Wisconsin Sea Grant

R/V Lake Guardian Shipboard Science Immersion - Center For Great Lakes Literacy The Shipboard Science Immersion brings educators aboard the EPA R/V Lake Guardian to work alongside Great Lakes scientists for a week.

Educators, apps for the Shipboard Science Immersion are due Feb. 28! Still on the fence? Take a kook at what last year's cohort did: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/acdcf911ab5c40b7b3088015b0ed6983

Register: https://cgll.org/signature-program/r-v-lake-guardian-shipboard-science-immersion/

Education works: Boaters who know the ‘Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!’ rules are doing their part to stop AIS The study found that boaters who were more aware of Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! and Clean Drain Dry brands removed plants from their boats more often than those who weren't aware.

It's National Invasive Species Awareness Week, and we've got good news. A new study from WISG's Tim Campbell shows that boater education programs really work!

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/education-works-boaters-who-know-the-stop-aquatic-hitchhikers-rules-are-doing-their-part-to-stop-ais/

People talk and discuss around a table

Folks in Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, and Iron counties: Applications for the Enduring Lake Superior Communities Program are now open!

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/lake-superior-community-leaders-work-together-on-coastal-resilience-projects-funding-for-2026-projects-available/

Great Lakes, Great Read program announces 2026 book selections The three books delve into lighthouses, sturgeon, and shipwrecks of the Great Lakes.

Love books AND the #GreatLakes? 🩵 Join us for the 2026 Great Lakes, Great Read! The program just announced their book selections for the upcoming year. Think: shipwrecks, sturgeon, and...ship dogs!

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/great-lakes-great-read-program-announces-2026-book-selections/

New children’s book celebrates sturgeon conservation in Wisconsin “Saving our Sturgeon: Protecting Wisconsin’s Ancient Fish,” tells the story of how conservation efforts rescued the famous fish from extinction.

Sturgeon spearing season opens this weekend, and we've got a book for that!

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-childrens-book-celebrates-sturgeon-conservation-in-wisconsin/

Know Thy Fisherman: Mad Agriculture Journal Issue 14 Launch Party Join Mad Ag, Sitka Seafood, and Graze Madison for a Journal Issue 14 launch celebrating sourcing and stories from land to sea

Our fisheries specialist, @drfishsg.bsky.social , will be joining chef Tory Miller, MAD Agriculture, and Sitka Salmon to discuss sustainable fisheries on March 5 in Madison. Check it out! 🐟

www.eventbrite.com/e/know-thy-f...

Measuring the impact of PFAS on Wisconsin’s fish Researcher Tisha King-Heiden is studying how a new generation of PFAS affect sturgeon, walleye, and fathead minnows.

With #SeaGrant funding, Tisha King-Heiden is studying how #PFAS impact the nervous and immune systems of fish. But she's not just using common lab fish - she is focusing on Wisconsin fish like walleye and sturgeon. https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/measuring-the-impact-of-pfas-on-wisconsins-fish/

Book cover of 'Where Wolves Don't Die' by Anton Treuer featuring stylized bear and wolves in indigenous art style on a yellow background.

Join us on February 18 for the first Maadagindan - Start Reading book club meeting of the year! We'll be discussing Anton Treuer's coming-of-age novel, "Where Wolves Don't Die." Register for the event and check out future books:

https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/maadagindan/where-wolves-dont-die/

PFAS are turning up in the Great Lakes, putting fish and water supplies at risk – here’s how they get there Some of these ‘forever chemicals’ are toxic at very low levels. They can get into water systems and bioaccumulate in fish, ultimately posing risks to people.

How do #PFAS get into drinking water? Our director, Christy Remucal, describes how "forever chemicals" move around the #GreatLakes in The Conversation.

https://theconversation.com/pfas-are-turning-up-in-the-great-lakes-putting-fish-and-water-supplies-at-risk-heres-how-they-get-there-271489

A headshot of Samantha Helle, who has long brown hair and wears a black shirt

Congrats to Samantha Helle, Wisconsin Sea Grant's Knauss Fellow! Helle will join a cohort of early-career professionals in Washington D.C. to learn about policymaking related to marine, coastal, and Great Lakes issues.

https://seagrant.noaa.gov/sea-grant-announces-2025-2026-fellowship-selections/

Group of 20 people dressed in winter clothing posing together on a snowy path surrounded by tall pine trees.

Two people snowshoe along a path surrounded by tall trees

A stuffed fisher stands on its hind legs

Last week, ASC staff gathered in the bitter cold for our annual strategic planning meeting in northern Wisconsin. It was a good time to connect, plan for the upcoming year, and reunite with dear friend, The Fisher.

What happens after an eaglet comes down from the nest? On the ground, the Eagle Health team works carefully to collect blood samples that will reveal how contaminants move through the food web, and how they may affect immune health in bald eagles.
https://youtube.com/shorts/OIyxeth6h68?feature=share

The cover of the ASC Chronicle, which features a a researcher with blue latex gloves holding a brown baby eagle

A man in a blue shirt uses ropes and spurred boots to climb a cottonwood tree

Two researchers in white baseball hats with blue latex gloves take a blood sample from a baby eagle

Bird lovers, this one's for you. 🦅

The latest Chronicle profiles the work of the Great Lakes Eagle Health Project, which is investigating how PFAS impact the health of bald eagles. Learn how the team finds eagles, scales trees, and takes blood samples.

https://chronicle.aqua.wisc.edu/

Meet the tree climbers behind the Great Lakes Eagle Health Project. Watch what it takes to get that eagle-eye view 🦅.
https://youtube.com/shorts/iydZJwrl87s?feature=share

What can bald eagles tell us about “forever chemicals”? In our latest feature, follow the Great Lakes Eagle Health Project team as they study bald eagles as a sentinel species.
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/eagles/

Join us for Students Ask Scientists on January 14 Professor Ben Peterson will discuss how mercury becomes toxic in aquatic environments.

Teachers and students, join us on January 14 for another edition of Students Ask Scientists! Professor Ben Peterson will be talking about mercury and microbes in aquatic environments.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/join-us-for-students-ask-scientists-on-january-14/

Game: The Legend of the Lost Emerald: Searching for Shipwrecks in the Great Lakes Search for shipwrecks in the Great Lakes: Take a deep dive into maritime mysteries with your students in this point-and-click adventure game!

Teachers, looking for #GreatLakes lesson plans? The newly revamped Center for Great Lakes Literacy website has a library of FREE resources for you - like our shipwreck video game, The Legend of the Lost Emerald!

https://cgll.org/resource/game-lost-emerald-searching-for-greatlakes-shipwrecks/

Salt makes parking lots, roads, and sidewalks safer to traverse in winter -- but it can also affect lakes and rivers. How much should you use, and when?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct04luWoplM

Guts and glory: Thinking beyond the fillet The 100% Wisconsin Fish contest award winners proposed creative ways to use fish.

We asked what you would do with a pile of fish guts, and your answers did not disappoint! Read more about the winning ideas of the 100% Wisconsin Fish Contest.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/guts-and-glory-thinking-beyond-the-fillet/

Join us for Students Ask Scientists on January 14 Professor Ben Peterson will discuss how mercury becomes toxic in aquatic environments.

Join us on Jan. 14 for another edition of Students Ask Scientists! Ben Peterson of the UW–Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences will be talking about mercury, methylmercury, and microbes in aquatic environments.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/join-us-for-students-ask-scientists-on-january-14/

Early study results show landfill runoff in Wisconsin has high PFAS levels Early results of a new study show landfill runoff contained the highest levels of PFAS among liquid wastes sampled statewide in Wisconsin.

Our director, Christy Remucal, was featured in a recent WPR story about #PFAS in landfill runoff.
https://www.wpr.org/news/study-landfill-runoff-wisconsin-high-pfas-levels

Say, do you know what a seiche is? If you don't, Dr. Fish explains!

Alverno College students explore Great Lakes aquaculture They toured several aquaculture facilities and helped collect data on Atlantic salmon.

With the help of the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, Alverno College students got a crash course in #aquaculture this past summer.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/alverno-college-students-explore-great-lakes-aquaculture/

Join us Dec. 6 for #GreatLakes fun at Uncommon Pints!

Fisheries specialist Titus Seilheimer, emerging contaminants specialist Gavin Dehnert and Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center director Amy Workman will be discussing lakes, invasive species and PFAS.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1FinjbzNmV/

A hearty congratulations to the team behind "A Wilderness Act," who brought home awards from the Red Nation Sea International Film Festival AND the Equinox Mountain Film Festival. The doc features Sea Grant-funded research on fire and pine forests.

https://www.ishkode.org/a-wilderness-act

A hand peels off a sticker of a rainbow trout

Looking for a gift that's the right blend of fun, educational, and unique? Look no further than the Wisconsin Aquaculture Coloring and Sticker Activity Book! A great gift the fish-obsessed kid (or kid at heart!) in your life.

https://brand.wisc.edu/gift-guide/

#PFAS in maple syrup? Our emerging contaminants specialist, Gavin Dehnert, will be talking about his research at the Great Lakes PFAS Summit on December 2. https://egle.idloom.events/2025-PFAS-Summit

Catching the Research Bug | Freshwater Collaborative The Freshwater@UW Program for undergraduates helped Sam Krueger launch her research career and head to graduate school.

Sam Krueger wasn't sure about grad school, but then she caught the research bug at the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program. The program is now accepting applications for the summer.

https://freshwater.wisconsin.edu/freshwater-at-uw-krueger/

Vibrant collection of books on shelves for reading, research, and education.

UW–Madison students, are you interested in academic librarianship? The Wisconsin Water Library is #hiring a student assistant for next semester! Apply by Friday, November 21.

https://studentjobs.hr.wisc.edu/en-us/job/509715/wisconsin-water-library-library-assistant

A woman in a green dress holds up an award.

Our video producer, Bonnie Willison, won two Madison Media Pros WAVE awards last week, including judge's choice. The winning video chronicles a night spearfishing with the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin.

Congrats, Bonnie! 🏆

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NP-TEp4XCI