
A closer look at web tools and sites that boost research and empower Great Lakes communities to secure a healthy environment and economy.
Aquaculture plays an increasingly vital role in securing long-term food supplies, and the Midwest is poised to help. In fact, a rich supply of raw materials and proximity to large markets makes Illinois and Indiana prime locations for aquaculture farms and related industries.
To help producers cash in on these benefits, IISG, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue Extension teamed up to create Aquaculture Economics and Marketing Resources. The site provides leading research and how-to information for developing a productive, innovative, and profitable aquaculture business.
Visitors interested in starting a new business will find resources on everything from establishing an organizational structure to creating a business plan to securing financing. New and veteran producers can also find tips for connecting with consumers and tapping into niche markets.
Aquaculture Economics and Marketing Resources is one of several tools IISG uses to help aquaculture producers define markets and create value-added opportunities for their products. Since 2005, Kwamena Quagrainie has held roughly 40 workshops with over 1,200 participants. These and other efforts in Indiana resulted in about $15 million in farm sales of aquaculture products in 2013, a nearly five-fold increase over 2005.
To learn more about how aquaculture is strengthening Indiana’s economy, read our 2013 program impacts.
Shipboard Science Immersion educators are diving into scientific sampling alongside Dr. Paris Collingsworth, processing samples from Green Bay to study how larval fish and zooplankton communities shift from nearshore to offshore in Lake Michigan.
Back in the lab, with @purduefnr graduate student Anna Hill, the educators are sorting benthic samples, identifying the organisms collected. The relatively large quagga mussels are easy to spot!
@epa_greatlakes @nyseagraa2966 @miseagrant @ohioseagrant @uwiscseagrant @paseagrant @ilextension @noaaeducation @seagrant_noaa
#greatlakes #lakemichigan
Shipboard Science Immersion educators stepped off the ship and onto beautiful Beaver Island for a hands-on day at @cmichbiology Biological Field Station, hosted by the amazing Dr. Kevin Pangle!
From seining for fish and towing a plankton net to testing water quality with a multiparameter sonde, educators practiced aquatic science techniques that can translate to shoreside learning within their educational programming. The day wrapped with a scenic dune hike — science and nature at its best!
@epa_greatlakes @noaaeducation @seagrant_noaa
The Shipboard Science Immersion educators worked together to simulate sonar mapping and uncover the secrets of a mystery seabed, just like real underwater archaeologists!
This hands-on lesson mirrors the work of Dr. Ashley Lemke from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee who studies paleo landscapes below Lake Michigan by collecting sonar data from lakebeds. Experiences like these can be shared with youth to spark curiosity and connect them to real-world science in action.
#LakeMichigan #GreatLakes
15 educators from 7 Great Lakes states have boarded the R/V Lake Guardian for a week of science on Lake Michigan!
Day one was all about meeting fellow educators and the science team from the @epa_greatlakes, @uwmilwaukee, and @purduefnr, and getting shipboard safety training.
This hands-on program, supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, helps bring Great Lakes science into classrooms and builds educator-scientist partnerships.
Follow along as we explore water quality, food webs, and even underwater archaeology!
#GreatLakes #LakeMichigan