Les Warren is Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s buoy specialist. His primary duties consist of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the nearshore buoy and environmental sensor program. Les also provides outreach and engagement to increase the awareness of the data availability provided by real-time buoys to the general public and other Lake Michigan users.

Before joining IISG, Les earned a master’s degree in environmental and ecology biology from St. Cloud State University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Currently, he is a continuing education student at Purdue University working to complete his PhD in freshwater aquatic sciences. His research is focused on the recruitment and habitat utilization of fish species in Lake Michigan.