URBANA – In the fight for holding the line on aquatic invasive species, it is crucial to make sure people are not accidentally transporting these organisms by not removing them from their boats. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership (NIIPP) have officially launched their “Clean Boats, Clean Waters” program, which aims to inform boaters of preventative measures.

“To quote Benjamin Franklin, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’” said Cathy McGlynn, the NIIPP coordinator. “And that definitely is the case with invasive species.”
Clean Boats, Clean Waters representatives will be at Hammond Marina on July 16-17, the East Chicago Marina on July 23-24, and the Illiana Yacht Club/Wolf Lake on July 30-31. During these times, McGlynn said they will quickly talk with boaters about the program, as well as give them a brochure and sticker that give tips on keeping boats and equipment clean. She added that the first outreach trip was done on July 2-3 at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor.

“The majority of the boaters were responsive, and a good number of them already take precautions, which is great,” McGlynn said, adding that they talked to more than 100 people each day.

Since this is the program’s pilot year in both Illinois and Indiana, it will only be in one county in each state for the first two years. However, NIIPP and IISG are hoping to partner with more organizations to make the program self-sustaining, as well as extend the program across more counties in the two states. This effort has been already implemented in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

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This season, let’s teach eco-friendly habits while spreading cheer! NOAA’s Greener Holiday Gift Guide is full of ideas to reduce waste and protect our precious water resources. Check out the full guide at the link in bio. #teachingtuesdayNOAA Marine Debris NOAA Education
The gales of November may come early, but, as usual, the nominations for the Lakies are right on time along with our official call for nominations! Brought to you by the Teach Me About the Great Lakes podcast, The Lakies (aka "quite possibly not the least prestigious Great Lakes-focused awards ceremony there is”) are back. Our goal isn't to be the Official Arbiters of Quality, but to host a fun celebration of amazing Great Lakes-related research, outreach, and communication in the inimitable Teach Me style.Nomination categories are:-Great Lakes Science Communication of the Year-Great Lakes Outreach Program of the Year-Great Lakes News Event of the Year-Great Lakes Research Finding of the Year-Coolest Thing You Learned Listening to TMATGL in 2025-Science Podcast of the Year (Non-TMATGL edition)-Great Lakes Animal of the Year-Great Lakes Non-Animal of the Year-Great Lakes Sandwich of the Year-Great Lakes Donut of the YearThe Details: -Deadline: Nominations close on December 4th.Process: It's easy (just enter the name/title and a link).-Self-Nominations: Highly encouraged. Don't be shy.We’d love to get a broad swath of work across both the serious and less-serious categories to celebrate. Feel free to pass the link on to interested people: https://bit.ly/Lakies25
Making Sense of Social Media: Presented by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant & Purdue Extension‌When: December 6, 2025, from 1 - 4:00 PM ESTWhere: RDM Shrimp, RDM Shrimp, 101 N 850 E, Fowler, IN 47944Registration Link in bio.‌Social media can be a great way to market your small business and products, but sometimes it might feel like you are casting a net again and again to find that your net is empty. After all, the point of using social media marketing is to connect with customers. By attending this workshop, you will:-Hear Research Findings-Participate in an Interactive Workshop Session-Learn Real World Application-Tour a Shrimp Farm-Network at the “After Hour Social”‌This program is supported by the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center and put on in partnership with the Indiana Aquaculture Association Inc, RDM Shrimp, and Ohio Sea Grant, The Ohio State University.‌For questions contact Amy Shambach by email (ashambac@purdue.edu) or phone (317-238-0511)
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