From the New York Times:

Thomas Simon remembers the day he found a carp in the Grand Calumet River in 1985, barely alive, bloody and with no fins. “It looked like someone had beaten it up,” said Mr. Simon, a biologist who studied the river for 26 years.

Yet state officials were thrilled, because it was the first fish found in years in the northwest Indiana river that is widely considered the nation’s most toxic waterway.

A quarter century later, fish are more plentiful and look healthy. But state and federal agencies say they are still unsafe to eat, their flesh laced with toxins from sediment poisoned by decades of dumping from nearby steel mills, chemical plants, meatpacking operations and other industries. Read more.

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Summer on Lake Michigan is the best, and a little prep makes it even better. 🌊☀️Dangerous currents near piers and breakwalls surprise even strong swimmers. Here's what to know:✅ Swim in designated areas↔️ Caught in a current? Swim to the side — not against it — then to shore🆘 In danger? Call for a life ringSave this post and share it with your swim crew. 👇More Lake Michigan safety resources: link in bio 🔗
Got a research idea worth a bigger room? The 2026 State of Lake Michigan Meeting is accepting proposals for symposia and workshops, and we want to hear yours!📅 Nov. 4–6 | Michigan City, IN⏰ Proposals due June 1 at 1 PM ETHelp shape what the Great Lakes research community discusses this year.🔗 Submit at the link in bio.
To every educator who has brought the Great Lakes into their classroom, thank you. 🍎Your curiosity is contagious. Your lessons last. And the students who learn to love these waters? They’ll protect them.Happy Teacher Appreciation Week from all of us at IISG.