Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant has just announced more than $300,000 in funding awards for three research projects taking place over the next two years. These projects seek to improve understanding of the Lake Michigan nearshore food web, uncover connections between sediment removal projects and a community’s ability to weather environmental hazards, and identify why people adopt stormwater management practices.  
 
“We are very pleased to continue our support of outstanding research projects on topics with real significance for the region,” said Tomas Hook, IISG associate director for research. “These projects address some of the biggest concerns facing the Great Lakes and their results will help policy makers and natural resource managers preserve Lake Michigan habitats and strengthen lakeside communities.” 
 
IISG is continuing to fund projects focused on Lake Michigan nearshore food webs with a study examining the importance of wetlands in the lives of sport fishes like yellow perch, walleye, and largemouth and smallmouth bass. Gary Lamberti from the University of Notre Dame will use location monitoring data and tissue samples from fish across the lake to pinpoint the types of wetlands species rely on the most for food and shelter. The results will help natural resource managers target protection and restoration efforts on areas critical to the overall health of the lake. Lamberti will work with Patrick Forsythe from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay as part of a larger project with Wisconsin Sea Grant
 
A community’s vulnerability to environmental hazards depends on a lot of factors—things like average incomes, education levels, hazard awareness, and public engagement. Bethany Cutts and Andrew Greenlee from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will investigate how these factors change when a community becomes involved in sediment removal projects. Using towns in the Lincoln Park-Milwaukee Estuary and Grand Calumet Areas of Concern as models, Cutts and Greenlee will develop tools urban policy makers can use to identify the best ways to help communities prepare for and recover from hazards such as pollution, natural disasters, and changing weather patterns. 
 
Linda Prokopy and Nicholas Babin will use Sea Grant funding to better understand what motivates landowners to adopt and continue practices that reduce stormwater runoff, such as using rain barrels to catch runoff from roofs or building rain gardens to absorb water and filter out pollutants. Stormwater runoff is one of the biggest culprits in lake and river pollution, and community-wide adoption of best management practices is key to protecting water quality. Armed with their findings, the Purdue University researchers will team up with the non-profit organization Save the Dunes to improve stormwater outreach and education efforts in northwestern Indiana. 
 
Visit the IISG research page to learn about past research projects and their results.

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Join us for a seminar on the latest fish biology, ecology, and fisheries science happening in Lake Michigan. Speaker will include: -Anna Hill (Purdue) with an update on alewife diet and growth rates in Lake Michigan-Charlie Roswell (INHS) with an update on Lake Michigan and Calumet River smallmouth bass movement-Dan Makauska (IL DNR) with an update from the Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesLearn more and register at the link in bio.
Calling all 6-12th grade educators! Only 5 days left to register! Join us for a FREE hands-on workshop exploring the lessons of the new Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems Curriculum at the Dunes Learning Center on April 15.Get your feet wet (literally!) with crayfish sampling on the Little Calumet River, learn from an expert aquatic ecologist, and master GIS technology to log scientific data. Participants should come prepared for outdoor learning and bring a laptop for classroom activities. The workshop is open to formal and non-formal educators, with a registration deadline of April 1. Space is limited, so register today at the link in bio.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant welcomes Hillary Glandon, the program’s new coastal ecosystem and community resilience specialist, to the team! Hillary will work to assess coastal change and provide actionable solutions for communities along the Great Lakes shorelines. Her position at IISG is in partnership with @inhsillinois in the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute. Full story at the link in bio.
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