Sea Grant Illinois-Indiana
The new issue of IISG’s newsletter The HELM is now available. This issue covers a number of pressing issues in the Great Lakes and southern Lake Michigan region, including Asian carp and water supply planning in suburban Chicago. Here are some headlines:
• Lake Zurich dips into water supply planning
• Asian carp summit fosters networking, new programs
• Seed grant funding helps projects bloom
• New ‘Clean Boats, Clean Waters’ looking for volunteers
Meet IISG grad student scholar, Wei Wu! Wei is a Ph.D. student at Purdue University focused on building AI-powered tools for coastal resilience. His research interests are combining drone sensing, 3D modeling, and immersive visualization to make environmental change more visible and measurable. Through IISG-supported research, he is advancing innovative approaches to monitor and strengthen communities along Southern Lake Michigan.
Full story at the link in bio.
Interested in becoming an IISG grad student scholar? Learn more: https://iiseagrant.org/its-time-to-apply-for-the-2026-iisg-graduate-scholars-program/
Don’t miss out! Join us for a deep dive into the latest Lake Michigan fisheries science.
Topics will include:
-Reef restoration impacts on aquatic and fish species
-Wild reproduction rates for salmon and trout species from the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program
-Fisheries update from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Learn more & register at the link in bio.
With spring around the corner, are you curious how this year’s ice cover on Lake Michigan compares to past years? @noaa.glerl has got you covered with the data. Then you can borrow our Great Lakes Basin floor map to help students visualize the data.
View the data: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/ice/
Request to borrow the map: https://iiseagrant.org/education/loanable-kits/
#TeachingTuesday
#GreatLakes
Satellite Photo: February 12, 2023, MODIS satellite imagery indicates below-average ice cover on the Great Lakes for this time of year. (Credit: NOAA GLERL / NOAA Great Lakes CoastWatch Node)
Since January, we’ve been busy helping students and educators dive deeper into hands‑on science! This winter, our team supported community engagement at the Step N2 STEM event, the Annual HASTI Conference, at Decatur Classical School, and at the Chicago River Student Congress.
Educators and students joined us to:
🔍 Explored macroinvertebrates up close
🌊 Learned about watersheds through an interactive game
🔬 Investigated plankton under a microscope
🦠 Engineered and raced plankton in the Great Plankton Race
#TeachingTuesday
