Coastal Resilience
Climate change is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing society, threatening human lives as well as environments and economies. As the impacts of climate change worsen, humans will need to adapt. IISG helps communities, businesses and individuals prepare for the challenges of climate change, including understanding areas that are most vulnerable and how negative impacts associated with climatic changes might be mitigated.
Programs & Initiatives
Climate Change and Large Lake Environments
Yellow perch and alewife are ecologically, economically, and culturally important fish species in Lake Michigan whose populations support recreational and commercial fisheries. However, both of these species’ populations have been in decline for over 20 years. This project seeks to understand the factors affecting variability in offspring survival of yellow perch and alewife in Lake Michigan in order to project survival under scenarios of future climate change.
See MoreSouthern Lake Michigan Water Level Variability
Although Lake Michigan water levels can vary dramatically over time, recent high water levels have raised awareness of the impacts that fluctuating water levels can have on communities and individuals in the southern Lake Michigan region. This initiative focuses on improving communication about the effects of high, low, and variable water levels as well as ongoing efforts to increase our capacity to adapt to and become more resilient to these changes.
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Related News
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- Mapping the sand on Chicago beaches and in nearshore waters provides management insights
- Spelling out nature’s benefits helps inform land use decisions
- New research predicts potential flooding impacts on critical infrastructure
- Meet our Grad Student Scholars: Junyi Duan
Research Projects
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant funds original research projects that support and complement our education and outreach activities. The link below will take you the Climate Ready Communities section of our funded research database, where you will find project descriptions, contact information, and final reports and publications.
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