreach Coordinator
Nine Mile Creek Watershed District
7710 Computer Ave, Suite 135
Edina, MN 55435

Education

  • B.A., International Economics, American University of Paris
  • B.A., Integrated International Studies, Knox College
  • M.A., Middle East Studies, University of Leeds
  • PhD, Water Resources Science, University of Minnesota
    Co-Advisors: Dr. Mark EdlundDr. Leonard C. Ferrington Jr.

Research Interests

I am a student in Water Resources Science. My educational background is in social sciences but focusing on water conflict. Throughout my studies as an undergraduate and graduate, I have become more aware of the value of our blue gold. I slowly discovered how many people around this planet misuse it. After reading various literature on international water agreements, it seem to me that most of the world still believed in looking at water in terms of quantity instead of its health. Quantity becomes irrelevant if the quality is not there and if the resource is dying.

However, this is not true everywhere on this planet. Two major transboundary watersheds have gone through for several decades without undergoing conflict. This success can mostly be related to several articles within their constitution that emphasize the “no harm” rule of the watershed. The failures of other basins were due to the lack of this emphasis. It was at that point that I began learning more about aquatic system; particularly, water quality. Now many define water quality in various different ways. I’d like to say that I look at it through a more biological-ecological eye.

My interest in this direction rose when I went to the International Diatom Symposium in Greece in 2000. I discovered that diatoms could be used as a management tool. Specifically, I could use them in order to determine the water quality currently and in the past. When you associate changes of a system through time with water quality, you can determine a better management plan. This becomes extremely relevant when dealing with transboundary water. My theory is that if a system is managed to maintain good water quality, conflicts will not arise between the sharing contributors.

This then leads me to my research. Rainy, Namakan and Kabetogama Lakes have been manipulated for more then 100 years via water level changes. In the last 40 years, various measures were put into place in order to determine appropriate management action. I believe that I can determine a management plan using two proxies (Diatoms and Chironomids). I will use these to determine water level management impacts on the aquatic system in terms of biodiversity and in water quality in the chemical sense.

Determining a good management plan to the benefit of the water’s ecosystem will result in better relation between the sharing nations for several centuries.

Research Statement

Projects

Investigation of the impacts of regulated water levels on biodiversity of Diatoms and Chironomids (PhD thesis)

Presentation

Historical changes of diatom communities and water quality in Namakan Lake and Lac La Croix, Lake of the Woods International Water Quality Forum (2007)

Before-After, Control-Impact Study of Diatom Community Response to Water-Level Manipulation, International Diatom Symposium (2006)

Namakan Lake: a challenging lake for paleolimnological studies, International Chironomid Symposium (2006)

Determining the Historical Impact of Water-level Management on Lakes in Voyageurs National Park: Namakan Lake and Lac La Croix, International Paleolimnology Symposium (2006)

Determining the Historical Impact of Water-level Management on Lakes in Voyageurs National Park, Lake of the Woods International Water Quality Forum (2006)

The Impacts of Regulated Water Levels on Water Quality and Biodiversity of Limnic Diatoms and Chironomids, Kelowna, Midge Dead Head Conference (2005)

Bottle Traps and Dipnetting: Evaluation of Two Sampling Techniques for Assessing Macroinvertebrate Biodiversity in Depressional Wetlands, New Orleans, North American Benthological Society Meeting (2005)

Determining the Historical Impact of Water-level Management on Lakes in Voyageurs National Park using Paleolimnology, Lakes of the Woods International Water Quality Forum (2005)

Miocene Diatoms from the Ashfall Fossil Beds near Royal, Nebraska, North American Diatoms Symposium (2003)

Publications

Serieyssol, C.A., M.B. Edlund, L. Kallemeyn and J. Ramstack. Combined effects of hydromanagement, land use and climate warming on water quality of US – Canada borders waters (in prep)

Serieyssol, C.A., M.B. Edlund and L. Kallemeyn. Impacts of settlement, damming, and hydromanagement in a large, boreal lake: a paleolimnological Before – After, Control-Impact Study, Journal of Paleolimnology 

Serieyssol, C.A., M.B. Edlund and L. Kallemeyn. 2008. Anthropogenic induced impacts in Voyageurs National Park. Proceedings of the 5th Annual International Lake of the Woods Water Quality Forum. Available at http://rainybasinwater.org/Pages/Forum_Proceedings_2008.htm#javascript:;

Serieyssol, C.A., M.B. Edlund and L. Kallemeyn. 2007.  Historical changes of diatom communities and water quality in Namakan Lake and Lac La Croix. Proceedings of the 4th Annual International Lake of the Woods Water Quality Forum. Available at http://www.rainybasinwater.org/Pages/Forum_Proceedings_2007.htm#javascript:;

Serieyssol, C. A., R. W. Bouchard Jr., A. W. Sealock, M. M. Rufer, J, Chirhart, J. Genet and L. C. Ferrington Jr. 2005. Bottle Traps and Dipnetting: Evaluation of two Sampling Techniques for Assessing Macroinvertebrate Biodiversity in Depressional Wetlands. Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society, 22(1): 337

Curriculum Vitae