In the News: Kristin TePas explores crucial role of teachers in testing Great Lakes water quality aboard EPA ship

Posted September 6th, 2023 in Education, Featured, Great Lakes Cleanup, K-12 Education, News
screen capture of Kristin TePas speaking in clip from Rochester, New York's Spectrum News

This summer, Lake Ontario was the site of an exciting experience for 15 teachers who spent a week on board an Environmental Protection Agency ship, testing water quality on the lake. Research that took place during this voyage may play an important role in the future health of not just Lake Ontario, but all the Great Lakes.

The Lake Guardian is a science ship owned by the EPA. Teachers from around the Great Lakes spent a week on board the research ship, taking water samples and collecting data.

During the Shipboard Science Workshop, teachers spent one week on the EPA research vessel, which goes out every spring and summer and does sampling across all five Great Lakes. One lake is featured every five years, on a rotating basis.

Image of EPA's Lake Guardian ship.

“I mean, they’re all interconnected,” said Kristin TePas, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Great Lakes outreach specialist. “It’s one big ecosystem.“

Data collected during the weeklong voyage will help determine policy, and could help scientists pinpoint at solve problems with water quality and issues like toxic algae blooms. 

“I’ve heard from teachers that it’s like Space Camp for aquatic science teachers,” said TePas.

The research serves other purposes, too. Teachers will take what they learned and experienced on the ship back to their respective classrooms.

Read the full story on the Spectrum News 1 website.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.

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We are excited to offer the opportunity to propose a speaker or panel session during the 2026 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference April 28-29. The conference will feature traditional 15-minute presentations and a poster session on the latest in emerging contaminant research, policies, and outreach in the soil, water, and air.

The deadline to propose a session is June 16, 2025.

Learn more at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17944730567859300
We are excited to offer the opportunity to propose a speaker or panel session during the 2026 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference April 28-29. The conference will feature traditional 15-minute presentations and a poster session on the latest in emerging contaminant research, policies, and outreach in the soil, water, and air.The deadline to propose a session is June 16, 2025.Learn more at the link in bio.

A recent @seagrant_noaa publication, Aquaculture Regulation in the Great Lakes, serves as a valuable resource for fish farmers & policymakers in the region in navigating the complex legal environment of aquaculture.

The report breaks down complex legal framework and provides practical insights to help aquaculture producers understand and navigate state and regional requirements with greater confidence.

It was developed by the National Sea Grant Law Center in partnership with @mnseagrant-led Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative (GLAC) which formed to support aquaculture in the eight Sea Grant programs that border the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.

Read more and access the report at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17979639236829390
A recent @seagrant_noaa publication, Aquaculture Regulation in the Great Lakes, serves as a valuable resource for fish farmers & policymakers in the region in navigating the complex legal environment of aquaculture.The report breaks down complex legal framework and provides practical insights to help aquaculture producers understand and navigate state and regional requirements with greater confidence.It was developed by the National Sea Grant Law Center in partnership with @mnseagrant-led Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative (GLAC) which formed to support aquaculture in the eight Sea Grant programs that border the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. Read more and access the report at the link in bio.

Our new aquaponics curriculum is here! Designed for 9-12th grade classrooms with operating aquaponics systems, this curriculum, created by educators for educators, teaches STEM concepts through the lens of aquaponics, aligning with NGSS and Great Lakes Literacy Principles. Learn more via the link in bio.

@seagrant_noaa
@ilextension
@purduefnr
@noaaeducation
@environmental_ed_of_il
@eeaindiana

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18505536562052343
Our new aquaponics curriculum is here! Designed for 9-12th grade classrooms with operating aquaponics systems, this curriculum, created by educators for educators, teaches STEM concepts through the lens of aquaponics, aligning with NGSS and Great Lakes Literacy Principles. Learn more via the link in bio. @seagrant_noaa@ilextension@purduefnr@noaaeducation@environmental_ed_of_il@eeaindiana

Congress is finalizing the FY26 budget, and federal funding for Sea Grant programs across the country—including Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant—is uncertain. Sea Grant programs have consistently had broad community and political support, and now such support is more important than ever.

Add your name to our sign-on letter urging Congress to support continuation of programs benefiting the Great Lakes, supporting local economies, and connecting communities with science-backed solutions.


Scan the QR code or visit the link in bio to take action.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18028430444427675
Congress is finalizing the FY26 budget, and federal funding for Sea Grant programs across the country—including Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant—is uncertain. Sea Grant programs have consistently had broad community and political support, and now such support is more important than ever.Add your name to our sign-on letter urging Congress to support continuation of programs benefiting the Great Lakes, supporting local economies, and connecting communities with science-backed solutions.Scan the QR code or visit the link in bio to take action.
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