University of Wisconsin Sea Grant/Water Resources Institutes

09/30/2026

A Wisconsin Sea Grant project investigating how PFAS affect the health of baby bald eagles was just awarded new funding 🦅

Sea Grant is pleased to announce a $1M investment to advance research and monitoring of contaminants of emerging concern in the Southeast, Northeast and Great Lakes regions.

These contaminants, including micro/nanoplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, can affect human and ecosystem health, especially in coastal communities.

Since 2021, Congress has provided dedicated resources to Sea Grant to advance collaboration with state agencies and universities to expand emerging contaminant research and monitoring.

These projects were selected through competitive national opportunities focused on contaminants and will contribute to advancing knowledge about contaminants and forever chemicals.

Learn more: https://seagrant.noaa.gov/sea-grant-announces-1m-investment-to-advance-research-into-contaminants-of-emerging-concern-across-the-u-s/

09/28/2026

09/25/2026

Julia Noordyk, our water quality and coastal community outreach specialist, had the opportunity to talk with Congressman Wied and staff about building flood resilience in the East River watershed.

09/24/2026

September is Coastal Awareness Month! Check out the Wisconsin Great Lakes Chronicle, which shares stories about projects that protect and preserve the Great Lakes and coastal areas. A few Sea Grant-involved projects, including Ishkode and the East River Collaborative, made the cut.

https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/LocalGovtsGrants/CoastalPublications.aspx

09/23/2026

Come visit us in Milwaukee this Sunday, September 27 for Harbor Fest! Wisconsin Sea Grant's Eat Wisconsin Fish initiative will be serving up samples of yellow perch and Lake Superior whitefish near the UWM School for Freshwater Sciences.

We'll also have some fun and fishy activities for the kids! 🐟

https://harbordistrict.org/harbor-fest/

09/22/2026

Are you working to make swimming safer in the Great Lakes? Don't miss the Great Lakes Water Safety Conference on October 1-2, 2026.

The conference will bring together water safety professionals, community leaders, researchers, first responders, and advocates from across the region to share ideas, tools, and solutions to reduce drowning in the Great Lakes.

Registration:

October 1-2, 2026 Demo Day: September 30 South Haven, Michigan Great Lakes Water Safety Conference 2026 Register Why Attend? Schedule Speakers Venue Lodging Pricing Sponsors About the Conference The Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium is bringing the water safety community back together – in perso...

09/16/2026

Ever wonder how salmon are raised in modern aquaculture systems? Our friends at the UW-Stevens Point: Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility can show you!

Dive into their video playlist to explore how they use recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) to grow Atlantic salmon indoors and on land. Learn how the fish are raised, how water is managed, and why these systems are gaining attention across the Great Lakes region and beyond.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP8KoWtbBLVwYT41z8S2kGQ366gPG-0Tu&si=vjyBPksGANp-ORYv

Currently, around 95% of salmon consumed in the US are imported, co...

09/14/2026

Readers, it's your season! 🍂 And Great Lakes, Great Read has a full slate of events to cater to your bookish needs.

First up: Join us for a conversation with "Saving our Sturgeon" author Rebecca Wojahn on October 14, 2026 at 6 p.m via Zoom.

On deck: "The Gales of November: the Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by John U. Bacon on October 28.

Welcome to the “one book, one community” program designed to inspire passion and connection to the Great Lakes Watershed through reading. Whether you live near the Great Lakes or far away, their beauty, history, and significance are impossible to ignore. They’ve been home to 120 bands of Indig...

09/11/2026

A warm welcome to the new UW-Milwaukee Center for Water Policy fellows! Recent law grads Thomas and Josh will be researching water challenges and policy over the coming year.

We’re excited to welcome Max Overdevest, Thomas Dunbar, and Josh Marion, as the Center for Water Policy’s new fellows! Max is the Center’s fourth Water Policy and Communications Fellow who is also pursuing his master’s degree in Freshwater Sciences and Water …

09/09/2026

Shipwrecks! Great Lakes! Intrigue!

The new Dive into History book club from the UW Wisconsin Water Library and Wisconsin Historical Society has got something for everyone, whether you're a shipwrecks buff or simply love the lakes.

The club kicks off on October 7 with a presentation from maritime archaeologist Kendra Kennedy. On November 4, the club will discuss its first book, "Wrecked: The Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy" by Tom Nelson and Jerald Podair.

Please join us!

The Dive into History book club will feature books from regional authors and discussions with a maritime archaeologist.