new "Teach Me About the Great Lakes" podcast episode announcement

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s Dr. Stuart Carlton has started a new monthly podcast called “Teach Me About the Great Lakes.” The purpose of the podcast is to help Carlton—a social scientist who grew up in the South near the Gulf of Mexico—learn about the biology, ecology and natural history of the Great Lakes.

“In my two years at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, I’ve learned a lot about what makes the Great Lakes special, but there’s so much to know,” said Carlton. “This podcast gives me a chance to harness the knowledge of IISG specialists and the many scientists and other fascinating people in the region to help me better understand this amazing resource.”

A new episode of Teach Me About the Great Lakes will be released on the first Monday of each month. The first episode, “They’re Also Called Nurdles,” is embedded below. Carlton and co-host Hope Charters talk with special guests Carolyn Foley and Sarah Zack about microplastics. What are they? How do they affect fish and people? What can we do to help prevent adding more microplastics to our waters? Find out what researchers know so far about this contaminant.

Love this episode and want to hear more in the future? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

If you have questions you want answered about the Great Lakes, reach out to @TeachGreatLakes on Twitter or contact Stuart Carlton.


Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a part of University of Illinois Extension and Purdue Extension.

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Real-time coastlines, real-world insights. Check out the LIVE feed of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes State Park Beach – supporting recreationalists, researchers, and the broader public at the link in bio.This work is in partnership between Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (@secoora_org), the Great Lakes Observing System (@greatlakesobservingsystem), Indiana Dunes State Park (@indianadunessp), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (@indianadnr), and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant with support from Surfline (@surfline).Check out IISG’s website for more information on this collaborative project at the link in bio. Also featured on Seagull and Indiana Coastal Atlas.Purdue Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Illinois ExtensionSouthern Lake Michigan Water Safety Task ForceUS National Weather Service Chicago IllinoisSave the DunesShirley Heinze Land TrustIndiana Dunes National ParkIndiana DunesFriends of Indiana Dunes, Inc.
Science Sips is a series hosted by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Sketchbook Brewing Company, and Northwestern University’s Center for Water that brings together researchers, scientists, and curious minds over good conversation and cold drinks. Each event features experts sharing their work in an accessible, informal setting. No lab coat required.At this gathering, Chicago author Dick Lanyon will take us back in time with a look at the history behind the construction of the Calumet and Chicago waterways and how these feats of engineering shape the region we live in today. Austin Happel from Shedd Aquarium will also share the latest research on fish communities in the Chicago River, including what the science is telling us right now about the health of this urban waterway.Stick around to test your Great Lakes knowledge with a round of trivia!Details at the link in bio.