Teach Me About the Great Lakes

Stuart and Megan talk with Kim Nowack, Bridge Director of the Mackinac Bridge Authority, about what else? The Mighty Mac, a 5-mile (8 km) bridge that connects Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas!!Links: Tacoma Narrows BridgeDavid B. SteinmanLabor Day Bridge Walk Mackinaw City Bakery  https://www.mackinawbakery.com/2 The Moon Bakery Keweenaw Peninsula

Megan, Stuart, and Natty talk Great Lakes ice coverage, the importance of weather conditions, and simple ice math with Eric Anderson of the Colorado School of Mines. 

As we take the week off to celebrate Groundhog Day (or something), we're re-airing this conversation with James Kessler of NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab. In it, Stuart and Carolyn speak with James Kessler of the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab about lake ice coverage, spaghetti diagrams, and shoveling snow for ice hockey. Enjoy!

Stuart, Megan, and Natty speak with John Schmidt, program manager of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers' 100% Great Lakes Fish Initiative. They also discuss different things you can drink, if you want.Show links:https://gsgp.org/projects/100-great-lakes-fish/https://fiskurleather.com/https://theaquaborne.com/galleryhttps://www.collab.is/englishGrand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians https://www.gtbindians.org https://michiganadvance.com/2025/08/14/in-peshawbestown-the-grand-traverse-band-puts-fish-waste-to-use/https://www.mannysdeli.com/https://www.xiancuisinechicago.com/west-loophttps://www.johnnys-beef.com/https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/fishing/black-lake

Stuart and Megan speak with Bill Pringle of the Detroit Historical Society and Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Links:Dossin Great Lakes Museum | Detroit Historical SocietyDetroit Historical SocietyJW WestcottDetroit River Watch WebcamDoorway to Freedom – Detroit and the Underground RailroadFreedom Seekers curriculum connects students to the Underground Railroad, Great Lakes and scienceDetroit Institute of Arts MuseumOutdoor Treasures | Detroit Historical SocietyMudgie's DeliBelle Isle Conservancy

Our annual awards show, or, quite possibly not the least prestigious podcast-related awards ceremony there is. No show notes to avoid spoilers!

Stuart and Megan discuss fish passage projects with Jeff Tyson of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Also, bears and salmon!Links:What is the 'salmon cannon' and how do the fish feel about it? | Fish | The GuardianFat Bear WeekBrown Bear Cam - Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park | Explore.orgWebcams - Katmai National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)Great Lakes Fishery Commission - Fish PassageMetroparks recommend replacing Flat Rock Dam with rock arches that maintain reservoir - Great Lakes Commission

Each November, we love to feature nonprofits who are doing wonderful work throughout the Great Lakes. This year, we speak with Sandy Wynn-Stelt and Tony Spaniola of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, and Betsy Maher and Em Racine of Save the Dunes. We hope you are as inspired as we were!!*Apologies for the audio issues: Carolyn edited the episode. Please do not judge Stuart or Sandra. Submit nominations for The Lakies!! Links:Great Lakes PFAS Action NetworkPFAS Contamination in MI takes Center Stage on Capitol Hill | Council of Michigan Foundations PFAS advocates have got some federal 'wins' recently, what's next? On the Rise Bakery - Capuchin Soup Kitchen  Sprinkles Donut Shop Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park Au Sable - Huron-Manistee National Forests Past episodes on PFAS52: Let's Buy a Vowel HereWe Can't Measure Them AllTeach Me About the Great Lakes | Biomagnifying in the Food ChainTeach Me About the Great Lakes | Diner Tuna is the Best Tuna  Teach Me About the Great Lakes | Massive Piles of Petroleum Coke Make a donation to Save the Dunes for Giving Tuesday Vote for Save the Dunes at Blue Chip Casino Trees of Hope (see picture on social media)Follow on social media: https://www.facebook.com/savedunes/ and https://www.instagram.com/savethedunes/Sign up for Save the Dunes enewslettersSave the Dunes Website, home to upcoming events, action alerts, Save the Dunes history and more! Panini Panini Joe's BreadTiny's Coffee BarFLUID Coffee Roasters   Marquette Park — Visit Miller Beach | Gary Indiana Indiana’s Cowles Bog | A Protected Natural Sanctuary 

Megan and Renie speak with Michael Gemmell of Parks Canada about the establishment of the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, and are introduced to a delicious treat. Correction: Ashley Eaton works with Lake Champlain Sea Grant and not Wisconsin Sea Grant.Links:Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area Lake Superior Circle Tour National Marine Conservation Areas System Plan The Gunilda Shipwreck: Tales from the Depths | Northern Ontario Travel Lake Superior Lighthouses The surprising, shocking, startling, astonishing story of Silver Islet The Sumptuous History Of The Thunder Bay Persian Roll | Flavour Network 

Our fourth annual Halloween special

Megan and Carolyn talk with Dana Castle about anglers in the St. Clair-Detroit River System, the importance of creel surveys, some incredible restoration projects, and donuts but not for breakfast. Links: Great Lakes Science Advisory Board | International Joint CommissionNew publication: Angler dynamics in the St. Clair-Detroit River System after decades of change - ScienceDirect Lake St. ClairSt.Clair - Detroit River System InitiativeFrequently Asked Questions About the Detroit and St. Clair River Fish Spawning Reef Projects   Great Lakes Restoration Initiative What Dana works on now: Natural Rivers Clam Lake Beer CompanyThe Painted Lady Saloon Johan's Pastry Shop - Petoskey Area 

What are the aquatic invasive species that Great Lakes experts wish you knew more about? Megan and Carolyn discuss with TMATGL all-stars El Lower, Katie O'Reilly, and Brian Roth.Links:Past episodes featuring today's guests 13: It Smells Like Science, 27: The Claws Have the Sweetest Meat, 46: It's All Stuff That I've Eaten, Teach Me About the Great Lakes | 55: Ask Dr. Fish, Ask Dr. Fish, Teach Me About the Great Lakes | A Really Nice Thickness of CheeseFlathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) New state-record flathead catfish weighs in above 64 pounds Marmorkrebs (Procambarus virginalis)Marbled crayfish becomes plentiful species thanks to genetic mutation  Marbled crayfish raises eyebrows, and concerns | Great Lakes Now  Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Keep, Cool, Call: What to do if you capture a black carp Lake Michigan Quagga Mussel Density Signal crayfish | Washington Department of Fish & WildlifeNew invasive crayfish found in Minnesota | UMN Extension  Research reveals hope for managing invasive red swamp crayfish | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Invasive Crayfish Collaborative: Prevention, RegulationsNational Invasive Species Awareness Week: Water hyacinth - MSU ExtensionArticle: Pretty but problematic: Aquatic plants to avoid   GLANSIS: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory - Ann Arbor, MI, USA Invasive water hyacinths are effective at removing microplastics, study findsStarry Stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) | Minnesota DNRGrant supports educational resources for Chicago area boaters, harbormasters, shoreline property owners | Illinois  Ballast Water - Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway SystemHow Invasions Happen: Aquariums Bellflower RestaurantThe Bread CompanyPhở Số 1 Belle Isle Conservancy Bradford Beach | Travel Wisconsin Bellaire Chamber of Commerce Honourable mentions for titles: These are not small fish; Catch ‘em and keep ‘em; Perpetual crayfish machine; It’s very, very pretty, it’s really hard to kill; If you’re not sure what it is, take it off your boat

Stuart and Megan talk coastal resilience in southern Lake Michigan with Drs. Sarah Peterson and Hillary Glandon.  Links:Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)Dr. Sarah Peterson, Coastal Engineering Specialist Dr. Hillary Glandon, Coastal Ecosystem Specialist IISG on YouTube (coastal resilience videos mentioned will be available here!) Illinois Beach State Park Isle Royale National Park Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Droopy's in Zion, IL 

In this episode, Stuart and Carolyn speak with Dr. Jay Austin about stratification in lakes and how the Great Lakes behave differently, stratificationally speaking. Plus: fancy meat!--Links:Jay Austin | Swenson College of Science and Engineering | UMN Duluth Winter thermal structure across the Laurentian Great Lakes - ScienceDirect In winter, the waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron separate into layers. Not anymore. Why? Data: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory - Ann Arbor, MI, USA An abrupt decline in springtime zooplankton diel vertical migration due to a shift in stratification regime - ScienceDirect Teach Me About the Great Lakes | Most of My Babies Are BuoysTeach Me About the Great Lakes | 62: The G.L.O.A.T.  Northern Waters Smokehaus Blue Heron | Swenson College of Science and Engineering | UMN Duluth Slate Islands Provincial Park  

In this episode, Stuart and Carolyn speak with Dr. Susan Kooiman about Indigenous agriculture in the Great Lakes region, what studying the past can teach us about the present, and extracting nut lipids.Show Linkshttps://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/anthropology/about/Kooiman_Susan.shtml Cahokia Mounds Drummond IslandGanawenindiwag Manoomin Anishinaabeg | Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin Archaeological evidence of intensive indigenous farming in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, USA | Science Massive Fields Where Native American Farmers Grew Corn, Beans and Squash 1,000 Years Ago Discovered in Michigan  Yummy Donut PalaceGrand Island Ferry Service Tuna Salad RecipeLidar--Show Credits:Host: Stuart Carlton, Carolyn FoleySenior Producer: Carolyn FoleyProducers: Megan Gunn and Renie MillsAssociate Producer and Fixer: Ethan ChittyEditor: Sandra SvobodaPodcast Art by: Joel DavenportMusic by: Stuart Carlton

Dr. Chris Winslow just won a major award at the International Association for Great Lakes Research conference!! To celebrate, here is our conversation from September 2022. Recorded live in Cleveland, Ohio, we talked with Chris about Lake Erie, poo, and the fabulous Stone Lab.   Episode recorded live at Masthead Brewing Company. If you want to donate to Ohio Sea Grant and the Stone Lab, please visit their website:https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/givingShow credits:Host & Executive Producer: Stuart CarltonCo-Hosts: Hope Charters & Carolyn FoleyProducers: Hope Charters, Carolyn Foley, Megan Gunn, & Irene MilesAssociate Producer: Ethan ChittyEdited by: Quinn RosePodcast art by: Joel DavenportMusic by: Stuart Carlton

This episode discusses the issue of microplastics in the Great Lakes, featuring experts from the International Joint Commission (IJC) and universities. Dr. Rebecca Rooney and Eden Hadley explain the standardized definition of microplastics, ranging from 5 millimeters to 1 micron, and their sources, including nurdles, tire wear, and synthetic clothing fibers. The IJC's report highlights the need for standardized monitoring and harmonized methods to assess microplastic concentrations accurately. Recommendations include listing microplastics as a contaminant of mutual concern and promoting life cycle responsibility for producers. Individual actions, such as using microfiber filters in washing machines, can also help reduce microplastic pollution.Episode Links: https://ijc.org/sites/default/files/SAB_MicroplasticsReport_2024.pdfhttps://ijc.org/en/sab/monitoring-ecological-risk-assessment-and-management-microplastics-laurentian-great-lakeshttps://ijc.org/sites/default/files/SAB_MicroplasticsRpt_SuppMaterialsA.pdf--Show Credits:Host: Stuart CarltonSenior Producer: Carolyn FoleyProducers: Megan Gunn and Renie MillsAssociate Producer and Fixer: Ethan ChittyEditor: Sandra SvobodaPodcast Art by: Joel DavenportMusic by: Stuart Carlton

(New episodes coming soon!)https://www.greatlakesnow.org/too-many-geese-and-not-enough-mussels/

Episode Links:https://ftw.usatoday.com/2025/01/giant-sturgeon-attacks-mermaid-aquarium-china-videohttps://arstechnica.com/science/2025/02/let-us-spray-river-dolphins-launch-pee-streams-into-air/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/sports/sturgeon-michigan-black-lake.html?unlocked_article_code=1.v04.UlcR.kPF-9mN6HIsK&smid=url-share

Growing up with multiple newspapers delivered to her home and spending a lot of time outside in Michigan, maybe it was inevitable that Kelly House would become an environmental journalist extraordinaire. She joins TMATGL to talk about her work, why journalism matters, and what gives her hope for the future of her profession and the natural world.Show Links:Kelly’s work at Bridge MichiganSign up for Kelly’s newsletter HEREKelly’s Sandwich Pick: Babe's CornerShow Credits:Host: Stuart CarltonSenior Producer: Carolyn FoleyProducers: Megan Gunn and Renie MillsAssociate Producer and Fixer: Ethan ChittyEditor: Sandra SvobodaPodcast Art by: Joel DavenportMusic by: Stuart Carlton