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Sea Grant programs receive funding to tackle dangerous currents

June 16th, 2014 by
It’s beach season once again in southern Lake Michigan, and the rip current warnings have already begun. 
 
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued at least one advisory since Illinois and Indiana beaches opened last month asking beach-goers to think twice before taking a dip in the lake. And for good reason. Rip currents and other dangerous currents are the biggest threat to Great Lakes swimmers. Roughly 140 people have drowned in the lakes over the last 12 years due at least in part to dangerous currents. And most of those incidents happened in Lake Michigan. 
 
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant hopes to bring these numbers down with a new outreach effort that will raise awareness about dangerous currents in the Great Lakes. The “Implementing Dangerous Currents Best Practices” project was recently awarded funding from the NOAA Coastal Storms Program
 
A collaborative effort Sea Grant programs in Michigan and Wisconsin, the project will include print and online resources—including educational videos—that introduce the science behind rip currents,  provide tips for avoiding them, and explain what to do if you or others are caught in one. Many of these resources will be available in both English and Spanish. 
 
Watch for further information on these outreach efforts and rip currents in the coming months. In the meantime, you can find tips for staying safe at the beach this summer at dangerouscurrents.org
 
“Implementing Dangerous Currents Best Practices” continues years of efforts by Great Lakes Sea Grant programs, NOAA, and NWS to reduce dangerous currents drownings across the region. To learn more about these efforts, visit Rip Current Safety.

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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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