Back in March of this year, just as it was becoming clear that “business as usual” was about to be a thing of the past, Petra Wakker walked into Room 101 of Hasler Lab and …
Ecological Processes
Cool Weather Means Clear Waters for Wisconsin Lakes
Most people think of green, algae-filled waters when talking about southern Wisconsin lakes. And, sure, these highly productive bodies are full of nutrients that run off from the landscape and feed huge algae blooms every …
Learn Your Lakes: Spring Runoff and Nutrient Loading
This weekend, my family and I went on a drive. These days, any chance to leave the house while still practicing safe social distancing feels like a blessing and this drive felt especially so. There …
Water We Talking About? A Pennsylvania Pond Infested with “Fleas”
We realize we’ve all lost track of time as we continue to flatten the COVID-19 curve but, trust us, it’s Friday. And that means it’s time for Water We Talking About? Kids have questions and …
Learn Your Lakes: Midges, Not Mosquitoes or Mayflies, Give Us Spring’s First Swarms
(A version of this post first appeared on the blog on May 18, 2017) As we wrote last week, our waters are warming here in Wisconsin (and, in fact, all across the Northern Hemisphere) and …
Learn Your Lakes: Spring Turnover
Here in Wisconsin, like a lot of places, we are waiting for the reliably warm days of Spring. In the meantime, we’re seeing a lot of days with persistent, chilly winds. Stowing the winter gear …
Madison Lakes Now Ice-Free, Open for Spring
Another year, another ice-off for Madison’s lakes. Yesterday, the Wisconsin State Climatology office – specifically Ed Hopkins (you should read this great write-up in the Wisconsin State Journal) – officially declared the surface of Lake …
CFL Scientist Helped Discover ‘Star of the Sea’ – one of 2019’s ‘Top Ten’ New Species
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Along the coastline of Belize and other Caribbean nations nearly every night, a spectacular light show takes place just beneath the waves. Millions upon millions of tiny crustaceans called ostracods (or, to …
What’s Behind This Extended Phase of Crazy-Clear Water in Lake Mendota?
Last Friday, Center for Limnology lab technician, Petra Wakker, headed out to the middle of Lake Mendota to collect some routine data on conditions in the lake. As she unwound the rope holding limnology’s oldest …
Aquatic Invasive Species “Smart Prevention” Tool Back Online, Updated with New Species
In a state with 15,000 lakes and 84,000 miles of rivers and streams, it can be difficult to know where to focus efforts to protect freshwater ecosystems. That’s especially the case with aquatic invasive species …