NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202411
Caption: Gavin Dehnert, an emerging contaminants scientist at Wisconsin Sea Grant, investigates the impact of emerging contaminants on aquatic ecosystems. Photo Credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Coastal and estuarine waters are important for human and ecosystem health. Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are regularly detected in these waters; however, little is known about how they are transported, where they accumulate and their final destinations. There is also a lack of research on the health risks they pose to humans and aquatic life. It is critical to continue to support ongoing monitoring efforts and to address knowledge gaps around CEC exposures, which Sea Grant has established with previous funding.
For the last four years, Congress has directed Sea Grant to collaborate with state agencies and universities to expand emerging contaminant research and monitoring. Sea Grant is pleased to announce two projects receiving approximately $984,000 in federal funding in 2024. These projects were competitively selected through an opportunity focused on CECs. The projects, detailed below, will lead regional research competitions in the Southeast and Great Lakes regions focused on addressing CEC information needs.
2024 project descriptions:
Wisconsin Sea Grant
Quantifying the health impacts of emerging and legacy contaminants on an apex bird predator in the Great Lakes region
Federal funding: $484,400
Project lead: Christina Remucal and Gavin Dehnert
Wisconsin Sea Grant plans to sample bald eagle nestlings, game fish and water from areas in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan known to have per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. Researchers anticipate elevated PFAS levels near historical contamination sites and expect varying levels in game fish, which could lead to updating fish consumption guidelines. This study will inform long-term monitoring and bioremediation efforts and provide insights into the potential health impacts on both humans and wildlife. The findings will benefit local communities, including tribal nations, by offering updated fish consumption recommendations and contributing to future PFAS research.
The National Sea Grant Law Center
Strengthening and expanding regional CEC initiatives to promote research-to-application partnerships
Federal funding: $500,000
Project lead: Stephanie Otts
The National Sea Grant Law Center will assess and address the risks posed by contaminants of emerging concern to local communities through an interdisciplinary approach that involves both science and outreach. They will provide funding to the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium for research projects through their contaminants grant program and will support partnership development in the Great Lakes and Southeast regions through a competitive grant process. The expected outcomes include a better understanding of the types, prevalence and movement of contaminants in the Southeast, stronger collaboration between researchers and policymakers in both regions, the creation of research-to-application partnerships that can serve as future models, and improved integration of research into policy decisions.
The post Sea Grant announces new projects to address community needs regarding contaminants of emerging concern first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-announces-new-projects-to-address-community-needs-regarding-contaminants-of-emerging-concern/
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.da95821ec70706b3cd6f72c599bfce34552ae607.004.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.f512bf1487be9a1ff765a17deab86bbebeb9dd44.002.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.cd11d975eca89424503707c4c91299e70248ffcb.001.1.cap
Green Bay, WI
https://www.weather.gov/cms.ncep.noaa.gov/media/grb/outreach/winter/NWS%20Green%20Bay%20Cold%20Weather%20Headline%20Criteria%20Summary.pdf
The sight of the first snow on the horizon of Bill Wiley’s 500-acre farm in Shelby County, Ohio, is a welcome relief. The 2024 growing season has been incredibly dry.
“We are about eight inches behind regular precipitation for the year,” he said.
But Wiley, who farms corn, soybeans, wheat, pumpkins and gords, has installed two inline water control structures that control the flow of drainage water from two of his fields.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/agricultural-runoff-damages-our-water-and-kills-wildlife-could-a-simple-drainage-stopper-be-the-solution/
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.c8c1320940f864d7e6e305f03cf840904ff4b867.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.d3dfe9a193c8324957f44e74043ce2815a489e99.001.1.cap
By delivering 1,200 Christmas trees from Northern Michigan to Chicago families, the crew aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw was carrying on the tradition of the Rouse Simmons. The worn-out schooner helmed by a man nicknamed “Captain Santa” and heavily weighed down by a load of Christmas trees bound for Chicago sank while running that route in 1912. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241211-christmas-ship
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is investigating contamination near BASF’s Wyandotte site, not far from the city’s water intake facility. The site has a history of pollution stretching back decades, with hazardous chemicals like mercury, PFAS, and DDT reportedly seeping into the surrounding environment. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241211-groundwater-contamination-prevention
Canada-based McKeil Marine converted one of its ships to water-lubricated propeller shaft and grease-free rudder bearings to ensure the vessel does not discharge oil or grease into the Great Lakes. Following this conversion, many other Great Lakes operating vessels converted to Thordon Bearings, helping to raise the profile of the Burlington, Ontario-headquartered company across the global shipping industry. Read the full story by the Burlington Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241211-shipping-conversion
A Huron Pines community educator recently appealed to the city council of East Tawas, Michigan, to consider the Lake Huron Forever Pledge to prioritize water quality protection and preservation with a long-term view of sustainability of Lake Huron for future generations. So far, three Michigan communities have taken the Pledge – Bay City, Au Gres, and Alpena. Read the full story by the Iosco County News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241211-protection-pledge
Since the start of the shipping season, total cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway came to more than 32 million metric tons. The totals are proportional to last year’s numbers, showing consistency in the waterway system. Read the full story by KBJR-TV – Superior, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241211-cargo-tonnage
Over the summer, Force Blue, a nonprofit organization made up of veterans transitioning to civilian life, worked with the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary to install and remove mooring buoys at eight different shipwrecks in Lake Huron. They also assisted with the fresh water acidification project to study how the water is changing in Lake Huron which could affect fish feeding behaviors and reproductive abilities. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241211-nonprofit-research
Audubon Great Lakes, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and several local partners began planning to restore coastal wetland in Allouez Bay in Superior, Wisconsin, three years ago. This week, the first phase of construction was completed as part of the Marsh Bird Restoration Project which aims to transform dense stands of invasive cattails into a more diverse and dynamic marsh environment for marsh birds, waterfowl, fish and people. Read the full story by the Superior Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241211-restoration-project
A new book, The Lives of Lake Ontario: An Environmental History, explores how the Lake Ontario ecosystem has shifted over the years, and how anthropogenic climate change is shattering its defenses. Read the full story by The Narwhal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241211-lake-ontario-book
The Soo Locks Children’s Museum in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, is intended to be an educational resource to help kids get acquainted with one of the most significant pieces of infrastructure in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the science behind how the locks work. Museum officials said they hope to open to the public sometime in 2025. Read the full story by The Sault Ste. Marie Evening News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241211-soo-museum
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.b239c65bc858baa8c8cc6779be0ff8d1d8d38796.001.1.cap
By Daniel Macfarlane
This story is an excerpt from Daniel Macfarlane’s book The Lives of Lake Ontario: An Environmental History.
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/the-past-present-and-future-of-a-changing-lake-ontario/
Thanks to our amazing volunteers, Adopt-a-Beach celebrated three big firsts in 2025.
This spring, our beach cleanup program launched a new system that allows volunteers to tally litter data on their phones.
“Adopt-a-Beach volunteers helped shape this project from start to finish,” says Olivia Reda, Volunteer Engagement Manager. “Volunteers asked for a way to tally litter data on their phones. They gave us feedback as the system was being developed. A small group of volunteers tested out the system last year. And volunteers are still helping improve it with their responses to a recent survey.”
The new system provides many benefits for Adopt-a-Beach volunteers. “It saves waste to use your phone instead of paper forms,” says Reda, “and you don’t have to deal with the wind blowing away your paper.” Volunteers get instant feedback on how many pieces of litter they’ve picked up without having to count hash marks on paper forms. Team Leaders – especially leaders of large cleanups – “save a lot of time” using phones for check-in and data collection. “It’s a smoother process overall,” says Reda. “Team Leaders spend less time on logistics, so there’s more time for them to educate and advocate at their cleanups.”
“It’s great to see how ideas from our volunteers improve Adopt-a-Beach for everyone!” says Reda.
Tallying litter year after year helped reveal an amazing accomplishment. Volunteers have removed more than 10 million pieces of litter from the five Great Lakes’ shorelines since Adopt-a-Beach started tracking litter data in 2003.
Keeping 10 million pieces of litter out of our lakes is no small feat. And Adopt-a-Beach volunteers have done even more. The data they’ve collected show litter patterns, raise awareness about plastic pollution, and help pass policies to reduce plastic pollution and litter.
“One of the things I love about Adopt-a-Beach is how long our volunteers’ work lasts,” says Reda. “On the days of their cleanups, volunteers keep plastic and other trash out of the Great Lakes. People who see the cleanups are often inspired to do cleanups of their own weeks or months later. And the litter data our volunteers collect becomes part of a 20-plus year dataset that’s helping communities find solutions to plastic pollution.”
In April, the Alliance released a groundbreaking report based on the dataset volunteers have collected. The report, which found that the vast majority of litter volunteers collect is plastic, gained national media attention and has strengthened national and state-level efforts to reduce the scourge of Great Lakes plastic pollution.
“Thanks to Adopt-a-Beach volunteers, we know that 86% of shoreline litter is plastic,” says Reda, who authored the report. “40% is in the ‘tiny trash’ category. Much of the plastic comes from single-use items.”
Plastic pollution threatens human health and the environment. The report outlines solutions that include businesses, governments, and manufacturers.
Thanks to volunteers’ work, momentum is building to reduce plastic pollution. You can read about some recent wins in the fight against plastic pollution here.
Thank you to all the Adopt-a-Beach Team Leaders and volunteers who cared for their shorelines this year! Here are some highlights of what they accomplished in 2024:
A special thanks to this year’s top Adopt-a-Beach sponsors: Dr. Scholl Foundation, Freudenberg, HSBC, Meijer, and Unilever.
The post 3 Big Firsts for Adopt-a-Beach appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2024/12/3-big-firsts-for-adopt-a-beach/
By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio
This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.
Efforts to build a barrier to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes are one step closer to reality.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Wednesday that it awarded the first construction contract on the $1.15 billion project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Illinois.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/construction-will-soon-begin-on-project-to-keep-invasive-carp-out-of-great-lakes/
Under a portion of the state’s environmental protection laws, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has been banned from updating rules to deal with certain kinds of water pollution. Bills to restore the agency’s authority are before the lame duck session of the legislature. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-michigan-environmental-laws
It’s a fish story with a big, unexpected plot twist. A native Great Lakes whitefish thought extinct for nearly 40 years has been rediscovered by scientists in Lake Superior. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-cisco-found
This is the last November anglers casting from some popular fishing spots along Lake Michigan can catch whitefish using a wide range of tackle. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-whitefish-limits
Michigan has debated for decades but never passed a uniform statewide septic code and remains the only state without one. Whether the latest push can get over the finish line seems unlikely after a state Senate panel adjourned without voting on legislation this week. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-michigan-septic-legislation
The clock is ticking in a legal battle over a Minnesota mining project that some warn could inflict catastrophic damage on Lake Superior and nearby communities. Environmental advocates argue that the risks posed by the project’s tailings dams could have dire consequences for the Great Lakes ecosystem and residents living downhill. Read the full story by Newsweek.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-minnesota-tailings-dam
Last Friday, a large part of the Detroit River’s waterbed was exposed as strong winds pushed the water to the northeastern banks of the Great Lakes in a seiche event. The Windsor Harbor Master said mariners have to take extra caution navigating the river due to the lower water level and strong winds. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-detroit-river-seiche
Water bottler BlueTriton announced it will cease operations in Puslinch, Ontario, in January 2025. Activists said their exit could be due to issues with the well from where water is drawn, and the company was getting pressure to exit from the Indigenous Six Nations who claim the land. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-ontario-bottled-water
Michigan looks to get $700 million to clean up contaminated sediment in the Detroit River, but according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, decades of unchecked pollution from BASF’s Wyandotte facility could stand in the way. Read the full story by Planet Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-detroit-river-pollution
The U.S. Senate has approved the reauthorization through 2031 of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Now the measure moves to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote. Read the full story by WTTW-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-glri-house-vote
The historic tugboat Robinson Bay was officially handed off to the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Michigan, in a ceremony last month. The Robinson Bay will allow maritime cadets to learn towing, ship handling, and engineering processes onboard the historic vessel, built in 1958. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-maritime-academy-tugboat
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202411
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202411
