Right now, Lake Mendota is mostly frozen over – its only open water way out in the middle of the lake where winds are keeping the surface too riled up to freeze. But, yesterday morning …
Ecological Processes
From the Arctic to Aruba: Migratory Waterfowl Take Refuge in Wisconsin Waters
As fall turns to winter and layers of skim ice form in the bays and shallows of Madison’s lakes, another seasonal phenomenon is taking place on the open water. Currently, the far eastern bay of …
“David Buoy” Wraps Up 11th Year Monitoring Lake Mendota
Yesterday we caught a slight break in our string of cold, windy days and researchers here from the UW- Madison Center for Limnology and Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences were able to head out …
Guest Post: Building a Better Water Quality Measurement Platform
by Meghan Chua With a background in engineering and environmental science, alumnus Paul Schramm had the perfect mix of skills to work on a water quality measurement project that brought new possibilities into the field …
Big River Keeps on Rollin’ – Study Finds Little Nitrate Retention in the Upper Mississippi
A new study says that, despite dozens of locks and dams and backwater habitats that slow it’s flow, the Upper Mississippi River isn’t good at retaining the nitrates that run into its waters from intensively …
What Causes the Algae Blooms in Madison’s Lakes?
After last week’s massive cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) bloom in Lake Mendota and smaller (but no less unpleasant) blooms reported in Lake Monona and Waubesa, we received all sorts of questions on what causes these blooms, …
Running Diary of Flux Chambers, Mini Me and a Marathon Day in the Field
Necessity, of course, is the mother of invention. And scientific fieldwork is often the mother of necessity. Researchers are constantly having to invent new ways to collect data in challenging environments. What follows is a …
Is Lake Monona A Sign That Lake Mendota’s Clear Water Phase Is On Its Way?
Earlier this week, Center for Limnology director, Jake Vander Zanden, noted a startling difference in Madison’s two largest lakes, Mendota and Monona. The waters of Lake Monona, near where he lives, were crystal clear, while …
Study Confirms Walleye Populations Are In Decline
by Kat Kerlin (UC Davis) Walleye, an iconic native fish species in Wisconsin, the upper Midwest and Canada, are in decline in northern Wisconsin lakes, according to a study in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Species …
Ice Off and Carbon Fluxes: Springtime on Lake Mendota
by Angela Baldocchi Every spring, when I spot the first buds on a tree, I always think I might actually get to see them open if I pay close enough attention. But then – as …