Titus Seilheimer

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/story-of-water-spotlights-sturgeon-at-wisconsin-science-festival/

Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference returns Feb. 21-22

On: February 4, 2025

In: Dong-Fang Deng, Emma Hauser, Peter Fritsch, Sharon Moen, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Aquaculture Association, Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference

A man in a blue t-shirt holds up two walleye in a net

Josh Fox transports walleye donated by the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility to Woods and Waters, a private fish farm in Juneau, Wisconsin. Photo: Emma Hauser

The Wisconsin Aquaculture Association will host the annual Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference Feb. 21-22 at the Hotel Marshfield, in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The conference is the largest event of its kind in the upper Midwest, bringing together fish farmers, researchers, educators and vendors to learn, share and network with aquaculture professionals across the state and region.

Aquaculture, or the raising of aquatic organisms, is an important part of the global agricultural landscape. Wisconsin has around 2,000 registered fish farms of various sizes. Of these, around 50 farms are commercial-scale operations that produce local seafood, baitfish and fish for stocking as well as support local jobs and the economy. Although small, the industry is diverse, raising different types of fish using a variety of aquaculture systems.

Emma Hauser, aquaculture outreach specialist with University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility and Wisconsin Sea Grant, assists in organizing the event each year. “This annual conference continues to be a critical event for anyone currently involved or interested in becoming involved in aquaculture. We are fortunate to have a great lineup of presenters sharing their expertise from across the Midwest,” said Hauser. “The most important part of this conference is networking and connecting with others in the industry to support the growth and sustainability of aquaculture into the future.”

Peter Fritsch, owner of Rushing Waters Fisheries, agrees. “These events are important to producers. You can learn just as much in conversations in the hallways as the lectures while building relationships with other producers that can last an entire career. These are now like reunions to me,” he said.

The two-day conference will feature talks and breakout sessions on fish health, aquaculture feed, regulation, business resources, fish processing and aquaculture systems. On the second day, participants will have the option to tour Gollon Brothers Wholesale Live Bait, a local fish farm operated by Wisconsin Aquaculture Association President Ben Gollon.

People it at several round tables in a conference room and listen to a speaker at a podium.

Randy Romanski, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, welcomes attendees to the 2024 joint Wisconsin and Minnesota Aquaculture Conference. Photo: Emma Hauser

Several Wisconsin Sea Grant staff will be presenting at the conference. Aquaculture outreach and extension specialist Dong-Fang Deng will discuss current research on aquaculture feed, and Sharon Moen, food-fish outreach coordinator, will offer ways for fish farmers to connect with local legislators. Last year, Moen successfully organized a fish-farm tour for state lawmakers to learn more about the industry.

Not only will fish be on the agenda, but also on plates. The conference will feature a “Taste of Wisconsin” reception, where participants can try local fish products.

Conference registration is $225 for general admission (which includes membership to the WAA), $150 for current members and $100 for students. Children 12 and under are free.

The conference is supported by various organizations including the Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, Minnesota Sea Grant, the UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, as well as other sponsors and vendors.

The post Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference returns Feb. 21-22 first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/wisconsin-aquaculture-conference-returns-feb-21-22/

Major fishery management milestone: Lake trout population is fully restored in Lake Superior

On: November 21, 2024

In: Bill Mattes, Ethan Baker, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Lake Superior Committee, Lake Superior lake trout fishery recovery, sea lamprey, Titus Seilheimer

Lake trout caught in Lake Superior on Isle Royale National Park. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

A major milestone was recently reached in fisheries management on Lake Superior. The Lake Superior Committee announced that lake trout are fully recovered in most of Lake Superior. The LSC is coordinated under the auspices of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, consists of fishery managers from the three Great Lakes States (Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan) that border Lake Superior, from the Province of Ontario, and from U.S. Tribes represented by the 1854 Treaty Authority, Chippewa-Ottawa Resource Authority, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

In the mid-1900s, lake trout populations declined to extremely low levels in Lake Superior due to extensive overfishing and the devastation wrought by non-native, predatory sea lamprey. Through the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries, the Governments of Canada and the United States came together to form the Great Lakes Fishery Commission; the commission was charged with controlling sea lamprey, coordinating fishery management and conducting lake trout rehabilitation, which was initiated on a small Lake Superior tributary, Mosquito Creek, in 1958. Successful control of sea lamprey allowed additional management efforts, such as strict harvest regulations and stocking of various strains of lake trout, to be implemented. Together, these efforts were successful and allowed the LSC to substantially reduce stocking in the mid-1990s due to increased abundance of naturally reproducing lake trout populations.

“The decline and near extinction of native lake trout resulted in a drastic change to the Great Lakes ecosystem and devastated the region’s economy,” said Ethan Baker, chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. “The recovery of this keystone species from near extirpation to the healthy, self-sustaining population was achieved through a multi-decade and multi-jurisdictional Herculean effort that required an unprecedented amount of coordination, resources and commitment.”

Titus Seilheimer, Fisheries Outreach Specialist for Wisconsin Sea Grant. Credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Wisconsin Sea Grant Fisheries Outreach Specialist Titus Seilheimer had this reaction to the news: “I’m excited to see that the cooperation and work that people have put in for decades has led to the recovery of lake trout in Lake Superior. Lake trout sit at the top of the Lake Superior food web and play many important roles in moving energy around the system. Healthy lake trout populations support a healthy and stable Lake Superior food web, as well as the sport and commercial fisheries that rely on them. I hope people can celebrate with their favorite lake trout recipes.”

Lake trout supported an annual commercial harvest of 4 million pounds (2 million kilograms) between 1920 and 1950. By 1964, however, only 210,000 pounds were harvested. Today’s announcement of a fully restored lake trout population in Lake Superior comes after nearly 70 years of concerted rehabilitation efforts. The LSC estimates the current abundance of naturally reproduced lake trout is at or above the best estimates of abundance before the sea lamprey invasion in 1938. Because of this, the LSC believes the lake trout population is restored, and has achieved the 2003 Fish Community Objective of a “genetically diverse self-sustaining populations of lake trout that are similar to those found in the lake before 1940, with lean lake trout being the dominant form in nearshore waters, siscowet lake trout the dominant form in offshore waters and humper lake trout a common form in eastern waters and around Isle Royale.”

Bill Mattes, LSC Chair said, “This is an incredible success story made possible by widespread collaboration and coordination of tribal, state, and federal governments engaged in fisheries research, monitoring and management. I look forward to the continued cooperation among fisheries managers and agencies to maintain healthy, self-sustaining lake trout populations in Lake Superior through effective sea lamprey control, prudent harvest policies and protection of the Lake Superior ecosystem, which includes prevention of invasive species and water quality protection.”

Baker concluded: “Rehabilitating lake trout in the world’s largest freshwater lake did not happen overnight; it required an unwavering commitment to a shared vision across multiple generations of fishery managers from Indigenous, provincial, state and federal agencies. It is undoubtedly one of the most successful stories of native species restoration in the world. Lucky for us, we have a front-row seat.”

The post Major fishery management milestone: Lake trout population is fully restored in Lake Superior first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/major-fishery-management-milestone-lake-trout-population-is-fully-restored-in-lake-superior/

When the magic in science, nature and words creates the best part of us

On: November 8, 2024

In: connecting with the Great Lakes, Great Lakes Great Read, Manitowoc Public Library, Sally Cole-Misch, science communication, The Best Part of Us, Titus Seilheimer

By Sally Cole-Misch

Join Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Titus Seilheimer in conversation with Sally Cole-Misch, author of Great Lakes, Great Read’s Adult Selection, “The Best Part of Us,” Monday, Nov. 11, at Manitowoc Public Library’s Balkansky Community Room from 6-7:30 p.m.

I’ve always believed that words are magical. Strung together in myriad ways, they transport us into entirely new worlds, bodies and experiences. They teach us about ourselves and the world around us and challenge us to think and act in new ways.

Sally Cole-Misch, submitted photo.

So, it’s no surprise I’ve spent my life surrounded by words. First as a reporter, then in environmental and Great Lakes communications and now as an author. “The Best Part of Us” tells the story of a family with deep bonds to each other and the lake and island near northern Lake Huron where they spend their summers. When that bond is threatened and then torn apart, each family member must consider who, what and where is most important in their lives. A coming-of-age story no matter the character’s age, the novel immerses readers in the breathtaking nature of the Great Lakes region, provides a fresh perspective on loyalty, and considers the essential roles that family, nature and place hold in all our lives.

I know science and magic are not usually used in the same sentence. One disavows the other, believing its principles and beliefs are the only truth. And yet, science — and particularly its findings about nature and the Great Lakes — became the magic I needed to write the fictional story in “The Best Part of Us.” Let me explain.

Thirty years ago, Great Lakes communicators thought we had to report all the horrible ways we were ruining our majestic lakes to spur people into action. The information was and is important and needs to be told. But how it’s told is just as important, and our emphasis on the extremes froze much of the public into fear and inaction.

Science provided the answers to change our approach: more than 1,000 studies over the past 40 years show that time spent in nature lowers our blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduces anxiety and isolation, and improves mood and cognitive function. We absorb ions nature sends into the air near mountains and moving water as well as phytoncide chemicals from trees that further enhance our health and well-being. Scientific studies also show that the more connected we feel to and a part of the natural world, the more we believe we are living lives with purpose and satisfaction, feel part of something larger than ourselves, and have a stronger sense of generosity and commitment to protect nature.

We changed our environmental messaging to focus first on getting people outside so they can realize nature’s value in their lives, and scientific studies again told us that nature’s magic worked. Once it feeds the soul and body, we’re more interested in learning about our planet and changing our actions to reflect nature’s value in our lives. What humans value, we act to protect.

As a lifelong resident of the Great Lakes region, working with scientists, policymakers and advocate — who share a deep dedication to the lakes — has given my writing purpose in ways I never expected. I am indebted to every scientist like Titus Seilheimer of Wisconsin Sea Grant for sharing their research and our mutual passion for the lakes, which helped to improve our messaging to the public and provided the clues to writing “The Best Part of Us.”

Just as science proved the benefits of nature, recent studies have shown that reading fiction is as beneficial as meditation or deep relaxation exercises for reducing stress, improving sleep and our self-esteem, building vocabulary, expanding our imagination and slowing mental decline later in life. Fiction readers also deal with life’s ambiguities better because they’re used to unanswered questions. Sound familiar?

These results provided the final push to try writing fiction. Could I write a story that helps readers connect with nature and our precious Great Lakes, as I’d done in my factual writing? Where the setting is as much a character as the people in it and inspires readers to remember places and parts of nature they care about? With characters created based on their inherent connection with nature? And, like any good piece of fiction, provides the intellectual and emotional satisfaction of a good read, with the same benefits found in the scientific studies?

Seven years and 11 drafts later, “The Best Part of Us” was published. Science provided the inspiration and data to imagine the story, and as the setting and characters came to life in my imagination, they provided the enthusiasm to finish it. All of them reflecting the magic of nature, in their own way.

The post When the magic in science, nature and words creates the best part of us first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/when-the-magic-in-science-nature-and-words-creates-the-best-part-of-us/

Summer studies in Manitowoc open endless opportunities

On: October 1, 2024

In: Forget me not Creek, Freshwater Collaborative, Gabby Gonzales, Gabrielle Gonzales, Manitowoc, stream restoration, Titus Seilheimer, wild rice, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

One of the many fish that we caught in the Peshtigo River. Image credit: Gabrielle Gonzales

By Gabrielle Gonzales, Freshwater Collaborative summer research student

This summer, 35 undergraduate students from across the country conducted research with Freshwater@UW, the University of Wisconsin’s cross-site, cross-discipline research opportunities program. Freshwater@UW is supported by the Freshwater Collaborative, Wisconsin Sea Grant, Water@UW–Madison, the Water Resources Institute and the University of Wisconsin–Madison Graduate School. In the final weeks of the program, students reflected on what they learned. Here’s Gabby Gonzales, an undergraduate junior with an environment major from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, who worked with Titus Seilheimer with Wisconsin Sea Grant.

I spent my summer in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. I’m originally from Ludington, Michigan, which is the home of the car ferry that travels to Manitowoc throughout the summers; the sentimentality of being directly across Lake Michigan from my hometown was the cherry on top of this wonderful research experience.

My mentor, Titus Seilheimer, is a fisheries specialist. Knowing that I don’t want to work directly in academia once I enter my career, it was very useful to get a glimpse of all the realms of research I could get into without having to be a professor. I’m thankful to Titus for granting me the opportunity to gain all kinds of experiences and skills and have fun while doing it.

The mouth of Forget Me Not Creek in Two Rivers where we gathered measurements to calculate discharge, which is the volume of water flowing through the creek per second. Image credit: Gabrielle Gonzales

My activities ranged widely from assisting with an educational event for children at a public library, helping the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with an electrofishing survey and wading through various creeks. In terms of research and science, I gained and refined many skills by working on a few different projects. Our team did pre-restoration habitat assessments in two creeks in Port Washington and Two Rivers, which both flow into Lake Michigan. We made observations about habitat types and water quality, which is important information for understanding the status of the creek and the suitability of the habitat for fish. This can then be used to make restoration plans that will help make improvements and ensure healthy fish populations.

We also assisted with wild rice monitoring throughout various locations surrounding Green Bay. Wild rice is important ecologically and culturally but has become increasingly threatened, which has warranted seeding and restoration efforts within the last few years. In addition to assessing attributes like rice density and water clarity, we were also interested in seeing how the presence and quality of wild rice populations corresponds with fish communities. My favorite part of the work this summer was learning the process of net fishing to observe fish species diversity in different coastal wetlands of Green Bay. This project in particular allowed me to explore my interests in community ecology and gain hands-on field skills that are bound to be useful in my future career.

Entering my senior year at the University of Michigan, my experience this summer allowed me to engage in self-discovery and better understand what next steps could be once I graduate next spring. The wide range of environmental science jobs can be overwhelming, but I’ve been able to get a firsthand look at the exciting choices that await. Being able to travel across northeastern Wisconsin and meet so many amazing scientists was a transformative experience that not only awarded me with applicable skills but also showed me that my opportunities are endless.

The post Summer studies in Manitowoc open endless opportunities first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/summer-studies-in-manitowoc-open-endless-opportunities/

Slowing down for science

On: May 9, 2024

In: Great Lakes Bioblitz, rainbow trout, shedd aquarium, Silver Creek Park Manitowoc, spawning, steelhead, Titus Seilheimer, trout lilies, white suckers

White suckers in Silver Creek. Image credit: Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Spring is when that I head to the streambank most days and look for fish. And not just fish, I also follow the seasonal progression of spring and log those observations as part of the Great Lakes BioBlitz. I really look forward to slowing down and taking time to look at the daily changes. Although I’ve spent more than 20 years studying fish and wetlands, that work tends to be busier and more hectic with lots of travel between different sites. Both the Great Lakes Bioblitz and the sucker monitoring I do for the Shedd Aquarium take me to Silver Creek Park in Manitowoc first thing in the morning five days a week to look for fish and other animals.

It is also a time of sounds, from the seasonally evolving chorus of birds to the splash of fish in the stream. There are two distinct fish splash sounds right now: the vigorous splashing of a couple spawning suckers and the “ploink” splash of a surface-feeding steelhead trout. Suckers spawn in shallow water with a single female and several males. There is a lot of thrashing with fins and tails often breaking the surface. This year I’ve been alerted to the presence of suckers more than once by their splashing spawning activities. Thanks friends, I might have missed you otherwise.

The other sound is from the trout in Silver Creek—that cheerful little “ploink” splash of a feeding steelhead smolt. The creek is one of the stocking locations where the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources plants two types of rainbow trout (also called “steelhead” because they run to the ocean/lake like salmon and get very silvery). The two types (strains) of steelhead are Ganaraska and Chambers Creek, both from Pacific drainages in the western United States. They are stocked as yearlings, and typically thousands of each type are released.

Trout lilies. Image credit: Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant

You know when steelhead show up because they vigorously feed on the surface. They tend to sit in the deeper pools, facing upstream, swimming just enough to stay in place until they shoot to the surface to gulp down some unsuspecting bug. These stocked trout will head to Lake Michigan and grow big until they return to Silver Creek as adults to spawn. (You can see a pair of spawning steelhead in this video.) Steelhead are popular with anglers on the lake, but people can also catch them in the stream when they return to spawn—no boat required.

As a monitor for the Shedd Aquariums sucker monitoring program, I visit Silver Creek every day. Volunteers go to the same part of the stream and stand for 10 minutes looking for and then counting white suckers. Our monitoring station will contribute to a larger project that looks at suckers in Lake Michigan from Illinois to Door County and also on Lake Superior in Marquette, Michigan.

Water temperature is an important cue for suckers to know that it is time to move upstream from Lake Michigan to their spawning areas. This project will teach us more about how these cues might differ along a south to north gradient and be an important dataset in documenting the changes that climate disruption is causing to the natural world.

Coming out of winter, I value the time I spend watching the stream and looking for fish. I also get to watch the yellow trout lilies emerge and bloom, followed by the wild onions, mayapples and trillium. Sometimes there’s a muskrat or mink saying hello. Spring is a beautiful time to get outside and slowly watch the season!

The post Slowing down for science first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/slowing-down-for-science/

Titus Seilheimer

Training the next generation of Great Lakes commercial fishers

On: April 4, 2024

In: Great Lakes commercial fishing, Great Lakes Future Fishers Initiative, Lauren Jescovitch, Michigan Sea Grant, Sharon Moen, Titus Seilheimer, workforce development

A fisher in bright orange work clothes cleans a fishing net

A Great Lakes commercial fisher cleans a fishing net. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

A new publication from a team of Sea Grant researchers lays out a framework for training the future fleet of small-scale commercial fishers and processors in the Great Lakes.

The study, published in the March issue of the Fisheries magazine, proposes place-based, adaptable training content for the Great Lakes Future Fishers Initiative, an apprenticeship program aimed at recruiting and preparing young people for commercial fishing.

The initiative responds to the industry’s concerns about the lack of a future workforce.

“It’s an aging fleet. It’s definitely a hard business,” said Titus Seilheimer, fisheries outreach specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant and coauthor of the study. “We talked to the industry folks and found out what they needed. And you know, what they need is people.”

Seilheimer, alongside Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Food–Fish Outreach Coordinator Sharon Moen and Michigan Sea Grant’s Lauren Jescovitch, surveyed and conducted focus groups with those involved in the Great Lakes commercial fishing industry, including Anishinaabe fishers, multigenerational fishing families and staff from regulatory agencies, to learn more about workforce challenges and what’s needed to be successful in the job.

“A message we heard was that everyone’s needs were different,” said Seilheimer. “Different businesses wanted different things.”

As a result, the Great Lakes Future Fishers Initiative framework is designed to be used more as a menu rather than a curriculum, meaning businesses can select training content that is relevant to their workforce. Content is categorized into three topic areas: fundamental skills (e.g., business planning and marketing), processing skills (e.g., food safety training and knife handling), and deckhand skills (e.g., gear repair and boat navigation).

Lake whitefish are the most valuable fishery in the Great Lakes commercial fishing industry in Wisconsin. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Another major takeaway from the survey was the importance of exposing people to industry at a young age. Of those that took the survey, 92% had some sort of interaction with commercial fishing and processing prior to doing it themselves.

“It wasn’t just a random job posting that they saw and applied to,” said Jescovitch. “Almost everybody that works in the industry had some previous exposure to [it.]”

Jescovitch said that’s where Sea Grant is well positioned to help.

“We can go into schools or even younger groups and [say], ‘hey, this is a possible career path,’ and make sure that people are just even aware that it exists.”

The Great Lakes commercial fishery is a multimillion-dollar industry in Wisconsin, with lake whitefish netting the highest value. Nearly 2 million pounds of lake whitefish were harvested from Lake Michigan and Lake Superior in 2020.

While the industry is small compared to that of the salty coasts, the research team emphasized just how embedded it is in the communities where it occurs. Losing fishing means losing part of the culture.

“This has been a part of our coastal communities for as long as people have lived on the shores of the Great Lakes,” said Seilheimer, pointing out that some communities, like Two Rivers, Wisconsin, have fishing imagery on their town logos and welcome signs.

For tribal fishing businesses, like the Red Cliff Fish Co., commercial fishing and processing is also a way to preserve Indigenous knowledge and traditions.

And much of the fish stays local. The study found that a little over 68% of processed fish—which refers to fish sold as filets or made into other products—stays within 100 km or 62 miles of where it’s caught.

Local harvest means local food security, and as Moen also pointed out, local pride. Commercial fishers and processors can enjoy knowing they put food on the plates of their neighbors. It’s a perk of the job.

“You’re providing good, healthy food for families in a community that you care about,” said Moen. “You can go home at the end of the day feeling like, ‘Wow, I made a difference in some family’s life.’”

The research team is currently applying for grant funding to get the program off the ground—and into coastal communities across the Great Lakes.

The post Training the next generation of Great Lakes commercial fishers first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/training-the-next-generation-of-great-lakes-commercial-fishers/

Wisconsin & Minnesota Aquaculture Conference showcases the latest in fish farming education and research

On: March 13, 2024

In: aquaculture, Emma Hauser, Sharon Moen, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin and Minnesota Aquaculture Conference 2024, Wisconsin Aquaculture Association

a graphic announcing the Wisconsin and Minnesota Aquaculture conference on March 22-23

The largest aquaculture event in the upper Midwest, the Wisconsin & Minnesota Aquaculture Conference, will be held March 22–23 at the Legendary Waters Resort and Casino in Red Cliff, Wisconsin.

This year’s conference is being hosted and organized by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (UWSP NADF) and Wisconsin Sea Grant. The conference will feature more than 40 presenters from industry, state, federal and tribal facilities discussing current research and best management practices. Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour one of four local facilities: the Red Cliff Tribal Hatchery, Red Cliff Fish Company, Bodin Fisheries’ processing facility and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility.

Presentation topics are wide ranging and cover subjects such as water quality management, the economics of aquaculture, workforce development, fish health and how to bring aquaculture into the classroom. The event will also feature a trade show, silent auction, cooking demonstrations and student poster competition.

Attendees interested in learning more about recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) can sign up for a half-day workshop on March 23 at the UWSP NADF facility.

“This conference brings together such an amazing group of experts across our region, including representatives from state, federal, tribal and private industries and organizations,” said Emma Hauser, aquaculture outreach specialist with UWSP NADF and Wisconsin Sea Grant. “The most exciting aspect of this event is that it supports important networking opportunities, critical for building relationships within the aquaculture industry.”

Hauser will participate in a panel discussion with Dong-Fang Deng, aquaculture outreach and extension specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, on the workforce development issues and needs in the industry.

Said Hauser, “Workforce development continues to be one of the major bottlenecks to the aquaculture industry’s growth. I am thrilled to have aquaculture education experts, including Sea Grant, from across the country featured on this panel, to share their experiences, current educational pathways as well as help us strategically plan for workforce development into the future.”

The Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, a major sponsor of the conference, is also supporting underrepresented students from around the region to attend and present on aquaculture topics. These student groups include Emerging Ladies Academy, Lakota Youth Development and Fiber Arts Omaha.

Tiffany Gamble, founder of Emerging Ladies Academy stated, “Engagement in the conference for the academy ensures our curriculum stays current, fostering connections with industry professionals for potential collaborations and resources. This aligns with our commitment to empowering women in diverse fields, including aquaculture, and enhances our overall educational experience.”

Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Sharon Moen, food-fish outreach coordinator, will also facilitate an aquaculture marketing panel to showcase strategies and opportunities from various industry and state agencies. Moen will then don her chef’s hat alongside Titus Seilheimer, fisheries outreach specialist, as they demonstrate how to cook dishes featuring locally raised fish.

Conference registration is $125 for general admission and $80 for students. There is an additional $100 registration fee to attend the RAS workshop on March 23.

The conference is supported by the Wisconsin and Minnesota aquaculture associations, the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, Wisconsin Sea Grant, Minnesota Sea Grant and UWSP NADF, as well as various business sponsors.

The post Wisconsin & Minnesota Aquaculture Conference showcases the latest in fish farming education and research first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/wisconsin-minnesota-aquaculture-conference-showcases-the-latest-in-fish-farming-education-and-research/

Wisconsin Sea Grant garners good showing in the Lakie Awards

On: February 22, 2024

In: 2023 Lakie Awards, Christy Remucal, Great Lakes Sandwich of the Year loser, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Marie Zhuikov, Sarah Balgooyen, Stuart Carlton, Teach me about the Great Lakes podcast, Tim Campbell, Titus Bakery, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin water news

Podcast host Stuart Carlton calls the Lakie Awards “the least prestigious Great Lakes podcast awards” around. Carlton hosts “Teach me About the Great Lakes,” a twice-monthly podcast produced by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant where listeners can learn about a variety of Great Lakes topics and issues.

Mixed with tongue-in-cheek award categories like Great Lakes Donut of the Year are more typical ones. Wisconsin Sea Grant fared unusually well in the 2023 competition, earning honors for Great Lakes Research Project, Great Lakes Sandwich, Science Podcast and Great Lakes Titus of the Year.

A Lakie entry so bad that it garnered a first-ever loser award. Image credit: Tim Campbell, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Our staff members earned both the winner and runner-up categories for Great Lakes Research of the Year. Interim Wisconsin Sea Grant Director Christy Remucal and her student Sarah Balgooyen won for their journal article about discovering the source of a PFAS plume into Lake Michigan. Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Tim Campbell and his team earned runner-up for their article about Buddhist life release rituals and the risk for unintentionally spreading aquatic invasive species.

Our podcast, Wisconsin Water News (produced by me!) earned runner-up for Science Podcast for the Year.

Fisheries Outreach Specialist Titus Seilheimer earned runner-up for Great Lakes Titus of the Year. Although this category is named after Titus, it wouldn’t look good for him to win it, so this year, those honors went to the Titus Bakery chain in Indiana.

Campbell had the distinction of being named a first-ever loser in the Great Lakes Sandwich of the Year competition. He submitted a photo of a mac-and-cheese hot dog covered with fruit loops cereal, which was too gross for the Lakies judges to even consider.

Despite their lack of prestige, our staff are proud of their showing in the Lakies and appreciate this outreach effort by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. To see a list of the other winners, please access the episode here.

The post Wisconsin Sea Grant garners good showing in the Lakie Awards first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/wisconsin-sea-grant-garners-good-showing-in-the-lakie-awards/

Learning about Manoomin

On: January 25, 2024

In: Adam Gips, Amy Corrozino-Lyon, Brothertown Nation, Deidre Peroff, Elliot Benjamin, Gweni Malokofsky, Jesse Conaway, Kane Farmer, Lake Winnebego, Lucia Richardson, manoomin, Menominee Indian Reservation, Oconto, Pipper Gallivan. Back row: Sashi White, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Sarah Zieglmeier, Titus Seilheimer, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, wild rice

Summer Outreach Scholar students Sarah Zieglmeier, Adam Gips and Gweni Malokofsky canoe to learn about ecological monitoring and a Manoomin restoration/reseeding project. Image credit: Deidre Peroff, Wisconsin Sea Grant

The calendar has flipped to 2024. Our staff members are already tackling new projects. Before they move too deeply into the new year, however, some staff members took a moment to retain the glow of their favorite 2023 project. Deidre Peroff, social science outreach specialist, shared her thoughts.

My favorite project from 2023 was when I took seven “Generation Z” students who are studying Manoomin (wild rice) camping near Green Bay. I was mentoring two of the students as part of Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Summer Outreach Scholar Program and the other five came from the University of Minnesota. They were also studying Manoomin and participating in summer Manoomin-related field excursions.

The Summer Outreach Scholar group enjoys an ice cream stop after a day trip. Pictured, left to right, front row: Elliot Benjamin, Adam Gips, Pipper Gallivan. Back row: Sashi White, Lucia Richardson, Deidre Peroff, Sarah Zieglmeier, Kane Farmer. Image credit: Deidre Peroff, Wisconsin Sea Grant

During four jam-packed days, we learned from Indigenous knowledge-holders about the significance of Manoomin and visited sacred cultural sites on the Menominee Indian Reservation. We met with Amy Corrozino-Lyon (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay restoration scientist) and Titus Seilheimer (Sea Grant fisheries outreach specialist) one day to learn about ecological restoration efforts of Manoomin in Oconto and did journal and poetry writing to better connect with a new plant (inspired by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s work, “Braiding Sweetgrass”). We also met with Jesse Conaway (who is working with the Brothertown Nation on another Sea Grant-funded project) to participate in a traditional Manoomin appreciation ceremony, plus we saw how drones are used for monitoring Manoomin in the Lake Winnebego region.

While the students learned so much, what I think we all appreciated the most was spending time together and getting to know each other. During our three nights camping, we enjoyed cooking meals together, playing cards, telling stories by the campfire and swimming in Lake Michigan.

At night, we reflected on what we had learned that day and I enjoyed seeing the students’ newfound understanding and appreciation of Indigenous knowledge and finding a balance between Western and Indigenous science approaches to conservation, restoration and monitoring of a cultural, spiritual and ecological keystone species. When we weren’t reflecting on what we were learning during the day, we enjoyed sleeping under the stars (and storms) and finding time to decompress in nature.

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Deidre Peroff

Tossing seeds and measuring fishes

On: January 12, 2024

In: Amy Carrozzino-Lyon, Little Manitowoc River, manoomin, Menominee Indian High School, Titus Seilheimer, Two Rivers, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, wild rice in Green Bay, wild rice restoration, Woodland Dunes Nature Center

A wild rice stand on the Peshtigo River. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

The calendar has flipped to 2024. Our staff members are already tackling new projects. Before they move too deeply into the new year, however, some staff members took a moment to retain the glow of their favorite 2023 project. Titus Seilheimer, fisheries outreach specialist, shared his thoughts.

Call it manoomin (the “good berry”). Call it wild rice. Call it Zizania. Whatever you call it, it is a great plant species! My favorite group of projects from 2023 revolves around wild rice restoration along the west shore of Green Bay and in several rivers in Manitowoc County.

Hundreds of years ago, wild rice was abundant in the Great Lakes region, from what is now Milwaukee Harbor to all over Green Bay. Development and settlement led to declines in habitat and water quality, and associated declines in wild rice. Wild rice is an important staple for the Indigenous people of the region, with the Menominee named for it, “People of the Wild Rice.”

Titus Seilheimer (far side) and Amy Carrozzino-Lyon (left) and her crew use a seine net to capture fish for counting in a Green Bay wetlands near Marinette. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

For the second year, I have worked with Amy Carrozzino-Lyon, a professor at UW Green Bay. Amy leads the wild rice restoration project in Green Bay. We have been looking at fish use and fish assemblage in locations with and without wild rice in Green Bay coastal marshes. We had a great team this summer of college students (Sea Grant summer outreach scholars), high school students (Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin funding through UW-Green Bay) and colleagues. We set nets and pulled seines. We waited out a storm in the back of the truck and had some great times on the water.

As the weather cooled, we also planned for seeding wild rice, which is an annual plant. Although the seeds are ripe and harvested in late August to early September, seeding success is better later in the season. This keeps hungry migratory waterfowl and other species from chowing down on all the seed. We stored the rice seed underwater until late October to early November.

I helped the UW-Green Bay team with educational seeding events with the Great Lakes Explorers and the Menominee Indian High School. I also planned seeding in various ponds and habitats at Woodland Dunes Nature Center in Two Rivers. We seeded about an acre on a snowy day and the team at Woodland Dunes seeded another three acres in the West Twin River on a better weather day. We also seeded an acre of marsh in the Little Manitowoc River.

It was a great year for wild rice projects for the Manitowoc Field Office! Now, the long winter-wait to see how much germinates in the spring.

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Titus Seilheimer

Summer scholars dip toes into water-related careers: Part one

On: August 18, 2023

In: Bonnie Willison, Coastal restoration, Deidre Peroff, manoomin, Summer scholars, Titus Seilheimer, Video, water safety

What did you do this summer?

A red children's toy buried in beach sand

A red toy buried in sand at Bradford Beach. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

It’s a question that, in the middle of August, might prompt panicked reexamination of how you spent the long, warm days of a fleeting season. For Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Summer Outreach Opportunities Program scholars, the answers come easily.

This summer, 12 undergraduate students from across the country spent a jam-packed 10 weeks collaborating with outreach specialists on coastal and water resources projects across Wisconsin. Scholars conducted research, engaged kids and adults and shared the stories of Great Lakes science, all while working alongside mentors to explore careers and graduate education in the aquatic sciences.

Whether they wrangled fish in Green Bay or researched green infrastructure in Ashland, scholars have much to share about how they spent their summers. Here’s the first snapshot of four projects.

Project: Beach Ambassador Program for Great Lakes Water Safety

When Alan Liang and his fellow beach ambassadors push their powder-blue cart across Bradford Beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, curious beachgoers often approach with a question: What are you selling?

Alan Lian g pushes the blue Beach Ambassador cart from the shed.

Alan Liang pushes the beach ambassador cart as he starts a shift at the beach. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Liang explains they’re not peddling cold treats. The brightly colored cart is filled with pamphlets about beach safety, not paletas, and the team is working to build awareness around the changeable water conditions of Lake Michigan.

“Our mission is to spread information as educators about how to keep yourself safe on the beach since there are no lifeguards,” said Liang.

A collaboration between Wisconsin Sea Grant and Milwaukee-area partners, the Beach Ambassador Program began in 2021 in response to an increased number of drownings at Milwaukee beaches. Ambassadors, like summer scholar Liang, are trained to share water safety information with the public, including how to properly wear a life vest, escape a rip current, recognize water quality conditions and determine whether it’s safe to swim. Social Science Outreach Specialist Deidre Peroff serves as one of the program’s mentors.

Weather permitting, ambassadors rove the beach Thursdays through Sundays and begin each shift by gathering at their “shed” on the beach. The team then records the weather and water conditions for that day on a whiteboard: wind speed and direction, water temperature and quality and UV index. Those data then inform the conversations ambassadors initiate with beachgoers.

“For example, yesterday we had very strong winds from the northeast, which would generate a lot of longshore currents,” said Liang. “So that’s what we would talk about because that was the big concern for that day.”

Liang, a sophomore at UW–Madison majoring in computer science and environmental studies and a former math tutor, was drawn to the program because he likes teaching. “I wanted to do something a little bit more education-based, and I thought this was a great fit for me because I’ve also spent a lot of time around water.”

Approaching people, however, can be difficult. It helps that beach ambassadors move as a group, but Liang said this summer has challenged him to get outside of his comfort zone. “I feel like I’ve learned to overcome those awkward, uncomfortable situations,” said Liang.

A Beach Ambassador shows a informative flyer about longshore currents

A beach ambassador holds a factsheet about longshore currents. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Not all outreach happens near water. In addition to pulling ambassador shifts at Bradford Beach, Liang tabled at the Green & Healthy Schools Conference and talked with other Milwaukee-based, environmental justice-focused organizations. The goal is to connect with more audiences. “This helps to promote beach safety among those who may be hesitant to go to the beach at all,” said Liang.

He is also designing a website for the program that will launch in early fall. He likes that the project melds both of his interests and shows a possible path forward in both the environmental and computer science fields.

Although the future is on his mind, Liang is also enjoying the present moment, spending the summer along Lake Michigan in his hometown.

“It’s nice to just be where you’re from and interact with the people from your community.”

Project: Restoration and Monitoring of Coastal Habitats

Isabelle Haverkampf and Gweni Malokofsky spent their summers the way many of us wish we could: on the water. Under the mentorship of Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer, Haverkampf and Malokofsky have been working on multiple projects in the Lake Michigan watershed, including surveying fish and manoomin (wild rice) in Green Bay and collecting water quality and site assessment data at Forget-Me-Not Creek between Two Rivers and Manitowoc.

Isabelle Haverkampf in waders releases a fish into the water.

Isabelle Haverkampf releases a fish back into the water. Photo credit: Isabelle Haverkampf

A highlight of the summer was fish monitoring. For one week each month, the scholars worked with partner organizations at four sites in the bay of Green Bay in Lake Michigan, setting fykes and hauling seine nets to collect data on the species, size and number of fish caught. Prior to this summer, neither had much experience handling fish.

“I was uncomfortable holding and measuring bigger fish at the beginning, but I’ve definitely gotten much better at it,” said Haverkampf.

Gweni Malokofsky in waders holding up painted turtles

Gweni Malokofsky holds painted turtles she encountered during fish monitoring. Photo credit: Gweni Malokofsky

Together, the team netted banded killifish, yellow perch, gar, bowfins and bullheads. Some species, Malokofsky learned, were more cooperative than others.

“The bowfins are definitely the hardest to deal with,” Malokofsky said. “If they don’t want to sit there, they won’t.”

Overall, the experience affirmed the scholars’ interest in working in the natural resources field. Haverkampf, a water science and geology double major who will graduate from Northland College in December, gained clarity about what she wants to study in graduate school.

The team measures fish caught during their survey

The team measures a fish. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

“I’ve found I really want to go into the water sciences sector, specifically in restoration or resource work,” she said, adding that she’s interested in how contaminants move through aquatic food webs.

Malokofsky, a sophomore at UW–Green Bay majoring in biology with an emphasis in ecology and conservation, appreciated the hands-on introduction to field work.

“I’m glad that I’m learning how to use different kinds of probes and tools and field equipment I previously haven’t had experience with,” she said.

Another perk of the experience? Knowing the best places for a peaceful paddle. Malokofsky said her family just got kayaks and canoes this summer. “Now I know some places I’d like to take them to.”

Project: Harvesting Manoomin as a Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy

This summer, Elliot Benjamin and Lucia Richardson immersed themselves in the stories and science of manoomin, also known as psiŋ or wild rice. Manoomin is an important food source with cultural and spiritual significance to the Native nations of the Great Lakes region but has been declining in range and abundance. Working with Social Science Outreach Specialist Deidre Peroff and partner organizations in Minnesota, the scholars participated in field work, field trips and independent study to learn how manoomin is connected to human, plant and animal communities and how those connections can help the plant thrive—despite changes in climate, water quality, land use and hydrology that threaten its existence.

Summer scholar Elliot Benjamin. Photo credit: Elliot Benjamin

For Benjamin, a senior at Marquette University majoring in sociology and gender studies with a minor in English, this summer was an opportunity to take a deeper dive and learn more about the ecological importance of a plant they first encountered in a Native American literature course.

“I knew some of the cultural significance and had read a little bit on my own,” said Benjamin, “but I didn’t know a lot about the biology of the plant itself and the history of the Anishinaabeg culture and all the different factors that are harming [manoomin].”

Summer scholar Lucia Richardson. Photo credit: Lucia Richardson

Richardson, a junior at Northland College majoring in nature and humanities with a minor in Native American studies, was also familiar with manoomin, having made rice knockers and participated in harvesting. This summer, she learned more about the relationships between manoomin, water quality, wildlife and the overall ecosystem.

“Manoomin is a keystone species,” said Richardson. “Manoomin in a habitat means that it’s a healthy, thriving habitat.”

Both scholars worked on capstone projects that raise awareness of the plant but also foster relationships between people.

Benjamin wrote an essay blending what they’ve learned about manoomin with reflections on their identity as a trans person.

“I wanted to take a more personal reflection approach to it,” they said, noting the capstone was a good opportunity to tap into their training in the humanities. Benjamin plans to submit the piece to an academic journal currently seeking papers about trans perspectives and ecology.

Richardson built upon an oral history project she began at Northland College transcribing and digitizing interviews with Bad River and Red Cliff tribal elders and government officials. Recorded in the 1970s, the oral histories were recently found on cassette tapes in the Northland Indigenous Culture Center and feature both personal and tribal history. Richardson is returning the tapes to tribal governments and hopes to collaborate on a future project.

As humanities students, Benjamin and Richardson appreciated how the summer exposed them to scientific topics and field work while welcoming their perspectives as nonscientists. Both are considering futures in environmental studies. Said Benjamin, “[The summer scholar experience] made it feel more attainable.”

Project: Environmental Video Production

Jeremy Van Mill stands in waders in a wetland, holding a camera.

Van Mill out in the field. Photo credit: Bonnie Willison

Jeremy Van Mill knows that observation is a good teacher—a lesson his summer scholar experience has helped him appreciate in a new way. Alongside video producer Bonnie Willison, Van Mill travelled across Wisconsin filming and photographing Sea Grant-funded researchers, outreach specialists and fellow summer scholars in the field. With no formal training in the aquatic sciences, Van Mill learned by watching and listening with his camera.

“One of the things I really enjoy about this position is that I am exposed to topics that I don’t have any experience with,” said Van Mill.

Van Mill, a second-year student in visual communications at Madison College, profiled the work of Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist, Scott McComb, and edited a video about groundwater flooding research on Crystal and Mud lakes in Dane County. He also edited the audio for a live performance of “Me and Debry,” a Sea Grant-funded play about marine debris, and photographed numerous events and outings.

The experience invited Van Mill to practice different ways of telling stories and producing videos. “It’s forcing me to stretch and change and reconsider the way I do things,” he said.

Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer holds up a tiny brown bullhead in a container.

One of Van Mill’s favorite moments he captured this summer: Titus Seilheimer and a little, whiskery brown bullhead. Photo credit: Jeremy Van Mill

For example, letting the footage shape the story. In his previous film projects, Van Mill knew exactly what he was getting into: with script in hand, location scouted and actors rehearsed, he could plan out every shot in advance. That sort of control isn’t possible when filming in a poorly lit laboratory or on a boat in Lake Michigan, especially if your subjects move in unpredictable ways.

“You have to take a step back a little bit and stop trying to stage things or control different elements and seize the opportunities you have,” said Van Mill.

That means being present, paying attention and letting the story unfold on its own. “You’re sort of like a fly on the wall more than you’re producing video,” said Van Mill.

A close up shot of butterfly that shows all the little hairs on its body. Photo credit: Jeremy Van Mill

Van Mill’s macro photography captures small creatures up close, like this butterfly. Photo credit: Jeremy Van Mill

Speaking of flies, Van Mill films them, too. While in college, he started dabbling in macro videography and photography, meaning he films very small things. His subject of choice? Insects. Van Mill has spent hours finding and filming various critters going about their insectile agendas on beaches and in backyards.

“I learned a lot about insects by observing them,” said Van Mill. The videos reveal details people don’t usually see, like the tiny hairs on a fly’s leg or the coiling proboscis of a butterfly.

So much of the world opens up when you pay attention. Van Mill said it best: “Everyday things become extraordinary with a different angle or different perspective.”

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New exhibit at Wisconsin Maritime Museum showcases history and management of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes

On: June 21, 2023

In: AIS outreach, Great Lakes, sea lamprey, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Visitors to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc can now get up close and personal with one of the Great Lake’s most infamous invasive fish, the sea lamprey. The new exhibit, entitled “Attack of the Sea Lampreys,” was made possible through a collaboration between Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and tells the story of how sea lamprey were introduced to the Great Lakes, their impact and the ongoing efforts to manage them.

The entrance to "Attack of the Sea Lamprey," a new exhibit at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.

The entrance to “Attack of the Sea Lampreys,” a new exhibit at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. Photo: Kevin Cullen

Chief curator Kevin Cullen and the education team revamped an invasive species lab on the museum’s lower level to house the new exhibit. The space was largely dormant and full of locked cabinets. Said Cullen, “People would just pass by it, so it became a really good opportunity to enhance a space that was already there.”

The redesigned space provides a more interactive, sensory experience. Visitors can now open the cabinet doors to find answers to questions about sea lamprey, such as how many eggs they lay or bones they have. Content is written at a middle-school reading level, and many items are meant to be touched and handled, making the exhibit ideal for kids and families.

The irrefutable stars of the show, however, are the lamprey. Thanks to support and a custom-built tank from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, museum-goers can enjoy watching over a dozen lamprey hanging out, their toothy maws suctioned to the side of the glass.

Cullen said initial feedback has been positive. “[Visitors] love it. I think they’re creeped out by these things and fascinated to see them.”

The creep factor is due largely to how sea lamprey feed. A parasitic fish, sea lamprey latch onto larger fish and suck out blood and body fluids. Their mouths are disc-shaped and ringed with rows of horned teeth to better grab flesh. Once suctioned onto a host, sea lamprey then use their sharp tongue to bore a hole in the fish, usually near its heart. A single lamprey can kill up to 40 pounds of fish.

A sea lamprey suctions on to the walls of a glass tank. Its mouth is disc-shaped with circular rows of teeth.

A sea lamprey suctions its mouth onto the walls of a glass tank at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. Photo: Kevin Cullen

For many, the story of sea lamprey is the stuff of nightmares—or at least a low-budget horror film. Titus Seilheimer, the fisheries specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant who helped the museum secure the lamprey tank, hopes the exhibit helps visitors see another story.

“It’s one of the great success stories of invasive species management,” said Seilheimer.

Originally from the Atlantic Ocean, sea lamprey arrived in the Great Lakes via shipping canals, landing in Lakes Michigan and Superior by the 1930s and 1940s. By the mid-twentieth century, the lamprey population exploded, devastating the Great Lakes fishery and ecosystem. It wasn’t until the discovery of TFM, a chemical that selectively kills lamprey, that numbers decreased.

The population of sea lamprey is now 90% lower than what it was at its peak. But because lamprey can lay up to 100,000 eggs, that success is tenuous. Said Seilheimer, “If you take your foot off the gas, you see lamprey numbers increase.” Continuous management is required to keep the population in check.

The exhibit is a reminder of how humans have shaped and continue to shape the Great Lakes ecosystem. Said Cullen, “I hope [visitors] have a sense of responsibility when they leave that how they behave in the Great Lakes basin affects others.”

“Attack of the Sea Lampreys” at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum is now open to the public.

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Eating snails, for science

On: January 4, 2023

In: Chinese mysterysnails, Feral, invasive species, nonnative species, Outdoor Channel, Titus Seilheimer, Yia Vang

Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer promised a “great adventure” during the premiere of a new episode of “Feral,” 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, on the Outdoor Channel.

“In the summer of 2022, I joined Twin Cities chef Yia Vang and 2022 James Beard Award Finalist for ‘Best Chef Midwest’ on the waters of my home lake in northwestern Wisconsin,” Seilheimer said. “We were on a dangerous hunt for an invasive species lurking in the depths of Rusk County’s Clear Lake, the Chinese mysterysnail! Okay, so not a dangerous hunt, but a great adventure.”

Titus Seilheimer (right) joins adventure-loving culinary explorer and top chef Yia Vang on a nationally broadcast show, “Feral,” to premiere at 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, on the Outdoor Channel.

Chinese mysterysnails were first reported in the U.S. more than 100 years ago when they showed up in the San Francisco area. They were likely brought to North America for sale in live markets because they are a popular food in Asia.

They expanded their range over time and were first reported in Wisconsin’s Clear Lake in 2011. Seilheimer said, “I first spotted them shortly after and thought that big snails were a sign of good water quality. Soon after, at an invasive species conference, I was hit with the realization that those big snails in my lake were invasive mysterysnails.”

The snails are larger than the native species in Wisconsin lakes, so they can potentially outcompete the local snails. They also are more protected by their operculum (like a trap door), so they can avoid predation better than native species.

In addition to his culinary skills and ownership of Minneapolis’s Union Hmong Kitchen, Vang is the host of the nationally broadcast program “Feral.” A teaser for the Jan. 9 show recently dropped. In it, we see Seilheimer in the background, encouraging Vang’s preparation of Chinese mysterysnails in a steaming saute pan. Vang refers to the nonnative snails as the Wagyu of the lake.

Nonnative Chinese mysterysnails collected from a Wisconsin lake just before Chef Vang prepared a tasty meal out of them.

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Known by many for much, Anne Moser is now known as an award-winner

On: November 4, 2022

In: Anne Moser, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Water Library

Anne Moser. Librarians in Augusta, Princeton, Stanley and Rice Lake, Wisconsin, know her as the person who showed up in a fishing hat with dangling lures for this summer’s story hours to teach young children about Great Lakes fish through books, songs, dance and crafts.

Educators know her as the thoughtful voice on how best to integrate freshwater science and research into K-12 curriculum and classrooms and nonformal learning centers around Wisconsin.

Members of the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers and those in the Wisconsin Library Association know her as someone who has taken on leadership roles in the organizations to support marine and aquatic sciences library science around the world and in specialized libraries throughout the state.

Now, we all know her as the 2022 winner of the nonformal educator of the year award from the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education (WAEE). The group conferred the award during a virtual ceremony the evening of Nov. 3. The organization highlighted her significant contributions to the field of environmental education.

Moser is the senior special librarian for the Wisconsin Water Library, supported by the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute and Wisconsin Sea Grant. She is also the education coordinator. About the award, she said, “I am deeply honored to be recognized by the WAEE. In my time with the Water Resources Institute and Sea Grant, I have met hundreds of formal and nonformal educators, librarians and teachers who are deserved of an award! It has been my absolute privilege to work with them and to have the opportunity to do my small part in educating the future caretakers of our watersheds.”

Colleague Titus Seilheimer, fisheries specialist, presented a take on yet another of Moser’s educational initiatives, “I have worked with Anne for 10 years at the UW-Madison Alumni Association Grandparent’s University, where she coordinates the limnology major. Anne is equally great with the logistics, children and grandparents. Anne is an inspiration and has had a major impact on Wisconsin’s environmental education.”

WAEE is a statewide nonprofit organization of environmental educators who support environmental education through advocacy, networking and recognition. The awards program is meant to acknowledge and encourage excellence in the field of environmental education.

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News Release | WRI

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Known by many for much, Anne Moser is now known as an award-winner

On: November 4, 2022

In: Anne Moser, nonformal educator of the year, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education

Standing and smiling woman wearing glasses and a hat.

Anne Moser educated, and delighted, children over the summer with her fish-themed story hours.

Educators from around the Great Lakes region know her as the thoughtful voice on how best to integrate freshwater science and research into K-12 curriculum and classrooms and nonformal learning centers around Wisconsin.

Moser is the senior special librarian for the Wisconsin Water Library, supported by Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. She is also the education coordinator. About the award, she said, “I am deeply honored to be recognized by the WAEE. In my time with Sea Grant and the Water Resources Institute, I have met hundreds of formal and nonformal educators, librarians and teachers who are deserved of an award! It has been my absolute privilege to work with them and to have the opportunity to do my small part in educating the future caretakers of our watersheds.”

Colleague Titus Seilheimer, Sea Grant fisheries specialist, presented a take on yet another of Moser’s educational initiatives, “I have worked with Anne for 10 years at the UW-Madison Alumni Association Grandparent’s University, where she coordinates the limnology major. Anne is equally great with the logistics, children and grandparents. Anne is an inspiration and has had a major impact on Wisconsin’s environmental education.”

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Noordyk named a Lake Michigan Champion of Conservation

On: August 15, 2022

In: East River, green infrastructure, Julia Noordyk, Lake Michigan Champion of Conservation, Lake Michigan Stakeholders, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Clean Marina Program

Julia Noordyk, Sea Grant’s water quality and coastal communities specialist, was named a Lake Michigan Champion of Conservation in an awards ceremony Friday as part of the annual Lake Michigan Day event, held this year in Manitowoc. The Lake Michigan Stakeholders bestowed the award.

“I am humbled by this honor and know that any success would not have been possible without the inspiration and partnership of all of my excellent colleagues. I am also extremely grateful to the municipalities for their commitment in improving their communities through green infrastructure and look forward to continuing to support their visions,” Noordyk said.

Man and two women sitting outside looking at a laptop computer

Julia Noordyk (right) engages with colleagues, discussing coastal resilience concerns while sitting on the shore of Lake Michigan. Photo: Narayan Mahon

Noordyk has been with Sea Grant for more than nine years, coming from the Maine Coastal Program where she worked as a senior planner focused on outreach programs in offshore wind energy, water quality and coastal public access.

Now based in Green Bay, she has devoted herself to public engagement. Noordyk serves on the Green Bay Sustainability Commission. She said she counts among the most-rewarding actions in her time on the commission the support offered to city staff to build flood resilience, removal of green infrastructure barriers and the March 2, 2021, common council adoption of a resolution to value and protect local waters.

She is also co-leading the East River Collaborative, which is committed to building resilience in Brown County’s East River watershed. The area has seen repeated flooding. The collaborative is developing a hydrologic computer model to understand current and future flood risk; forming an East River Watershed Resilience Community of Practice; structuring a community-based watershed resilience framework that is establishing a vision, goals and near-term actions for building community capacity and flood resilience; and accelerating nature-based solutions designed to improve flood-resistance, water quality and quality of life.

The awarding organization also noted Noordyk’s leadership as the Wisconsin Clean Marina Program manager on clean marina protocols that both boost a marina’s bottom line and keep the waters cleaner. Example practices are reducing fuel spills, properly storing hazardous materials, capturing boat wash water and managing stormwater. Last year, Noordyk and partners added a marina resiliency checklist to the clean marina certification process. The self-assessment identifies risks, vulnerabilities and information gaps. It provides a blueprint for coastal communities and marinas to prioritize, plan and initiate enhancements to ensure marina resiliency to coastal hazards

Sea Grant’s Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer said, “In my decade of working with Julia, she has been a constant inspiration for me. Every time I hear about what she is working on and the impacts that it is having, I think, ‘Wow, how can I be more like Julia?’ She is the definition of a Lake Michigan Champion.”

This is the sixth year champion awards have been given. In addition to Noordyk, other 2022 winners are the Glen Hills Youth Team, Bill Moren and Clean Farm Families of Ozaukee County, led by Andy Holschbach and Mike Paulus.

The Lake Michigan Stakeholders organization is made up of professionals in the fields of environmental management, academic research, education, community outreach, outdoor advocacy, agriculture and private industry. Its members collaborate to promote and celebrate the health and viability of Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan basin through stewardship and education.

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A pretty fishy work experience

On: August 9, 2022

In: Amy Carrozino-Lyon, Colin Ritchie, fish sampling, Lake Michigan, Marie Zhuikov, Noah Hoffmann, Seagull Bar State Natural Area, Titus Seilheimer, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, wild rice restoration

Researchers from UW-Green Bay deploy a seine net in a Lake Michigan bay. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

There’s nothing fishy about wanting to learn about colleagues’ projects more deeply, while also spending time with far-flung co-workers, right? Or is there? The numbers below—fish measurements in centimeters—were in fact, so fishy.

Bullhead, 26

Banded killifish, 23

Yellow perch, 60

Madtom catfish, 33

Titus Seilheimer shows a bullhead to Noah Hoffman (left) and to members of the Wisconsin Sea Grant communications team at Seagull Bar State Natural Area on Lake Michigan. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

On an early August trip to the Seagull Bar State Natural Area on Lake Michigan, five members of the Sea Grant communications team (including me) were exposed to this count and what sounded like the recitation of another, decidedly piscivorous language.

As glorious sunshine streamed down in the sheltered small bay, our co-worker, Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer, called out fish names and proportions. He had collected the fish, more than 100 in all, from both a 150-foot seine net and a fyke net.

In a neat hand and with a sharp pencil, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Assistant Researcher Amy Carrozino-Lyon recorded the counts of species type and measurements on a sheet of paper. She will take the figures back to her campus office and add them to previously collected data about fish species found in four areas with fresh beds of wild rice on the western shore of Green Bay for her study about the effect of wild rice on the ecosystem.

The full record of wild rice’s historic presence in the world’s fifth largest lake is murky, but it is known that this wild grass, revered by Indigenous people, grew for centuries at river mouths on the lake until development, varying water levels and pollution took a toll. Now, the plant prefers shallow waters with organic, soft sediment and clear water that isn’t frequently or extremely stirred.

Amy Carrozino-Lyon is collecting data about fish species found in four areas with fresh beds of wild rice on the western shore of Green Bay for her study about the effect of wild rice on the ecosystem. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov

Carrozino-Lyon has been restoring the stands of gracefully swaying rice, purchasing seed by the truckload and fostering nearly 40 acres of habitat. This year (2022) marks the seventh year of her efforts.

Wild rice’s effect on the ecosystem is also being checked by her two students, Noah Hoffmann and Colin Ritchie. That day, these bright young men, both students at UW-Green Bay, gave us lessons in dragonfly larvae growth, crayfish identification and the differences between native and nonnative aquatic plants.

This is all good stuff to us because we write and edit stories, post on social media and create videos and podcasts about the wonders of the Great Lakes. It was a hands-on tutorial for those of us who typically deal in words, audio and images, not slippery fish and underwater bugs.

It was also a chance to meet with our co-worker, Science Communicator Marie Zhuikov, who is based in Superior while we remaining four communicators, including Bonnie Willison and Jennifer Smith, are based in an office in Madison.

The trip not only connected us in person with valued colleagues Zhuikov and Seilheimer, but it also further proved to be a day to observe a fish count, marvel at nature’s beauty and contemplate a place where wild rice can flourish once more.

The post A pretty fishy work experience first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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“Introduced” podcast wins national award

On: April 5, 2022

In: ANREP, Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals, award, Bonnie Willison, Introduced, Sydney Widell, Tim Campbell, Titus Seilheimer

The Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP) last week announced the winners of its 2022 national awards competition. Titus Seilheimer, fisheries specialist; Tim Campbell, aquatic invasive species specialist; Bonnie Willison, digital storyteller; and Sydney Widell, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student in Freshwater and Marine Sciences and formerly an undergraduate employee of Sea Grant, won a gold award for their work on the podcast series “Introduced.”

“Introduced” spans two seasons with 18 episodes that explore stories of aquatic invasive species in Wisconsin, like rusty crayfish, purple loosestrife and spiny waterfleas.

Sea Grant’s Yael Gen designed the cover art for the podcast series.

“Creating this podcast was personally satisfying. It was the first time I’d done podcasting and the easy on-air rapport I had with Sydney made it all the more rewarding,” Willison said. “We learned a lot about the changes that invasive species bring to our cherished lakes streams and wetlands and we talked to many inspiring people who are devoted to protecting our waters.”

Willison also credits Campbell and Seilheimer for making the podcast so effective and educational.

“When I heard Bonnie was going to lend her considerable talents to a new podcast series and that series would focus on aquatic invasive species, I was excited for the opportunity to dive deeper into some AIS topics and highlight voices and stories that could help us understand the complexity of those issues,” Campbell said. He appears in seven episodes and provided overall consultation on the series.

Seilheimer, too, welcomed the opportunity to participate—offering advice on the podcast series’ direction and featured in four episodes. “Podcasts are an innovative way to reach all kinds of audiences with the kind of prevention messages we want to share. Everyone can play a role in conserving our natural environments.”

Co-hosts Willison and Widell interviewed more than 60 people for the series. The guests included resource managers, recreational fishers and researchers, as well as people from nongovernmental organizations and private businesses.

The ANREP awards honor natural resource programs and people. The organization is a national association for cooperative extension service professionals working in environmental education, fisheries, forestry, wood sciences, range, recreation, waste management, water, wildlife, energy and related disciplines at the county, area, state or national level.

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Sea Grant project faves, Sharon Moen

On: January 25, 2022

In: Bonnie Willison, Finding Fish in Wisconsin, Jennifer Smith, Marie Zhuikov, Sharon Moen, The Fish Dish podcast, Titus Seilheimer

The calendar has flipped to 2022. Our staff members are ready to tackle new projects in the coming 12 months, which also happens to mark Sea Grant’s 50th anniversary. Before they move more deeply into this anniversary, however, some staff members took a moment to retain the glow of their favorite 2021 project. Our resident fish and aquaculture maven—Sharon Moen who heads up the Eat Wisconsin Fish initiative—had a swimmingly successful effort to share for our last post in this series.

I dubbed my favorite 2021 effort, “Finding Fish in Wisconsin.” This quest for insights and interviews had me talking with commercial fishers, food-fish farmers and fish processors across the state in four bursts (see map). At different times, Wisconsin Sea Grant colleagues Bonnie Willison, Jennifer Smith, Titus Seilheimer and Marie Zhuikov were there, too.

My goal was to learn about the needs of Wisconsin’s food fish-producing industries and how Wisconsin Sea Grant could support their success, while gathering material to create fish producer profiles so that consumers can better understand who is producing their food and why fish from Wisconsin are safe to eat, a sustainable food choice and economically important.

While the conversations we had with fish producers are guiding Eat Wisconsin Fish activities in 2022, Willison has already turned some of the interviews into short videos that are available on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s YouTube playlist and elsewhere. If you are more into podcasts, Zhuikov wove interview excerpts into episodes of The Fish Dish, a new Wisconsin Sea Grant podcast.

This map, adapted from the Eat Wisconsin Fish website, shows Moen’s travels for the Finding Fish in Wisconsin effort. #1: Finding fish in Bayfield County (June) focused on Lake Superior commercial fisheries and processors. #2: Finding fish across the diagonal (July) spanned visits to farms raising shrimp, salmon, trout, yellow perch and more. #3: Finding fish near Sheboygan (August) was inspired by a tilapia farm and broadened to include visits with trout farmers, a fish smoking business and a commercial fisher. #4: Finding fish around Door County (November) included insights into the international fish roe trade and commercial fishing in Green Bay and Lake Michigan.

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Sea Grant project faves, Titus Seilheimer

On: January 11, 2022

In: Silver Creek Manitowoc County, Titus Seilheimer, white sucker spawning

The calendar has flipped to 2022. Our staff members are ready to tackle new projects in the coming 12 months, which also happens to mark Sea Grant’s 50th anniversary. Before they move more deeply into the new year, however, several staff members took a moment to retain the glow of their favorite 2021 project. Here’s what Fisheries Outreach Specialist Titus Seilheimer had to say:

White sucker monitoring in Silver Creek in Manitowoc County was right up there, if not the high point of my work year. Here are some images that illustrate my enthusiasm.

Fish spawning in progress.jpg – Here’s a group of white suckers spawning. Rocky riffles are great habitat for sucker eggs and also for watching suckers. (Image credit: Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant)

Here, I’m on the lookout for suckers. This location is shallow, so counting the fish is fairly easy while wearing polarized sunglasses. More than 50 suckers may be actively spawning in that single riffle. (Image credit: Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant)

Here’s a graph showing the measured water temperature at the monitoring site through the 2021 spawning season. When the water reaches 10 degrees, that is a spawning cue, but when the water cools down, so does the spawning. (Image credit: Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant)

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The Ever-Changing Ecosystems of the Great Lakes

On: December 30, 2021

In: Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin fisheries

By Eva Ryan, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The next blog entry for the Wisconsin Sea Grant’s 50th anniversary celebration focuses on Titus Seilheimer, fisheries specialist. Seilheimer and I chatted about the ways in which his specialty has changed over the years and how he hopes to see it progress.

Titus Seilheimer holds an example of his work. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Though Seilheimer is based in Manitowoc, his work extends from Lake Superior to Lake Michigan, covering about 1,000 miles of coastline. “I look at fisheries in terms of the whole Great Lakes ecosystem,” Seilheimer said. His position requires interacting with many different people and understanding the changing ecology of the lakes. These practices are necessary because his work sometimes covers much more than commercial and recreational fishing.

The field of fishing has certainly not been stagnant for the past 50 years. “Being in Wisconsin, we have two really interesting lakes and stories to look at,” said Seilheimer. “Of all the five Great Lakes, Lake Superior is by far the most natural in terms of food webs and water quality. In contrast, Lake Michigan 50 years ago is a totally different lake than the lake we have now.”

Fifty years ago, the Clean Water Act (1972) had yet to be passed, meaning there were far fewer policies in place to maintain healthy water quality and monitor pollution. There were large amounts of nutrient loading and unbalanced food webs. For example, midtwentieth century Lake Michigan contained no lake trout, few planktivores and high numbers of non-native alewives.

However, as time went by, improvements were made to the lakes. “We see the successful control of various invasive species, benefiting the fish in Lake Michigan,” said Seilheimer.

Today, we observe Lake Michigan with clear water due to the decline of nutrient loading as well as changes in zebra and quagga mussel populations that have “totally changed the ecology of the lake.”

Conversely, in Lake Superior we see more success in restoring native species and fewer issues surrounding invasive species (alewives, zebra and quagga mussels, etc.) compared to Lake Michigan. Because of this, the two lakes show contrast in how they have changed: a more natural food web (Lake Superior) versus a more altered food web (Lake Michigan).

“People have gotten a lot better at addressing invasive species pathways,” said Seilheimer. He noted that education about ways to prevent the spread of non-native species and policy changes are paying off.

Seilheimer continued to touch on all the good that has been achieved, like the management of nutrients and the cleanup of PCBs, but also stated there will always be something new to address, like the rise of PFAS/PFOS in our water sources. As we further invest in prevention, we are constantly gathering new scientific data to learn more about the changing lakes.

“I think where we’re at with all the Great Lakes is that it’s not necessarily about what we want out of the lakes, it’s what the lakes can support.”

Looking into the next 50 years, Seilheimer speculates that changing climate combined with invasive species and management are going to further change the lakes. In response to this prediction and in the spirit of looking forward to a brighter future, Seilheimer said, “One of the things we advocate for is science-based decision making and ecosystem-based management, and I believe that that’s going to be increasingly important to better manage our resources.”

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Sea Grant staff collect commendable beach cleanup haul

On: September 28, 2021

In: Elizabeth White, Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, Ginny Carlton, Manitowoc beach cleanup, Marie Zhuikov, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Point beach cleanup, Yael Gen

Birders on Wisconsin Point look for rare jaegers. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

The third weekend in September is traditionally a time for beach cleanups by communities in the Great Lakes. Volunteers scour beaches and shorelines for trash as part of the International Coastal Cleanup. Our Sea Grant staff members got in the spirit, participating in cleanups spanning across the state, from Wisconsin Point in Lake Superior, to Madison, to Manitowoc on Lake Michigan.

Marie Zhuikov and Russ Maron on Wisconsin Point. Image credit: Russ Maron

The event on Wisconsin Point featured a twist: birding. Besides being a good time to collect trash, this season offers a narrow window for Wisconsin birders to see parasitic jaegers, fast-flying pirates of the water bird world, as they migrate past Wisconsin Point from the arctic tundra to southern climes.

The “parasitic” part of their name comes from their food-stealing habits. They are categorized as “kleptoparasites,” which means they steal food from other seabirds.

The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve (FOLSR) took advantage of the timing to invite Jaegerfest birders and FOLSR members to cleanup the beach when they weren’t on the lookout for birds.

Science communicator Marie Zhuikov and her husband have attended many beach cleanups in the past, but never one that combined jaeger-watching. On a calm and quiet Saturday morning, they joined the professional birders and their high-powered spotting scopes.

Dried bee balm flowers. Image credit: Yael Gen, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Zhuikov and her husband had better luck finding trash than birds. Alas, no jaegers were to be seen, although many ring-billed and herring gulls floated serenely in the lake. The duo moved to the end of the point and collected two bags of trash from the beach. The most interesting finds? A single Birkenstock sandal and fireworks debris.

Their efforts became even more impressive with the addition of four other bags of garbage plus a car bumper that others had collected and left bagged near the parking lot. All total, their haul weighed 160 pounds!

Their colleagues editor Elizabeth White, educator Ginny Carlton and graphic designer Yael Gen participated in a more botanical cleanup at the Lakeshore Nature Preserve on the Madison campus. They began by collecting seeds from dried bee balm plants. Gen said they pulled the seed heads off and saved them in paper bags. “If you turn one upside down and shake it, the seeds resemble ground pepper,” she said. The seeds will be used for a class and to reseed other areas of the preserve.

Titus Seilheimer and his sons with one of their beach cleanup finds in Manitowoc. Image credit: Amy Seilheimer

Next, they got a workout clearing an invasive buckthorn thicket along the shores of Lake Mendota using loppers and saws.

Fisheries specialist Titus Seilheimer and his family worked on Silver Creek Beach in Manitowoc. “We typically organize two cleanups per year, spring and fall,” Seilheimer said. “We had two other volunteers for our cleanup for a total of six. We removed 68 pounds of trash. That included two tires for most of the weight. We found fairly typical trash with 40 cigarette butts, small pieces of foam and plastic, shotgun shells and wads, bottle caps and plastic bottles.”

Way to go, Sea Grant staff! You cleaned up 228 pounds of trash, plus gobs of unwanted plants and provided seeds for the future. A commendable effort for one morning in September.

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Wisconsin Sea Grant awarded $334,000 to support state’s commercial fishing and aquaculture industries

On: September 20, 2021

In: apprenticeships, aquaculture, Commercial Fishing, COVID-19, Eat Wisconsin Fish, fish farming, pandemic, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Red Cliff Fish Co., seafood, Sharon Moen, Titus Seilheimer, tribal fishing, workforce development

Three grants totaling more than $334,000 were awarded to Wisconsin Sea Grant to support the state’s commercial fishing and aquaculture industries, particularly in the areas of career development and resilience planning.

Sharon Moen, Eat Wisconsin Fish outreach specialist. (Photo: Marie Zhuikov)

Recently, NOAA Sea Grant announced federal funding to aid the sustainable growth of the U.S. seafood industry. One of the efforts focuses on the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafood resources. Wisconsin Sea Grant has been awarded $186,000 in funding through that competition, meant to increase the resilience of the seafood sector to respond to future disruptions. The project has a two-year time span and was one of 13 awarded nationally by NOAA Sea Grant. Sharon Moen, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Eat Wisconsin Fish outreach specialist, is the project lead.

A second recently announced grant of $98,000 was awarded through NOAA Sea Grant and NOAA Office of Sustainable Fisheries (more specifically, through the “Food from the Sea” Careers Program).

The work funded by this grant enables the Michigan and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs to collaborate on building the framework for a Great Lakes commercial fisheries apprenticeship program over the next six months. Project leads for this effort are Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant fisheries specialist, and Lauren Jescovitch, a Michigan Sea Grant extension educator in the Upper Peninsula. Moen will also be a key player. Together, the team will assess apprenticeship program needs among both tribal and nontribal fishers. The implementation phase of the apprenticeship program will be funded by the two-year grant.

Titus Seilheimer, fisheries outreach specialist.

A third grant of $50,000 enables the Eat Wisconsin Fish initiative to continue to grow its outreach potential over the next year. Moen leads this project.

“It is exciting that NOAA Sea Grant selected these three Wisconsin proposals for funding,” said Moen. “Food fish—both wild-caught and farm-raised in the U.S.—is an important part of our economy and food security. This funding will enable us to build on our efforts to help commercial fishers and fish farmers thrive in a challenging environment.”

The commercial fishing side of the projects focuses on developing the Great Lakes region’s first-ever apprenticeship program in fishing and fish processing. “Commercial fisheries across the country are graying as the older generation gets older, but who will take the wheel to keep these fisheries going?” said Seilheimer.

Continued Seilheimer, “Our work will build the framework for an apprenticeship program to train the next generation of commercial fishers. We will learn from tribal and state fishers about the needs and wants for a new training program. We hope to build an apprenticeship program that will provide an experienced workforce for tribal and commercial fisheries for years to come to support sustainable Great Lakes fisheries.”

Clarence Pratt of the Red Cliff Fish Co. shows a vacuum-sealed package of lake trout from Lake Superior that has just been processed. (Photo: Bonnie Willison)

While the pandemic has been tough all-around, noted Moen, “It has had a disproportionate impact on Indigenous commercial fishers.” One partner in this project is the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, which operates the Red Cliff Fish Co. The fish market prioritizes local retail sales and supplying Lake Superior fish to Native American elders.

While other states have apprenticeship programs focused on commercial fishing and fish processing, Moen said this one will focus on needs specific to the Great Lakes.

The aquaculture side of the projects will include efforts to inform fish consumers and the general public about fish-farming methods.

“Aquaculture in the U.S. has come a long way in the last several decades, and public perceptions have not kept up with reality,” said Moen. “Regulations in the U.S. as a whole are quite strict, and even more so here in Wisconsin, which should give consumers confidence that they’re choosing a safe product that has been raised responsibly. It pays to check labels or ask at the fish counter when you’re shopping.”

Moen and Seilheimer will carry out the funded activities along with members of Sea Grant’s science communication and education teams.

At their core, the three grant-funded projects are responding to challenges faced by Wisconsin fish farms and commercial fishers, from pandemics to workforce issues. “In the end,” said Moen, “We want to create a stronger food network and food systems so that when future disruptions happen, we’ll be better prepared.”

Those interested in learning more about these projects may contact Sharon Moen or Titus Seilheimer.

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Jennifer Smith

New marine sanctuary adds protections for historic Lake Michigan shipwrecks

On: July 20, 2021

In: national marine sanctuary, shipwrecks, Titus Seilheimer, Walter B Allen, Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary

In late June, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) designated Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary (WSCNMS or sanctuary) in the fresh, cold waters of Lake Michigan. W isconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary Designation; Final Regulations, 86 Fed. Reg. 32,737 (to be codified at 15 C.F.R pt. 922). Following a review by Congress and the governor of Wisconsin, the designation will become effective in the first weeks of August, at which time NOAA will publish an announcement in the Federal Register. It will be the 16th national sanctuary and only the second in freshwater.

Authorized by the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce designates and protects sanctuaries of special significance for many reasons, including for their conservation, recreational, historical and educational qualities. The National Marine Sanctuaries Act aims to protect a sanctuary’s biological and cultural resources such as historic shipwrecks and archaeological sites. The secretary has delegated sanctuary management to NOAA. The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS, which is located in state waters adjacent to Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Kewaunee counties, will be co-managed by the state of Wisconsin and NOAA.

“The new sanctuary brings well-deserved focus to the history and resources of this part of the Great Lakes. I am looking forward to new opportunities to work with another NOAA group on future education and outreach programs,” said Titus Seilheimer, a Wisconsin Sea Grant outreach specialist based in Manitowoc. For more than seven years, Seilheimer has coordinated sanctuary siting efforts with community leaders.

Fisheries Outreach Specialist Titus Seilheimer is gratified that seven years of collaborative planning for a new sanctuary has paid off. (Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant)

Encompassing more than 22,000 square miles, Lake Michigan is the second largest of the five Great Lakes. The lake’s water, and its fresh, cold temperatures are credited for playing a significant role in preserving 36 known shipwrecks and approximately 59 suspected shipwrecks with exceptional historical, archeological and recreational artifacts. The sanctuary has partnered with other groups to create web-accessible detailed maps of the lakebed, with potential for discovery of other wrecks. The documented ships wrecked within the 962 square miles of waters and submerged land of the WSCNMS, date back to as early as the 1800s. They represent a part of history during the 19th and 20th centuries, when vessels of the like sailed and steamed west throughout Lake Michigan carrying goods, raw materials, and people. Wisconsinshipwrecks.org has details on Lake Michigan wrecks, along with those in Lake Superior and inland waters. There is also information other maritime attractions.

One of the more notable wrecks in the sanctuary lies 165 feet below the surface. Sitting fully intact and upright on the lakebed is the Walter B. Allen, a 136-foot long boxy-hulled “canaller,” which sailed from 1866-1880. Walter B. Allen is a wooden schooner, which was used to transport grain and coal between New York and Chicago. Historically, canallers, like the Walter B. Allen, were constructed specifically to fit perfectly through the Welland Canal Locks and are unique to the Great Lakes.

Sea Grant funding allowed for the 3-D imaging of the Walter B. Allen by partners at the Wisconsin Historical Society. (Photo: Tamara Thomsen, Wisconsin Historical Society)

The preservation of the wrecks within the sanctuary extends beyond just the ships, as even the cargo remains intact. Among these preserved artifacts are locally produced goods, Christmas trees, general merchandise, a submerged aircraft and even cars, including 264 Nash automobiles from 1929. The designation protects artifacts from potential loss and damage by anchors from dive boats, entanglement of fishing gear, poorly attached mooring lines and the moving of, theft, or looting of the sunken artifacts. There is also the ever-present threat from further invasive species being introduced to the lake waters. Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary Designation; Final Regulations, 86 Fed. Reg. at 32,738.

Shipwreck artifacts, such as a Christmas tree (visible in the lower left), also tell the story of final Great Lakes’ voyages. (Photo: Tamara Thomsen, Wisconsin Historical Society)

The designation plans for the sanctuary are geared toward ensuring that it not only continues to exist, but also engages the community. For instance, the sanctuary is expected to boost the local economy by attracting 70,000 tourists from around the region, nation and globe each year and bringing in an estimated $10 million

Additionally, in response to community concerns, NOAA established a Sanctuary Advisory Council comprising a diverse group of community leaders to provide advice on management and protection. With an incredible and rich maritime story, the sanctuary will provide communities a platform for heritage tourism as they educate and organize around an underwater museum.

Following the designation, NOAA announced a ban on grappling into or anchoring on shipwreck sites that will remain until October 2023. The ban provides NOAA with time to create a mooring program, develop maps, and install a permanent mooring system that balances public access and resource protection.

After several years of relying on state laws and Lake Michigan’s fresh cold waters as protection, the artifacts that lay on the lakebed will now enjoy more collaborative protections to help them survive for posterity. With history buffs and adventure seekers alike soon able to safely participate in regulated exploration and discoveries within her waters, the future of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary and all that she has to discover is bright.

The post New marine sanctuary adds protections for historic Lake Michigan shipwrecks first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-marine-sanctuary-adds-protections-for-historic-lake-michigan-shipwrecks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-marine-sanctuary-adds-protections-for-historic-lake-michigan-shipwrecks

https://news.wttw.com/2021/03/22/great-lakes-wildebeests-move-spring-migration-starts

Quiet time with the fish. Spring is the time for fish watching.

On: April 8, 2021

In: longnose sucker spawning, Silver Creek Manitowoc, Titus Seilheimer, white sucker spawning

White suckers migrate up Silver Creek in Manitowoc to spawn. Image credit: Titus Seilheimer

By Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant Fisheries Outreach Specialist

Spring is the right time to head to your local stream to see the migration and spawning of Great Lakes sucker species. As water temperatures warm, white and longnose suckers feel the need to move from the Great Lakes into tributaries. They congregate in large groups and create the next generation of fish.

Sucker migrations are ecologically important, especially to smaller headwater streams, which benefit from the nutrients and energy inside the suckers as they move from the Great Lakes deep into watersheds. Suckers get a bad rap from anglers and the public because of the misconceptions that they eat sportfish eggs and compete with desirable species. However, small suckers are important food sources for many predator species and have a vital ecological role in our food webs.

Smaller streams can be great locations to spot these fish, because they mostly ignore people when spawning is on their minds. Suckers will start spawning in early April when the water reaches 7 degrees C (45 degrees F) and will return to the lake when finished. Temperature is an important cue along with water flow.

Yesterday in Manitowoc, I spotted about 100 white suckers in Silver Creek. Some were actively spawning and others were hanging out in a deep pool (probably waiting to move upstream). Areas with gravel and good flowing water are spawning habitat for suckers. This is what the scene might look like https://youtu.be/AgAvlCeuwJM

Sucker-watching tips

If they are splashing, they are spawning! White suckers in Silver Creek in Manitowoc. Image credit: Titus Seilheimer

Find a fairly shallow or narrow stream or river to watch. Water clarity is important because it’s hard to see fish in a cloudy or turbid river. Cut down the glare with polarized sunglasses. For observing spawning suckers, find a rocky area with moving water. Sit on the bank and watch. Early and late in the day are good times to look for active spawning. Keep an eye open for other species too, like small fishes or crayfish. White suckers are common throughout Wisconsin, so many streams will have spawning happening even away from the Great Lakes.

If community science to track suckers is interesting, check out the Shedd Aquarium’s sucker monitoring program in Lake Michigan. Karen Murchie is working with volunteers up the Lake Michigan coast to record daily numbers of suckers at specific sites and learn more about why and when suckers migrate. Follow these hashtags on social media #suckerforsuckers #drabisthenewfab #suckerwatch2021. https://www.sheddaquarium.org/care-and-conservation/shedd-research/investigating-great-lakes-sucker-migrations

If you’re close to northeastern Wisconsin (and it is safe to travel), watching the spawning sturgeon in the Wolf River is another must-do trip. Mid-April to early May is the typical time to see these ancient giants up close! https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/sturgeon/SturgeonSpawning.html

And here’s a Sea Grant video of sturgeon spawning:

The post Quiet time with the fish. Spring is the time for fish watching. first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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Sea Grant staff project faves, Titus Seilheimer

On: December 17, 2020

In: Great Lakes Aquaculture Day, Titus Seilheimer

As 2020 winds down, we asked staff members at Wisconsin Sea Grant what their favorite project was this year. Although work was a bit more challenging than usual due to our altered work circumstances, everyone managed to stay productive, and even find fulfillment.

Titus Seilheimer. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Our fisheries specialist, Titus Seilheimer’s favorite project is Great Lakes Aquaculture Day. This annual event for the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative was held on October 10. Seilheimer said, “We had to move the event online and had a full day of interactive sessions for new farmers, current farmers and consumers. There was a lot of planning to make it happen, but the most fun part of the day was when Elliot Nelson and I were emcees for a virtual Iron Chef-style cooking contest. Although that sounds strange, it actually worked really well.”

The recordings for Great Lakes Aquaculture Day are available online. Learn more about this Great Lakes Sea Grant Network effort on its website.

Seilheimer said the event was a team effort from Elliot Nelson and Lauren Jescovitch (Michigan Sea Grant), Emma Wiermaa (Wisconsin Sea Grant and Univ. of Wisconsin Stevens Point-Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility), Amy Schrank (Minnesota Sea Grant), and himself, with essential help from Cindy Hudson and Geneva Langeland from the Michigan Sea Grant communications team.

The post Sea Grant staff project faves, Titus Seilheimer first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/sea-grant-staff-project-faves-titus-seilheimer/

Great Lakes Aquaculture Day to highlight regional fish farmers, chefs and extension specialists

On: September 18, 2020

In: aquaculture, Emma Wiermaa, fish farming, GLAC, Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, Titus Seilheimer

All welcome at this free, virtual event

The first Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Day will be held Saturday, October 10. The online event will showcase the region’s potential for fish and seafood production and include a culinary competition.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Activities begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. central time with the cooking challenge, in which culinary students will test their creativity and flair.

The day will feature a variety of panel discussions and presentations on aquaculture. Those presentations will be targeted at a variety of audiences, from beginning and current farmers to consumers interested in learning more about preparing and cooking seafood.

The event is hosted by the Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, a project of Sea Grant programs across the region—including Wisconsin Sea Grant—that are working to share resources and promote best practices in the aquaculture industry.

Emma Wiermaa of Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF) will be one of the presenters at Great Lakes Aquaculture Day. She is pictured with NADF Assistant Director and Research Program Manager Greg Fischer. (Photo: Narayan Mahon)

Wisconsin Sea Grant outreach specialists Emma Wiermaa—who holds a joint position with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility in Bayfield, where she is based—and Titus Seilheimer, a fisheries specialist, will participate in the event.

The day will conclude with a cooking demonstration featuring Chef Jeff Igel of the Wisconsin Technical College System, followed by a competition between three culinary students from the Great Lakes region. Each student will be required to use a key ingredient and local aquaculture products in his or her dish.

The Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative is currently accepting applications from post-secondary students for the competition. The three students selected will each receive a $250 stipend to cover ingredients costs and time.

All Great Lakes Aquaculture Day attendees will be able to interact with other participants throughout the event and during breakout lunch gatherings.

As the fastest-growing sector of agriculture worldwide, aquaculture now accounts for more than 50% of world seafood production, surpassing that from wild-caught fisheries. However, aquaculture growth in the U.S. has been stagnant, and seafood supply from U.S.-based, wild-caught fisheries is not enough to meet nationwide demand. One result of that is a $14 billion seafood trade deficit.

The U.S. aquaculture industry has potential for growth, particularly in the Great Lakes region, where abundant inland freshwater resources have enabled a handful of state-based aquaculture operations to employ a local workforce and produce sustainable, healthy and tasty fish.

For more information about the Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Day 2020 event and registration, visit the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative website or contact Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator Elliot Nelson. For information about the Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, contact Minnesota Sea Grant Extension Educator Amy Schrank.

News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/great-lakes-aquaculture-day-announced/

Jennifer Smith

Lota facts about the Lota lota, a counter-Shark-Week tale

On: August 6, 2020

In: burbot, eelpout, Shark Week 2020, Titus Seilheimer

A burbot. Image credit: Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Shark Week, Aug. 9 -16, is a cherished annual tradition. In what I am hoping will also become a cherished tradition, Sea Grant presents a counter-Shark-Week look at a denizen of the sweetwater seas. A previous blog post regaled a number of Wisconsin fish. This 2020 edition offers five facts about the burbot.

The scientific name for this fish in the cod family is an onomatopoeia dream: Lota lota. It’s got other common names in addition to burbot, including lawyer, eelpout and lingcod.

The Grumpy Burbot (the alter ego of Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer) has its own Twitter handle.

The fish is a bottom-dweller. Maybe this elusive home is why some of us Sea Grant staffers couldn’t eat them even though they were on the menu when we visited KK Fiske and The Granary in 2017. We had heard they were good eating but restaurant owner and commercial fisher on Door County’s Washington Island Ken Koyen hadn’t caught any that day. Burbot is not a target species and most that show up in whitefish and lake trout nets are discarded. Broiled and served with butter, however, the fish are said to taste like Poor Man’s Lobster.

Sea Grant funded a study about the birds and bees of burbot to better understand the entire Lake Michigan food web. Researcher John Janssen said, ““Burbot interact with many other fish. They like to eat a lot of sculpins, which are eaten by lake trout, and sculpins eat lake trout eggs. Knowing more about when and how burbot spawn adds more information to figure out the interactions between species.”

Much more burbot intel is available on the Eat Wisconsin Fish website. Details on the burbot study can be found here.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/lota-facts-about-the-lota-lota-a-counter-shark-week-tale/

Asian carp dispersal barrier elicits emotions

On: February 11, 2020

In: Asian carp, Bonnie Willison, carp barrier, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Chris Hamerla, Chuck Shea, Molly Bodde, Phil Skawinski, Sydney Widell, Titus Seilheimer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Chuck Shea, with the USACE, explains the 120-year history of the canal and its charge from Congress to stop the spread of AIS through the canal — a charge that came in 1996. Image by Moira Harrington.

Last Friday, I went to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which is outfitted with a set of thrumming electrical barriers. These barriers churn out an alternating current 34 times per second, each with a duration of 2.3 milliseconds. The goal is to turn back any invasive Asian carp set on making the journey into the world’s largest freshwater system. If established, it’s theorized the voracious eaters would decimate food sources at the expense of larger native fish.

I went with Bonnie Willison, Sea Grant’s digital storyteller, and Sydney Widell, an undergraduate with our program. Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer and Southeast Wisconsin Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Specialist Molly Bodde met us there, as did Chris Hamerla, a regional aquatic invasive species specialist with Golden Sands Resource and Conservation Development Council Inc., and Paul Skawinski, citizen lake monitoring network educator from the University of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes Program. Both are based in Stevens Point.

Willison and Widell are working on a multipart podcast series with a focus on AIS. Willison was tenacious in her efforts to secure permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for our visit to Romeoville, Illinois. These are the folks who manage the site of what’s been called the world’s largest electric barrier, actually three of them with 155-foot sections of electrodes at the bottom of the 27-foot-deep canal.

A fourth barrier is under construction and will have three times the power of the existing ones. The USACE plans to throw the switch on that in early 2021.

This is ground zero in the battle to keep Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes through a manmade waterway linking Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River Basin. It’s a 120-year-old unnatural connection, enabling marine transport and a cleaner Chicago, since stormwater and treated wastewater now flows out of that city thanks to an engineering feat that reversed the natural course of the water. It’s also provided a highway to mix species between the two aquatic systems that nature never intended to mix.

I’m not someone who geeks out on engineering, shipping or electricity. And it certainly wasn’t the promise of lovely waterside aesthetics that drew me south. This section of the canal is set amid a heavily industrialized stretch with belching petrochemical refineries.

The area around the electrical barriers is heavily industrialized. Image by Moira Harrington.

No, my emotions got revving because of what this place represents. Eight USACE employees, some consultants with barrier manufacturer Smith-Root and a whole lot of electrical buzz are all that stands between the Illinois River’s Starved Rock Pool, which supposedly holds the planet’s largest concentration of Asian carp and is about 60 miles from where I visited, and the rippling waves of Lake Michigan. Wow!

I wasn’t the only one expressing emotions. Widell said she has “peaked” now that she’s had a visit. Our lead AIS Specialist Tim Campbell wasn’t able to make the trip but responded to Seilheimer, aka @DrFish on Twitter, with #jealous.

Hamerla told the story about how Skawinski had texted him earlier in the week: “Call me ASAP.” When the two connected and Skawinski extended the invitation, Hamerla’s response was reportedly an enthusiastic, “Heck, yea,” leading to a 4 a.m. departure from Stevens Point to meet at the appointed hour.

Strong feelings weren’t limited to our group. Chuck Shea, USACE barrier project manager, said what motivates him on a daily basis is, “Knowing that you’re working on something that benefits so many people.”

The podcast episode about Asian carp and the barrier will be released in spring or early summer. At that time and after listening, Willison and Widell are betting you’ll get some emotions going, too.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/asian-carp-dispersal-barrier-elicits-emotions/