For over 35 years, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) has been working to foster a healthy environment and economy in the southern Lake Michigan region. We have a long record of leading research, outreach, and education in areas such as aquatic invasive species and pollution prevention. We have developed decision tools for communities and their residents, helped communities adopt green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff, and have helped bring the Great Lakes to students.

We did this work with the support and collaboration of our partners. IISG is administratively housed in and shares positions with University of Illinois Extension, Purdue Extension, and the Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. We share positions with the University of Illinois Prairie Research Institute, Midwest Regional Climate Center, Illinois Water Resources Center, and Purdue University Northwest.

The U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office provides support, with assistance from the U.S. Geological Survey, for our specialists and educators who help bring EPA science to the public. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Chicago Botanic Garden, McHenry County Extension, and Loyola University Chicago provide office space and administrative support for our specialists as well. Our successes would not be possible without these and many other partners.

In recent years, our impacts include supporting quagga mussel research that led to a $1 million in new federal funding, informing water supply planning in the greater Chicago region, and supporting medicine collection programs as they reach a significant milestone.

We look forward to carrying on with our long-term projects addressing critical coastal issues. As IISG moves forward with new faces and ideas, we are poised to tackle emerging issues and opportunities in the region.

Tomas Höök
Director, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

 


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

IISG Instagram

Looking for a fun way to teach about marine debris? Check out Me and Debry, which is a whimsical, 30‑minute, audience‑participation play created for @UWiscSeaGrant. It helps students explore what marine debris is, why it matters, and how we can make a difference in the Great Lakes.The full script (English) and participation scripts (English, Spanish, and Hmong) are free to use, along with marketing materials for performances.Bring learning to life and start a conversation about litter in our waters!Check it out at the link in bio.#TeachingTuesday
Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:- Natural processes in the Great Lakes- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approachesFind our two new video series at the link in bio.
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.