Fossil Finds: Great Lakes coral and sea life remnants says much about its past and future

The Great Lakes region wasn’t always the freshwater realm we know today: rewind to a couple centuries ago and it was actually covered in tropical seawater. That’s why many of the fossils found in the area today are portions of coral reefs and ancient sea creatures.  

“When you think of Michigan or Illinois, you imagine cold and snow, but it wasn’t always that way.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/fossil-great-lakes-coral-remnants/

Maya Sundaresan

Say Goodbye to Your National Parks Road Trips?

By Tara Lohan, The Revelator

This story originally appeared in The Revelator and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

 

Climate change is already shaking up the natural world, changing the timing of seasonal snow melts, flower blooms and animal migrations.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/goodbye-national-parks-road-trips/

The Revelator

Erie Hack Finals: Is Lake Erie’s most pressing water problem toxins, agriculture or infrastructure design?

The objects wouldn’t look out of place as decorative lanterns or centerpieces. But the winner of the 2019 Erie Hack did more than look nice, it was designed to capture debris from stormwater – including plastic, waste and needles – that normally go rushing into Lake Erie whenever there’s bad weather. 

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/erie-hack-finals-toxins-agriculture-infrastructure/

Natasha Blakely

4 unexpected places where adults can learn science

By Jill Zarestky, Colorado State University, The Conversation

 is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

Modern society benefits when people understand science concepts. This knowledge helps explain how cryptocurrency works, why climate change is happening or how the coronavirus is transmitted from person to person.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/unexpected-places-adults-learn-science/

The Conversation

Reduce flooding from backed up sewers? There’s an app for that

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/flooding-sewers-app-research/

Michigan Radio

Farmers’ Almanac forecasts frosty Great Lakes flip-flop

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Gabrielle Ahlborn, Great Lakes Echo

After an unusually warm and stormy summer, the Great Lakes region has in store a “frosty flip-flop” winter, according to the 2021-22 Farmers’ Almanac forecast.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/farmers-almanac-forecasts-frosty/

Great Lakes Echo

MSU researchers collecting data on Great Lakes shoreline

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Researchers at Michigan State University are collecting data on how Great Lakes shoreline, including how residents view coastlines and the impact of high water levels.

Assistant professor Erin Bunting said the goal is to empower local communities, which is important to the future of the lakeshores and future research.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/ap-msu-researchers-data-great-lakes-shoreline/

The Associated Press

Genetic Mystery: The all-female salamanders of the Great Lakes

Looking at them, you wouldn’t guess that the unisexual Ambystoma salamanders are any different than the other members of what was once considered their group.  

These interlopers were previously grouped with five other mole salamander species: the tiger salamanders with yellow stripes; the blue-spotted salamander, marked as its name suggests; the brownish smallmouth salamander and Jefferson salamander; and the pale streamside salamander.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/genetic-mystery-female-salamanders-great-lakes/

Lorraine Boissoneault

Farm Protection: Ontario invests in projects to help farms improve Great Lakes water quality

The Ontario government is funding projects aimed at helping farmers and landowners preserve water quality of the Great Lakes watershed.

More than $2.5 million was awarded to 19 projects that ranged from green infrastructure projects to helping spread good land management practices to reduce the amount of contaminants and excess nutrients, such as phosphorous, entering the Great Lakes.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/farm-ontario-projects-great-lakes/

Brian Owens

Center in UP to look at impact of oil spills in freshwater

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (AP) — Lake Superior State University in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula has been selected as a hub for a center that will look at the impacts of oil spills in freshwater environments.

The U.S. Coast Guard National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes also will help develop effective responses to spills, according to the school.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/ap-center-impact-oil-spills-freshwater/

The Associated Press

Great Grapes: Soil and climate have made the Great Lakes a top wine-producing area

The gold medal winner of this year’s annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition was a light unoaked chardonnay from Debonné Vineyards – a vineyard located in the Lake Erie region of northeast Ohio.

Despite the American wine and grape industry’s association with California’s Napa Valley, the Great Lakes region boasts four of the top 10 wine producing states in the nation.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/grapes-soil-climate-great-lakes-wine-producing/

Capri S. Cafaro

SCUBAnauts enjoy first Great Lakes dive in Alpena

By Darby Hinkley, The Alpena News

This article is part of a collaboration between The Alpena News and Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television to bring audiences stories about the Great Lakes, especially Lake Huron and its watershed.

ALPENA — These teens have a lot of experience diving, but, until this month, none of them had any experience diving in any of The Great Lakes.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/scubanauts-great-lakes-dive-alpena/

The Alpena News

New theory: Earth’s longer days kick-started oxygen growth

Scientists have a new idea for how Earth got its oxygen: It’s because the planet slowed down and days got longer.

A study published Monday proposes and puts to the test the theory that longer, continuous daylight kick-started weird bacteria into producing lots of oxygen, making most of life as we know it possible.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/ap-theory-earth-days-oxygen-growth/

The Associated Press

Great Lakes algae threatens air quality

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Hannah Brock, Great Lakes Echo

Toxins from harmful algal blooms are known to pollute water, but now researchers are looking at how they harm Great Lakes air.

And that also could have implications for human health, they say.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/great-lakes-algae-threatens-air-quality/

Great Lakes Echo

The Suckers: Great Lakes’ “best supporting fishes” are important to the food web

As an avid angler, Great Lakes Now Host Ward Detwiler has encountered suckers, a bottom-feeding family of fish that are present in all five Great Lakes and spawn in the rivers of the watershed.

But he’s never been terribly mindful of them.

“It’s never something you’re really out looking for,” Detwiler said.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/suckers-scientist-best-supporting-fishes-great-lakes-food-web/

Sandra Svoboda

Scientists: Pup births hopeful sign for Isle Royale wolves

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Wolf pups have been spotted again on Isle Royale, a hopeful sign in the effort to rebuild the predator species’ population at the U.S. national park, scientists said Monday.

It’s unknown how many gray wolves roam the island chain in northwestern Lake Superior.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/ap-scientists-births-isle-royale-wolves/

The Associated Press

Investing in the Lakes: New bill could redirect tech money to neglected Great Lakes cities

As President Joe Biden tries to advance his high-profile legislative agenda in a sharply divided Congress, a low-profile bill that could help the Great Lakes region is progressing with bipartisan support.

If passed, it could finally help the region shake its Rust Belt image.

The legislation is the U.S.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/legislation-investment-tech-research-great-lakes-cities/

Gary Wilson

Dealing with the soup of chemicals that can get into your drinking water

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/soup-chemicals-drinking-water/

Michigan Radio

Good News for Lake Erie: 2021 algal bloom severity forecast is 3

For the second year in a row, scientists predict the annual Lake Erie cyanobacteria bloom will be smaller than it has been in the past decade.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s forecast, assembled with the help of multiple partners, indicates an expected bloom severity index of 3 on a scale of 10.5.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/07/2021-harmful-algal-blooms-toxic-algae/

James Proffitt

Public Resource: Around the Great Lakes, everyday people help make science possible

Collecting data for scientific research across large geographic areas can be challenging, but researchers have found an easy solution – the public.

The Huron River watershed covers 900 square miles, and the Huron River Watershed Council has been collecting data from the watershed for years. Yet collection from such an expansive area would not have been possible without the help of an army of dedicated citizen, or community, scientists.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/great-lakes-everyday-people-science-public/

Noah Bock

Researchers seek volunteers to document coastal erosion in Michigan

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By McKoy Scribner, Great Lakes Echo

Although Great Lakes water levels are down, the risk of coastal erosion remains high, Michigan State University researchers say. Now, the researchers are enlisting “citizen scientists” to assist in helping better understand coastal change.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/researchers-volunteers-document-coastal-erosion-michigan/

Great Lakes Echo

Citizen Science Opportunities: How can you get involved in scientific research?

For some, getting to contribute to scientific research might sound like a far-fetched possibility.

Jason Frenzel, stewardship coordinator at the Huron River Watershed Council, is one of the countless people working to change that assumption.

The HRWC is one of many organizations in the Great Lakes region that offer people, most with little prior scientific training, the opportunity to participate in science.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/citizen-science-opportunities/

Noah Bock

Piping Plovers: Despite new challenges, the birds make their comeback

When biologist Jillian Farkas stepped into the position of piping plover coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in January 2020, there was no way she could have predicted just how unprecedented the coming season would be.

Her role involves coordinating dozens of scientists and volunteers across six states, two tribes and multiple government agencies—all to help preserve the endangered Great Lakes population of piping plovers.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/piping-plovers-recovery-population/

Lorraine Boissoneault

Plastic Impact: Canada launches multi-year study of microplastics in water and soil

A four-year research project looking into the impact of microplastics on freshwater ecosystems and on agricultural soils will have important implications for the Great Lakes, said its principal researcher.

Funded by the Canadian government, the $1-million project was announced in May. It will measure microplastic levels in wastewater from treatment plants draining into Ontario rivers and streams that feed into the Great Lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/canada-microplastics-study-wastewater-impact/

Sharon Oosthoek

Marine Blooms of Harmful Algae Increasing in Europe, Much of the Americas

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/marine-blooms-harmful-algae-increasing/

Circle of Blue

Michigan’s climate-ready future: wetland parks, less cement, roomy shores

What does Michigan’s future look like if we adequately prepare the state’s water resources for climate change? Goodbye to septics and shore-hugging homes. Hello to more diversified crops on Michigan farms.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/michigan-climate-future-wetland-parks-infrastructure-agriculture/

Bridge Michigan

Great Lakes Moment: The US-Canada ecosystem-focused approach to restoration

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.

The United States and Canada now have over 40 years of collaborative history in use of an ecosystem approach to protect and restore the Great Lakes.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/06/international-ecoystem-approach-restoration-great-lakes/

John Hartig

Green Infrastructure: Cities around the Great Lakes plan for a changing future

Rain gardens, bioretention features, adaptable parks and more are popping up all around the region.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/green-infrastructure-great-lakes-climate-future/

Andrew Blok

Algae may vacuum microplastics, but also indicates greater health threat

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Hannah Brock, Great Lakes Echo

A type of algae that a recent study found collects microfibers brings up questions about microplastic pollution impacts and how it could affect human health.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/algae-vacuum-microplastics-greater-health-threat/

Great Lakes Echo

Plastic debris is getting into the Great Lakes, our drinking water, and our food

Watershed cleanups are popular ways of dealing with local plastic pollution, but once large plastic trash disintegrates into microplastics, they're nearly impossible to pick up.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/plastic-debris-great-lakes-drinking-water-food/

Michigan Radio

Chemical Impact: Microplastic pollution more complex than we think, says new research

Microplastics act like a chemical sponge, soaking up contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/05/chemical-impact-microplastic-pollution/

Sharon Oosthoek

Tsunamis caused by air pressure could resuspend Great Lakes contaminants

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Brandon Chew, Great Lakes Echo

It was atmospheric pressure waves that produced 6-foot water waves in Lake Michigan on April 13, 2018, damaging docks and cottages and submerging breakwalls in Ludington.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/meteotsunami-great-lakes-contaminants/

Great Lakes Echo

EPA awards Great Lakes grants to Central Michigan, Clarkson

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants to Central Michigan University and Clarkson University to continue monitoring coastal wetlands and fish contaminants throughout the Great Lakes basin.

Central Michigan will receive $10 million to monitor approximately 1,000 wetlands over the next five years.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/ap-epa-great-lakes-grants-central-michigan-clarkson/

The Associated Press

How Microfishing Took the Angling World by (Very Small) Storm

By Ben Goldfarb, Hakai Magazine

This story originally appeared in Hakai Magazine and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

In the world of competitive sportfishing, the name Arostegui is royalty.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/microfishing-angling-recreational-fishing/

Hakai Magazine

Drownings Increase: Research shows possible connection between COVID-19 restrictions and Great Lakes drownings

As COVID-19 changed the pattern of life around the Great Lakes region in 2020, it also altered the pattern of Great Lakes drownings in unfortunate if predictable ways.

With larger than normal crowds and a fatigue with restrictions, the rise in drownings isn’t a surprise.

“You get no lifeguards, heavier beach crowds, more people who were just escaping their house in the heat, going to the beach, and you’re putting more people into a dangerous situation,” said Chris Houser, a professor in the school of environment at University of Windsor.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/drownings-increase-research-connection-covid-19-restrictions/

Andrew Blok

Regional Thoughts: Some reactions from various Great Lakes leaders on President Biden’s infrastructure plan

President Joe Biden last week announced a massive $2 trillion infrastructure proposal, including how the money will be spent and plans to pay for it.

He spoke Wednesday at the training facility for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he began his presidential campaign two years ago.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/regional-thoughts-some-reactions-from-various-great-lakes-leaders-on-president-bidens-infrastructure-plan/

Natasha Blakely

Bolder Fish: New study looks at how pandemic antidepressant use might affect freshwater ecosystems

As the pandemic wears on, antidepressant use is on the rise.

Claims for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors increased by 17% in Canada between 2019 and 2020, according to one report. In the United States, the number of prescriptions filled per week for antidepressant, anti-anxiety and anti-insomnia medications increased 21% between Feb.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/fish-study-pandemic-antidepressant-freshwater-ecosystems/

Sharon Oosthoek

Report: Lake Michigan is ‘running a fever.’ More storms, less fish possible.

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan, through the Institute for Nonprofit News network

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/report-lake-michigan-more-storms-less-fish/

Bridge Michigan

Salt Levels: The effects of wintertime de-icing linger in Toronto-area rivers in the summer

As spring comes to the Great Lakes region and icy roads and sidewalks become a distant memory, a new study shows the salt we apply over the winter can linger in summertime rivers at alarming levels.

The University of Toronto study measured chloride in four Greater Toronto Area rivers and found it was high enough in many locations to put at least two-thirds of aquatic life at risk during early stages of their development.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/salt-levels-wintertime-de-icing-toronto-rivers-summer/

Sharon Oosthoek

Early Detection: When it comes to Great Lakes invasives, prevention is the only cure

Of the many possible new invasive threats to the Great Lakes, 144 stand out in particular, according to a study released in 2021.

The study lists 144 fish, plants and invertebrates that could invade the Great Lakes or expand their range within them. The species were listed by the risk of damage they pose to the Great Lakes environment or culture and the likelihood they’d be introduced by one of six pathways.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/great-lakes-invasive-species-early-detection/

Andrew Blok

Scientists: Climate-whipped winds pose Great Lakes hazards

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Powerful gusts linked to global warming are damaging water quality and creating a hazard for fish in Lake Erie and perhaps elsewhere in the Great Lakes, according to researchers.

Extremely high winds occasionally churn up deep water with low oxygen and high levels of phosphorus in Erie’s central basin and shove it into the shallower western section, creating a hazard for fish and insects on which they feed.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/ap-scientists-climate-whipped-winds-great-lakes-hazards/

The Associated Press

U of M team makes discovery about Lake Erie dead zone

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio 

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/university-michigan-discovery-lake-erie-dead-zone/

Michigan Radio

Lake Superior Winter: Researchers belatedly turn their eyes to the impact of warming winters

Deep below the cold, dark surface of Lake Superior, sensors strung like pearls along a vertical steel cable sway with the currents. Recording the lake’s dropping temperatures as winter sets in, their gentle rhythm belies their worrying readings: the lake is getting warmer.

Jay Austin heaved several of these science experiments off a boat last fall – tossing concrete blocks into the deep water to anchor the cable of sensors stretching down from floating platforms just below the surface.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/03/lake-superior-researchers-impact-warming-winters/

Sharon Oosthoek

Winous Point: Conservation and research plays key role in history of one of the oldest hunting clubs

Two simple, white signs marked “WPSC” on small posts are all that mark its existence to most of the public. The posts sit on either side of a narrow road that turns to gravel then  disappears shortly after into the woods and is the gateway to the oldest continuously operating – and most storied – waterfowl hunting club in North America.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/winous-point-conservation-research-history-oldest-hunting-clubs/

James Proffitt

Big Benefits from Experimental Watersheds

By Terri Cook, Eos

This story originally appeared in Eos and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.

 

During the mid-1930s, in the wake of devastating Dust Bowl–era storms, the U.S.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/big-benefits-from-experimental-watersheds/

Eos

Road Salt: Researchers look at vegetables and juices for alternatives to salt

Salt-speckled sidewalks, driveways and highways are synonymous with winter in the Great Lakes region. But while road salt is highly effective at deicing surfaces, the safety that salt provides for humans places a heavy burden on freshwater ecosystems.

“We have an unhealthy addiction to road salt,” said Claire Oswald, a hydrologist and associate professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/road-salt-reducing-usage-great-lakes-freshwater-ecosystem/

Kathy Johnson

Water could make the Great Lakes a climate refuge. Are we prepared?

Michigan and the Great Lakes region — with an abundance of fresh water, warming winters and less fire-prone forests — stand to attract millions of new residents in the coming years looking to escape flooded coastal areas and the parched land of the West.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/water-great-lakes-climate-refuge-prepared/

Circle of Blue

U.S., Canadian researchers conduct binational birds conservation research

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Yue Jiang, Great Lakes Echo

They glide over the lake, waiting for the best time to catch fish.

In the blink of an eye, they dive into the water without hesitation.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/u-s-canadian-researchers-birds-conservation-research/

Great Lakes Echo

Herring gull eggs help monitor Great Lakes ecosystems

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Kalah Harris, Great Lakes Echo

Herring gulls are aquatic birds that feed at the water’s surface and so are restricted to feeding on prey fish at the surface and shallow nearshore waters.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/herring-gull-eggs-monitor-great-lakes-ecosystems/

Great Lakes Echo

30 Years Later: Mussel invasion legacy reaches far beyond Great Lakes

The way J. Ellen Marsden remembers it, when she first suggested calling a new Great Lakes invasive species the quagga mussel, her colleague laughed, so the name stuck.

At the same time, it was no laughing matter. The arrival of a second non-native mussel, related to the already established zebra mussel, was a major complication in what was becoming one of the most significant invasive species events in American history.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/02/invasive-mussels-legacy-beyond-great-lakes/

Andrew Blok