On October 16 and 17, 2018, nearly 60 scientists and managers met at a workshop in Milwaukee, WI to discuss research needs for Lake Michigan. The workshop, sponsored by the International Joint Commission through its Science Advisory Board Research Coordination Committee and organized by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, was part of the Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative (CSMI). The main purpose of the meeting was to kick off discussions about research priorities to be considered during the 2020 CSMI intensive field year on Lake Michigan. This document summarizes the meeting proceedings.

The role of the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) is to provide enhanced monitoring and research activities that provide relevant information to address the science priorities of the Lake Partnerships (established under the Lakewide Management Annex of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement) across the Laurentian Great Lakes. The Lake Michigan Partnership, a collaborative team of natural resource managers led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with participation from federal, state, tribal, and local governments or agencies, uses the information collected through CSMI to help develop long term ecosystem-based management strategies for protecting and restoring Lake Michigan’s water quality. On a practical level, CSMI is an intensive effort to collect information on the health of each lake, rotating to one Great Lake each year. In 2015, it was Lake Michigan’s turn. This is an executive summary of the 2015 research results and the associated white paper containing more specific information.

This session was one of the largest at the 60th annual IAGLR conference, with 18 oral presentations, 1 poster presentation, and 1 facilitated discussion period. The full list of abstracts (with author contact information) is included as Appendix 1. This session was well-attended throughout the day, with as many as 70 people attending the individual talks.

This extension publication intends to educate audiences on Lake Michigan ecosystem changes and their effect on target species such as salmon and trout. This may provide audiences with a better understanding on key management strategies (e.g., decreases in salmon stocking rates) used by state fisheries agencies. Additionally, an increased understanding of what salmon and trout are eating in Lake Michigan may help anglers better target these species, which may increase catch rates and overall enjoyment of fishing.

Purdue Extension Number: FNR-565

This fact sheet provides an overview of IISG’s work in 2017.

We use research, outreach, and education to bring the latest science to Great Lakes communities and their residents. Here is a quick summary of IISG impacts in the region.