The Large Lakes Observatory is observing the Great Lakes to better understand threats to the world’s freshwater resources. Research teams are studying everything from climate change impacts on the lakes to nitrate build-ups.
And it’s not just the Great Lakes. With support from the National Science Foundation, the observatory’s scientists are studying the biology, chemistry, physics and geology of large lakes around the world.
The video below highlights some of their research in the Great Lakes.

 
Video courtesy of Science Nation of the National Science Foundation
Featured photo: Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota-Duluth

I was pretty excited when a few years back Jeremy Herliczek, a photographer and a graduate student at Michigan State University, offered to create a portal to a little known gem of the Environmental Protection Agency. Called Documerica, the EPA project attempted to document the state of the environment at the birth of that agency.
The trouble is that accessing those old environmental images is difficult. So, too, is simply sorting through them.
Jeremy’s project for his masters thesis was to create galleries of some of the best images, explain the history …

In his spare time Chicago resident Joe Miller runs what may be the coolest eco-friendly company with the coolest name ever.
Print-A-Forest makes a free computer software that turns your  routine printing projects into a plant-a-tree fundraiser. By getting a small  message from plant-a-tree sponsors across the bottom of your printed pages, you pay for planting trees.
An example: “Powered by State Farm” could appear on the bottom of the page if the insurance company sponsored the planting. Pretty simple.

The Arbor Day Foundation  will plant a tree for every 100 sponsored pages …

One of the most famous wild animals in a Great Lakes state gets the environmental spotlight today.  Phil, a groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pa., has predicted winter’s future for more than 125 years.
Since 1886 the town has celebrated Phil’s waking. Groundhog’s Day events there this year include Oreo stacking and a walking tour of sculptures of the little guy. Thousands of people nationwide participate, according to the event’s official website.
The events only break when Phil comes out of his burrow at Gobbler’s Knob. If he sees his shadow, there will be …

Is there a Great Lake that is best? Maybe. ­­
That’s certainly fodder for partisan bickering. But perhaps each lake should be recognized for the best of something.
So tell us. What is the single best thing to do on each of the Great Lakes?
A few of my ideas:
Best Surfing
Lake Michigan
Why: Any Great Lake can be surfed but Lake Michigan is considered most consistent, a great characteristic for surfing, according to Ryan Gerard, owner of Third Coast Surf Shop in St. Joseph, Michigan.
“In terms of consistency and quality, I would say Lake …

Researchers have found what they believe to be the traits that make the very best environmental citizens.
Patient, confident, and persistent people make some of the best environmental citizens, according to Kyle Whyte and Matt Ferkany, researchers at Michigan State University. Friendliness, wit, self-confidence, humility, fairness, patience and dependability are other traits they discovered associated with environmental interest.
Ferkany is an assistant professor of teacher education; Whyte is a visiting professor of philosophy.
“(When one) has a lot of confidence and not inclusive they think they are always right,” Ferkany noted. “When someone …

Apparently threatening to completely upend entire ecosystems isn’t enough for Asian carp.
Nope. Now they’re ruining my personal relationships.
It started as most of my days do … coffee and reading up on the basin. But there was a new lady friend with me this morning.
She asked me about my job, which, of course, I loved.
“Well, we write about the Great Lakes, but we try to be quirky … you know, stay away from writing about Asian carp every day,” I said, just starting to step up on my Great Lakes/journalistic soapbox.
“What …

Have you ever wondered what products are made from the raw materials shipped across the Great Lakes? Or how grain moves from South Dakota to your kitchen? Well wonder no more. The Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute and Michigan Technological University have games to teach you.
With Commodities to Products, match finished products like perfume, pet foods and rubber bands to the raw materials they’re made of: iron ore, coal, grain or bentonite clay. These materials are shipped out of the Port of Duluth-Superior in Minnesota.
To see how grain makes its …

Hold onto your safari hats and binoculars, Great Lakes birders.
Lake Erie Ohio Birding is a new website detailing about 84 birding sites along the Lake Erie shoreline. It has driving directions, species information and local attractions.
It also has more than 1,600 photos of Lake Erie birds to get you amped up before you go get your bird on.
The website covers approximately 312 miles of Lake Erie shoreline, one of the region’s best birding coasts. State officials estimate that 400 species of birds pass through the shoreline.
And the cold weather doesn’t …

Much like the skinny kid who memorizes sports stats because he doesn’t get picked for the team, I write about science because I love it but can’t do it.
Along with science, you can also add the Great Lakes and wildlife to my “things I geek-out about” list, which is why the Moosewatch Expeditions project on Isle Royale really speaks to my inner nerd.
Moosewatch expeditions are week-long, guided hikes through Isle Royale where regular old lay people are part of an ongoing wolf-moose research project. The purpose is to find moose bones and …