Welcome to the winter edition of Sea Grant Chats. This February marks a major milestone: 30 years of aquatic invasive species outreach by our team. To celebrate, Renie Miles and I sat down with two key figures in that history: Pat Charlebois, our assistant director and program leader, who spent over two decades leading our prevention efforts, and Katie O’Reilly, who took over that role in 2022. We discussed the evolution of the invasive species issue in the Great Lakes, the shift toward understanding human behavior, and the creative strategies that make this team so effective.

Renie: Stuart, what do you think are the strengths of the program’s AIS team and the work they do?

Stuart: I think our AIS team is extraordinarily successful for a few different reasons. The first one is that they use interdisciplinary science in a way that is particularly effective. We don’t do a lot of natural science research at Sea Grant, but we speak with natural scientists frequently to learn the latest information on AIS in terms of effects, controls, and things like that. But our AIS team also relies on social and behavioral sciences to help inform their programming.

They’re also really good at working with people who matter on this issue. You see them working with bait shops, lake management associations, resource managers. They’re finding key places and partners to really amplify their message.

We’re going at about 30 years of aquatic invasive species being a key issue in the Great Lakes. And not coincidentally, that’s about how long our AIS team has been working on it, right? We were on the ground floor doing this important work. I think people understand that we are knowledgeable, we are trustworthy, and we’re good partners.

Renie: Pat, speaking of 30 years, early on, what were some goals and challenges to do successful outreach?

Pat: Invasion biology was not a thing at that time. It was a new discipline for all intents and purposes. We didn’t have the science to know the potential impacts in the Great Lakes when these species started showing up. We had to rely on their behaviors and impacts in other types of systems to be able to forecast or guess what they would do in the Great Lakes. Sometimes we got it wrong and our trust was affected because we said, oh, we think this is going to be terrible, and then it wasn’t—like the round goby didn’t end up having the predicted impact, at least in most cases.

We have risk assessments now that give us a much better snapshot into what a new organism may or may not do. When the round goby first arrived in the Great Lakes, we were getting scientific papers translated from a colleague working in the Black Sea. We were scrambling. We had to gear up to get information out starting at ground zero every time there was a new species. And it seemed like there was a new one every week, but it was probably every year.

But then that changed when we started focusing on the pathways of introduction. We didn’t have to scramble as much because the same pathways were at work for each species. There was less need to develop outreach tools because they were basically the same steps for preventing everything.

It was also a challenge to be a female in a male world. When I started, I would go to meetings where it was 30 men and me, and I was the only female working on AIS in the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. I was a lot younger than some of the people I was working with, and they’d been working in the profession for a while, so it was a challenge to prove myself as both a young person and a woman.

Stuart: I think the strength that it takes to fight through that—it takes a particular kind of person, and a particular strength.

Katie: That is truly a trailblazing thing that Pat did, and it set the program up to be where we’re at today.

Renie: Katie, how do you see things today? What are the team’s goals and challenges?

Katie: Today in the Great Lakes, I think there is a widespread awareness about invasive species, generally. We, as scientists and science communicators, have done a pretty good job of raising some of that awareness. I think we’ve also made strides in reducing the number of invasive species through outreach and regulations. I wouldn’t say we’ve turned off that faucet, but it’s more of a slow drip now. We’ve reduced the rate of introductions.

We still have a lot of species that are already here in the Great Lakes and are now spreading into inland water bodies or just moving around the lakes. We always have the threat of new species in trade, related to aquariums or bait shops. That’s part of the reason the AIS team has focused on communicating about pathways of introduction for invasive species—there’s always going to be some new species on the horizon.

In terms of our ultimate goal, which is reducing the introduction and spread of invasive species, we want to make sure we’re incorporating the human side of things because humans are the ones moving these guys around. So that means understanding why people do the things they do and what they value. Do they value being able to go fishing? To share traditions? Is it their livelihood?

It’s a challenge and an opportunity for us. A lot of my team, myself included, have a biology or ecology background so we work with social scientists to combine their expertise with the biological science of invasive species. Developing an understanding of human behavior and motivation helps us address specific pathways.

We’re probably never going to stop invasive species completely, but we’re trying to have people change their behavior so that they reduce the risk of it. This means that sometimes we have to think outside the box to address some new and increasing challenges.

Stuart: The AIS team at IISG and in the region—because this is an issue that we work on regionally—has been kind of relentlessly creative and experimental in what they’ve done. Everything from geofenced ads for people at a certain conference to airplane banners, and now we’ve installed boat cleaning and drying stations. Sure, we’re at a time when the questions are not getting easier, but harder, but I think we’re in a good position to be ready for that.

Renie: Let’s do a little, “how it started,” “how it’s going.” Pat, how and why did “Be A Hero” get started, and how did it roll out early on?

Pat: Because the Great Lakes was ground zero for a number of AIS, the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network was involved with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop national messaging, which was “Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers.” After a number of years of using the campaign, we worked with a social scientist to evaluate it.

The social science research found that in Illinois, the message wasn’t resonating. The term ‘hitchhiker’ had become less relevant for younger generations. The public found the steps outlined in the campaign to be confusing, and some steps were less likely to be adopted, for example, power washing your boat. If folk weren’t going to power wash their boat, why keep telling them to? We wanted to remind them of the steps we knew they were willing to do. That, for me, had the biggest influence in wanting new messaging.

Illinois DNR (Department of Natural Resources) agreed with us and provided the funding to develop a new brand, which became Be A Hero–Transport Zero. We developed boat landing signs that were at every Chicago area boat ramp, and at every DNR-owned boat ramp, so they were fairly ubiquitous throughout the state.

We promoted Be A Hero for a few years with recreational water users, and then we wanted another brand for organisms-in-trade because we had hired Greg Hitzroth and were working on that pretty heavily. We were thinking we would create something different, but DNR steered us towards developing a parallel message with Be A Hero–Transport Zero, which became Be A Hero–Release Zero.

Renie: Katie, how would you describe Be a Hero now, in terms of success stories?

Katie: The message of Be a Hero does seem to resonate with audiences in Illinois. There was a survey done by one of our frequent collaborators, Tim Campbell of Wisconsin Sea Grant, a few years back, that looked at audience familiarity with different AIS campaigns. Be a Hero had really high brand recognition in Illinois. It showed that our efforts to bring awareness to the campaign and messaging have had some impact. Today, the way we deliver the Be A Hero messaging takes a variety of forms, whether it’s airplane banners or truck wraps, or billboards.

Pat: Building on what Katie said about the recognition of our brand, at Loyola University, Ruben Keller and Kelly Garbach did an analysis before 2020 about AIS outreach in Illinois, and our messaging was sort of the hub. I would think that fact has only gotten stronger.

Katie: Our DNR partners see the value in having an Illinois-specific campaign that is recognizable, that people know what the general gist is: to be a hero, you are going to clean your boat. If you’re being a hero from the aquarium side of things, you’re not going to release your pets into water bodies. A benefit of Be a Hero having more of an Illinois and northwest Indiana focus is that it really does make it local and relevant to users.

Stuart: We’re the glue that holds a lot of organizations together, or a lot of projects together. A good current example of that is the Invasive Crayfish Collaborative. There’s this growing problem of invasive crayfish throughout the Midwest and a real need to gather scientists, natural resource managers, people who are doing outreach, and, eventually, end users and other stakeholders.

Pat: There had been several instances of crayfish showing up in different areas in the Great Lakes, and so in 2017 we thought that through a formal collaborative, there could be more communication and a better use of resources. It made sense for IISG to do it, given my background in crayfish. So, we got a grant and then got sustained funding through GLRI (Great Lakes Restoration Initiative).

Katie: It got off to a good start. There was a crayfish community science project that got going, but like a lot of things, due to the pandemic, people got a little disconnected. When I joined IISG in 2022, we were thinking of ways to reinvigorate the ICC, seeing a lot of value in it.

We wanted to make sure we were serving the needs of our members, so we brought in a lead facilitator, Natalia Szklaruk. We did listening sessions and some strategic planning and we’ve really seen those efforts pay off. We have really good turnout at events, but the main thing I see as a success is that ICC members see enough value in it that they come to us as a potential project partner. I’ve been told anecdotally that ICC members understand that Sea Grant has the expertise to help facilitate and bring groups together. By having us on a project, they feel more confident that their results can make a difference.

Renie: Katie, what are you excited about going forward—short-term and long-term?

Katie: I think what I’m most excited about in the short term is that we have a lot of cool and innovative ideas lined up for this year to do outreach a little differently. For example, one of our staff members, Karter Burgdorf, is organizing a cosplay science event at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo in late March, using a unique venue to do some science outreach to audiences that we haven’t connected with much.

We are putting together a crayfish care guide for educators. This is a cool example because Izzy Paulson and Natalia decided that, while they could create a fact sheet, they could also do something more creative, like putting together a zine. It would have information about crayfish care that will be mixed with some art activities for students.

Long term, something I’m excited about is the collaborative nature of the AIS team. We are lucky to have a decently large team, which allows us to do some cool brainstorming and collaboration. At the core, what makes me excited is that we’ve got a team that is really excited and creative and wants to keep up the legacy of the AIS program that started 30 years ago.

Stuart: Our AIS program hit a lot of things right. The work started at a time when AIS was going to become one of the key environmental issues in the Great Lakes. And it started with the right person in place on the right issue. AIS is probably our largest team, and it’s probably the team that we as a program learn the most from. We are lucky to have this team, but I wouldn’t call it luck, I would call it a confluence of a critical issue with a total dynamo who worked on that issue at just the right time.

This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) welcomes a new member to the team—Laura Esman is now the program’s research and reporting coordinator. Located at Purdue University, Esman will oversee research competitions and manage IISG’s research portfolio.

She will also spearhead IISG data collection and lead the program’s annual reporting process.

Esman brings over 30 years of experience in research, project coordination and grant administration. Her most recent positions include managing director of the Indiana Water Resources Research Center, and lab manager and research associate in the Natural Resources Social Science Lab in Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.

In these roles, she developed and oversaw budgets as well as managed dozens of research projects, often comprised of interdisciplinary teams at multiple universities. In addition, Esman communicated with key stakeholders to develop partnerships and inform target audiences.

Her research and outreach background at the federal, state, and local level cover a range of relevant topic areas and issues in the two states as well as the Great Lakes region, including water pollutants, aquatic invasive species, green infrastructure, and harmful algal blooms.

“Laura’s breadth and depth of experience make her a perfect fit for IISG, said Stuart Carlton, IISG director. “She is skilled at working with scientists to help identify and disseminate high-quality, highly relevant applied research.”

Esman has a master’s degree in environmental toxicology from Clemson University, and she earned her bachelor’s from Albion College.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) announces a new curriculum—”Ripple Effects” is a newly updated collection of hands‑on, inquiry‑based lessons that immerse 6–12 grade students in the science and real‑world challenges of the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the Great Lakes region.

This curriculum provides opportunities for students to engage in research, reporting, and role-playing games and activities to learn why these non-native species threaten native ones, how they came to the region, and their impact on Great Lakes ecosystem dynamics.

“Through activities that explore how AIS are introduced, spread, and managed, students gain a deeper understanding of their impact on Great Lakes ecosystems, and the role young people can play in protecting them,” said Julie Fiorito, IISG Great Lakes K-12 education specialist.

The role-playing activity provides an engaging way for students to experience how invasive species can impact an ecosystem. As students, as part of a group, take on native or invasive species’ needs and behaviors, resources diminish, and the picture becomes clear. Other activities include developing research and analytical skills, as well as preparing and presenting information to the class.

Aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and Great Lakes Literacy Principles, the lessons can be used individually or combined as a comprehensive, progressive curriculum.

“As future leaders and decision makers, students benefit from learning how environmental issues like AIS shape the health, resilience, and sustainability of their communities,” added Fiorito.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) has not one, but two coastal resilience specialists who are providing support for communities along the southern Lake Michigan shore. These specialists came to Sea Grant from different disciplines and bring skill sets that complement each other.

Sarah Peterson is the program’s coastal engineering and community resilience specialist and as her title implies, she brings her engineering background to focus on coastal changes along the shore due to natural and human forces. She will also work directly with communities, sharing coastal process information and providing technical guidance on beach management solutions that can lessen the impact of changes over time.

She sees the implementation of shoreline structures as having dramatically altered the flow of currents and sand along the shoreline. “They can create a situation where sand accumulates updrift of a structure, leaving some downdrift areas sediment-deprived,” said Peterson.

The structures, which pose challenges for communities or even landowners with regards to sand management, can be of varying sizes—from massive harbors and piers to those that are suitable for maintaining sand on individual properties.

Peterson noted that significant water level fluctuations in Lake Michigan are a concern for communities as well, referencing the six feet of water level rise between 2013 and 2020. “It’s been challenging for existing infrastructure to withstand those dramatic changes as well as for communities to build new infrastructure that is resilient under both highs and lows.”

She added that high water levels can also exacerbate the problem of storm surges that can lead to more flooding, putting more infrastructure, homes, and people at risk.

Hillary Glandon is an aquatic ecologist and is focused on habitat fragmentation as a key issue in southern Lake Michigan waters.

“We used to have much more contiguous habitat that was better connected to our rivers and the nearshore wetland system—this was very critical for almost every species, which at some life stage uses the more protected, sheltered environment,” she explained. “Now, access to rivers and wetlands is limited due to development on land, but also marinas and other hardened structures along the shore. The bottom line is that there’s a lot of habitat loss.”

As IISG’s coastal ecosystem and community resilience specialist, Glandon brings her rich research history as a marine biologist to studying how geological processes influence the ecology of the lake’s nearshore waters. She is involved in several research projects to quantify aquatic life, including one funded by IISG before Glandon joined the program.

Despite the fact that Peterson is located in Indiana and Glandon in Illinois, they are not dividing their coastal resilience work geographically, but rather are leaning into their strengths.

“Hillary will have more direct interaction with research—she’s already doing a lot of great work up in Illinois Beach State Park.” said Peterson. “My role will be more focused on connecting with people on the ground at a community level. Together, we’ll be pulling relevant information and communicating it to the relevant audiences in the region.”

Peterson has been interviewing representatives from coastal communities, government agencies, and local groups to understand their needs and perspectives and how IISG can be a better resource when it comes to coastal resilience. The specialists are also connecting with other scientists.

They are compiling resources and have begun to develop new ones, including a video series that illustrates natural coastal processes and how structures along the shore can change these processes. Peterson and Glandon are also hoping to bring some newer approaches to communities looking for solutions.

“I think it’s fairly well understood that we need to stop hardening our shorelines,” said Glandon. “It’s not very useful for people to only hear that because they don’t know what else they should do. We’re trying to leverage research in a way that can provide actions for these communities.”

One approach is to implement nature-based solutions, which enhance, integrate, or mimic natural features for coastal protection and habitat restoration. To help introduce this idea, the specialists are developing an educational video that will explain the scope of nature-based solutions in Lake Michigan.

“For example, along the Illinois shore at Fort Sheridan, submerged structures have been installed. These rock piles mimic natural rocky reefs and act as a natural habitat for aquatic species, but also dampen some of the incoming wave energy,” said Peterson. “Also, the structures are below the water’s surface, so they don’t take away from the scenic views of these sites.”

One of Glandon’s research projects is to assess the effectiveness of the Fort Sheridan structures and the impact on species diversity and abundance. She will also be part of a study to evaluate the effects of 27 new breakwaters at Illinois Beach State Park.

“Because these breakwaters are parallel to the shore, which allows for sand transport, and the project includes beach nourishment and habitat enhancement features, it can be considered a nature-based solution,” she said.

In terms of other new opportunities, IISG is working with the Webcam Coastal Observation System and the Great Lakes Observing System to install cameras on at least one beach in the region that will monitor coastal processes and changes and may be useful as a resource for community groups, researchers, and outreach specialists.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for our 2026 Graduate Scholars Program.

The scholars program is designed to build a community of researchers and outreach professionals focused on solving critical Lake Michigan issues. Beyond financial support, the program introduces scholars to the people and organizations most affected by these issues, helping students amplify the real-world impact of their research.

IISG expects to support 6−10 graduate student scholars in 2026. Applicants may request up to $10,000 to support research expenses, stipends and travel. Applications are due by April 9, 2026.

Take note: Like many federally funded programs, IISG is currently experiencing unpredictable delays in funding. While we look forward to selecting a strong cohort, there may be a delay between selection and funding availability. Consequently, we strongly recommend that applicants have at least three semesters remaining in their program to ensure sufficient time to participate once funds are released.

Read the full request for applications for more information.  

In November, at the University of Illinois Extension Annual Conference, Eliana Brown, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant stormwater specialist, won an Individual Extension Excellence Award. Through her leadership and innovation, she has expanded Extension’s statewide stormwater and water quality education and community engagement. Brown spearheaded the Red Oak Rain Garden renovation and, through projects such as Illinois Groundwork, Rain Garden Rumble, and a new green infrastructure curriculum, she has reached tens of thousands and obtained nearly $300,000 in new grants.

The Red Oak Rain Garden, the first rain garden on the University of Illinois campus, was established in 2006, but a decade or so later, neglect and time had all but erased the efforts of the previous decade. Less than 10% of the original plants survived, and bare patches exposed tattered landscape fabric. The rain garden still soaked up excess rainfall, but when larger storms hit, sidewalks started to flood again.

Initiated by Brown’s focus and determination, the rain garden was renovated and expanded to improve both its aesthetics and functionality. The 12,000-square-foot garden now has more than 10,000 plants, representing dozens of species. It also serves as a demonstration site for landscape architecture, engineering and other university classes. Brown pioneered a stewardship model that combines community and student volunteers along with the campus Department of Facilities & Services Grounds. The garden is supported through a variety of funding sources and has partnerships with Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists.

Brown’s related green infrastructure education efforts include Illinois Groundwork, a one-stop shop for local decision makers and others who are interested in addressing stormwater problems through rain gardens and related options, and Illinois’ participation in the Rainscaping Education Program, which she leads. Coming soon is a new curriculum for green infrastructure maintenance training.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) announces its intent to support four new two-year research projects in 2026. These projects are in addition to six one-year IISG Graduate Student Scholar grants that began earlier in 2025. Altogether, these awards add up to $853,000 of support over the next two years.

The two-year projects include a study led by a Purdue University plant ecologist Insu Jo, who will assess the presence of heavy metals from local industry in sand dunes along the Indiana shoreline and the impact of these contaminants on plant communities.

Two more pollution studies will be led by civil engineer Marcelo Garcia at the University of Illinois and Andres Prada, a Prairie Research Institute environmental engineer, each of whom will explore the effects of rubber particles from tires and other road pollutants that are picked up by stormwater runoff and then flow into aquatic systems in the southern Lake Michigan region. As car tires age, microscopic particles detach during the course of normal driving.

Finally, a study led by Carena van Riper, an Illinois social scientist, will seek to understand why anglers value certain fishing locations—this research will help inform fisheries management agencies as they work to encourage interest in fishing in urban areas.

The IISG Scholars Program is an opportunity for graduate students in the two states to apply for funding that helps extend their doctoral research and provides professional development training and resources.

“The grad student scholars program allows us to fund cutting-edge research while training the next generation of Great Lakes scientists,” said Stuart Carlton, IISG director. “This year’s projects will address key issues affecting the region, ranging from coastal resilience to land use.”

On the subject of coastal resilience, Wei Wu at Purdue will use AI to create models of southern Lake Michigan communities to assess how they respond to extreme weather events or seasonal transitions. In particular, Wu is focused on areas affected by shoreline erosion, dune morphology, stormwater runoff and vulnerable infrastructure.

Another Purdue grad student, Tianle Duan will use models and real-world road use data to develop a near-real-time system for flood inundation mapping as well as flood depth estimates in the heavily trafficked southern Lake Michigan region. This will allow for timely assessments of community transportation network disruptions during flood events.

Two Illinois grad students’ research is focused on nutrient pollution. Yuanxin Song will explore nutrient pollution dynamics across the Lake Michigan basin, identifying pollution hot spots and modeling management scenarios to reduce nutrient loads. Similarly, Qianyu Zhao will use advanced modeling technology to develop an understanding of Lake Michigan nutrients, specifically focused on timing and locations, disentangled from the impact of human actions and weather.

Finally, two atypical Sea Grant projects will take place at Purdue. Dohyung Bang will examine how short-term rental platforms, such as Airbnb or VRBO, affect housing values, rental prices and other economic factors in communities around Lake Michigan. This project will offer recommendations for balancing the economic benefits of short-term rentals with long-term housing needs as well as the social sustainability of local communities.

And, in the category of cutting-edge research, Diana Narvaez will create a prototype of a new type of lake wave energy harvester, ultimately aiming to use this technology to collect aquatic energy that can power electronics in freshwater environments.

For more information about IISG research, visit our website at iiseagrant.org/research/research-projects.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) is in the midst of its 30th year of dedicated outreach to address the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) in Great Lakes waters.

Over time, the basics of doing this work have stayed the same: relying on the latest scientific knowledge, connecting with people on the ground who can make a difference, and training other professionals to help spread the word.

On the other hand, over the past few decades, the AIS outreach team has evolved in how it frames the story of the spread of AIS to better reach audiences with needed information.

In the late 1990s, in terms of outreach, the spotlight was on zebra mussels that had quickly spread throughout the lakes, taking a toll on the food webs. Soon, attention grew to focus on more species such as round gobies, invasive carp and several aquatic plants—as the threats grew. While these efforts met with success, the AIS team decided to shift gears— to be proactive instead of reactive.

“Instead of highlighting the latest invader as they came to light, we directed our efforts to focus on the pathways through which these species are introduced and spread,” said Pat Charlebois, who led IISG’s AIS team for years and is now the program’s assistant director.

This approach allows for more direct targeting of information to specific audiences to take action to prevent the introduction of new species as well as the further spread of an invader via a given pathway. For example, boaters and anglers learn to clean their boats to remove organisms after leaving a waterbody, water gardeners learn to focus on using native plants, and aquarium hobbyists learn to look for alternatives to releasing unwanted organisms into local waters.

Be A Hero

In 2013, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the AIS team unveiled a new campaign— Be A Hero—that became the state’s official AIS outreach messaging for both aquatic and terrestrial environments. The campaign also included two tracks to address different pathways and reach different audiences.

Be A Hero, Transport Zero, the message for boaters and anglers, kicked off the campaign with a targeted media blitz on several radio and TV shows focused on fishing, as well as a broader approach through social media and online advertising. Since then, the message has been displayed on state and university vehicles, in fishing guides, at boat launches and marinas, and even a banner flown from an airplane over a holiday beach crowd in Chicago. Much of the work of relaying the information has also taken place one-on-one at boat shows, boat launches, and outdoor events.

The result of IISG’s outreach efforts is that boaters in Illinois recognized the Be A Hero, Transport Zero name and messaging at similar levels as they did the longstanding, national campaign Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers, according to a Wisconsin Sea Grant 2022 survey.

Be A Hero, Release Zero was created to reach water gardeners, aquarium hobbyists, teachers, and others who might consider taking unwanted organisms to nearby streams or ponds to set them free. For both Be A Hero campaigns, the AIS team used social science expertise and tools, including needs assessments, surveys, and focus groups, to understand the mindset and motivations of specific audiences and to develop outreach products that incorporate that framing while providing better alternatives to release.

“We are working towards having an open, two-way communication with our audiences,” said Katie O’Reilly, who now leads IISG’s AIS team. “If we are trying to change behaviors, individuals have to actually be engaged and care, rather than just be told what they should do. And it’s important for us to know things that are of concern to them.”

IISG’s Katie O’Reilly and Natalia Szklaruk share AIS information with visitors and the 2025 Rusty Rodeo, an annual event focused on invasive crayfish.

Invasive Crayfish Collaborative

Being proactive can also include filling knowledge gaps to better help resource managers to take action regarding invasive species. And, bringing experts and other stakeholders together to pool information, share ideas, and work together to address the threat.

In 2017, the AIS team led the development of the Invasive Crayfish Collaborative (ICC) to improve management and outreach capabilities to direct attention at this group of invertebrates. Several crayfish species, including the rusty crayfish, are already in the Great Lakes, but many others have not been introduced to these waters.

Today, the ICC has over 150 members that represent government agencies, universities, non-profit organizations, law enforcement, and other entities.

“We are continually adding new people,” said Natalia Szklaruk, IISG’s AIS educator. “We are now recruiting other stakeholders, like teachers, retailers, and outreach practitioners.” This is part of an effort to work through the pathways that crayfish are spread, mainly through the pet trade, via classrooms, and from the culinary world.

As an example, recently the AIS team introduced a new curriculum for Great Lakes educators that provides hands-on activities for students to learn about crayfish and their possible impact on local waters, but the lessons can raise awareness with educators, too.

The collaborative also supported a Purdue University graduate student who focused on educational and culinary settings, assessing the risk of crayfish being released into local waters. In general, with regards to research, the goal of the ICC is to provide a network for scientists to learn from each other about available research and potential knowledge gaps.

New cleaning stations offer an easy, quick way for boaters to wash away any potential hitchhiking AIS.

New Audiences, New Ideas

The team continues to look for new ways to increase the effectiveness of its efforts on the ground. In 2024, IISG organized a hands-on AIS workshop for 150 Illinois conservation police officers who had gathered for their annual meeting. The officers learned about the potential impacts of AIS and how to identify several species of invasive fish, crayfish, and aquatic plants.

“The officers are on the ground enforcing the rules, writing tickets, doing the legwork to stop people from spreading AIS,” said O’Reilly. “They’re our first line of defense in a lot of cases, so by giving them knowledge and resources, we hope if they see something in the field, they know what their next step can be or who to contact to confirm identification.”

This past summer, new cleaning stations opened for business in the Chain O’Lakes State Park and North Point Marina at Winthrop Harbor. As recreationists bring their boats out of these waters, they can easily stop and wash them at these new stations before towing their boats home and on another day, potentially recreating in other water bodies.

Finally, it pays to think outside the box once in a while, and the AIS team is game. A new project combines art and science to present information using a very different approach.

“Through performance art, animation, and other art forms, we are looking to bring new voices into the discussion of preventing the spread of invasive species,” said Greg Hitzroth, IISG’s AIS outreach specialist.

The 2025 issue of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s magazine, The Helm, is now available. This annual publication is a collection of program research, outreach and education success stories, as well as ongoing activities to address coastal concerns. This issue covers this year’s Shipboard Science Immersion that took place on Lake Michigan, our long-standing team engaged in AIS prevention outreach, our new specialists diving into coastal resilience issues, and past and present program leadership.

Here are some headlines from this issue:

• Educators engage with Great Lakes scientists aboard the Lake Guardian
• IISG looks back on 30 years of AIS outreach
• Coastal communities face challenges in managing beach sand and structures
• Stuart Carlton is the new IISG director
• Tomas Hook reflects on his Sea Grant legacy