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The Illinois Water Resources Center (IWRC) and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) are pleased to be among the group of researchers and outreach professional to receive the 2016 Team Award for Excellence from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Science. The award recognizes the team’s ongoing collaboration on the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy.

“We are proud to have facilitated the development of the most comprehensive and collaborative approach to nutrient loss reduction in the state’s history,” said Brian Miller, IWRC and IISG director and one of six staff members named in the award. “We look forward to working with the University of Illinois team, state agencies and other stakeholders to ensure strategy goals are met in the coming years.

Award winners also include University of Illinois Extension Director George Czapar as well as researchers from the departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and Agricultural and Consumer Economics who led a scientific assessment of current nutrient loads and cost-effective reduction strategies.

Released in 2015, Illinois’ strategy is a blueprint for improving water quality at home and in the Gulf of Mexico by reducing nitrogen and phosphorus losses from farm fields, city streets, and wastewater treatment plants. It’s suite of voluntary and mandatory practices are expected to ultimately cut nutrient loading to rivers and streams by 45 percent.

The plan was developed by a working group facilitated by IWRC and IISG for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Illinois Department of Agriculture. Group members included representatives from state agencies, agriculture, non-profit organizations and sanitation districts.

 

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Looking for a fun way to teach about marine debris? Check out Me and Debry, which is a whimsical, 30‑minute, audience‑participation play created for @UWiscSeaGrant. It helps students explore what marine debris is, why it matters, and how we can make a difference in the Great Lakes.The full script (English) and participation scripts (English, Spanish, and Hmong) are free to use, along with marketing materials for performances.Bring learning to life and start a conversation about litter in our waters!Check it out at the link in bio.#TeachingTuesday
Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:- Natural processes in the Great Lakes- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approachesFind our two new video series at the link in bio.
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.