floating yellow buoy can be seen in water through a boat window

Data buoys, also known as weather buoys, are loved by boaters, swimmers, paddlers, fishermen and anyone who uses the water recreationally or for work. Knowing weather and wave conditions before going out on the water makes boating and other activities safer. Many people use our website and follow our Two Yellow Buoys on Twitter to get information on water and air temperature, wind speed and direction, wave height and more about southern Lake Michigan. While the buoys are out on the water, we host real-time data on our website for nearshore conditions off the coasts of Michigan City, Indiana, and Waukegan, Wilmette and Winthrop Harbor, Illinois.

Rich Armstrong of BoatUS Magazine highlighted these “weather watchdogs” and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s Jay Beugly—our buoy handler—in his article “Data Buoys: Sentinels of the Sea,” as part of the December 2019 issue.

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Some partnerships just make sense. Happy Valentine’s Day from IISG! 💕
This February marks a major milestone: 30 years of aquatic invasive species outreach by our team! To celebrate, IISG Director, Stuart Carlton, and Strategic Communication Coordinator, Renie Miles, sat down for a Sea Grant Chat with two key figures in IISG’s AIS 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. Dive into the full interview at the link in bio.
Introducing the Lake Michigan Explorer! Start exploring the varied factors that impact the Great Lakes with our Explorer Series. This searchable database of external resources can help you find hands-on activities that spark curiosity and inspire action. ✨ What’s inside?Lesson plans, fact sheets, and reading materialsEngaging videos and visualizationsEasy-to-use filters by grade level, topic, and time.Perfect for classrooms and informal learning, this resource empowers students to become stewards of the Great Lakes.🔗 in bio for more.