“The Nature Conservancy said a team of researchers from the University of Notre Dame, Central Michigan University and its own organization found evidence of DNA of Eurasian ruffe in Calumet Harbor, south of Chicago.Two positive samples from the harbor were collected on July 8. The harbor is at the mouth of the Chicago-area waterway system. Environmental DNA is a surveillance tool that can be used to monitor the genetic presence of aquatic species.The waterway system is part of an engineered canal that provides an artificial link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River basin and has been infiltrated with invasive Asian carp from the Mississippi for years.That same system has the potential to introduce Eurasian ruffe in the Mississippi, according to the Nature Conservancy. The group said the genetic findings underscore the need for a permanent barrier to block species from moving between the Great Lakes and Mississippi systems.”
Recent News
- Tomas Höök signing off as Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant director this summer
- Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant welcomes Stuart Carlton as the program’s new director
- Four Illinois and Indiana educators will set sail on Lake Michigan aboard EPA’s research ship
- Join IISG as a new pollution prevention outreach assistant
- Beach season means it’s time for lifesaving Lake Michigan water safety resources
IISG Instagram
Shipboard Science Immersion educators are diving into scientific sampling alongside Dr. Paris Collingsworth, processing samples from Green Bay to study how larval fish and zooplankton communities shift from nearshore to offshore in Lake Michigan.
Back in the lab, with @purduefnr graduate student Anna Hill, the educators are sorting benthic samples, identifying the organisms collected. The relatively large quagga mussels are easy to spot!
@epa_greatlakes @nyseagraa2966 @miseagrant @ohioseagrant @uwiscseagrant @paseagrant @ilextension @noaaeducation @seagrant_noaa
#greatlakes #lakemichigan

Shipboard Science Immersion educators stepped off the ship and onto beautiful Beaver Island for a hands-on day at @cmichbiology Biological Field Station, hosted by the amazing Dr. Kevin Pangle!
From seining for fish and towing a plankton net to testing water quality with a multiparameter sonde, educators practiced aquatic science techniques that can translate to shoreside learning within their educational programming. The day wrapped with a scenic dune hike — science and nature at its best!
@epa_greatlakes @noaaeducation @seagrant_noaa

The Shipboard Science Immersion educators worked together to simulate sonar mapping and uncover the secrets of a mystery seabed, just like real underwater archaeologists!
This hands-on lesson mirrors the work of Dr. Ashley Lemke from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee who studies paleo landscapes below Lake Michigan by collecting sonar data from lakebeds. Experiences like these can be shared with youth to spark curiosity and connect them to real-world science in action.
#LakeMichigan #GreatLakes

15 educators from 7 Great Lakes states have boarded the R/V Lake Guardian for a week of science on Lake Michigan!
Day one was all about meeting fellow educators and the science team from the @epa_greatlakes, @uwmilwaukee, and @purduefnr, and getting shipboard safety training.
This hands-on program, supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, helps bring Great Lakes science into classrooms and builds educator-scientist partnerships.
Follow along as we explore water quality, food webs, and even underwater archaeology!
#GreatLakes #LakeMichigan
