It’s official! Just as we were waking up from ringing in the New Year, the Wisconsin State Climatology Office declared January 1, 2026 as the date that Lake Mendota officially froze for the 2025/26 winter …
Learn Your Lakes
Summer Fellowship Recap: Ellie Carrothers
This spring, 109 donors (and some generous matching grants) helped us raise $32,240 dollars during the UW-Madison’s annual “Day of the Badger” fundraising campaign. Every dollar went to our Student Support Fund and gave a …
Why Zooplankton Rise With The Moon
by Steven Awve – Most people work a 9-to-5 job. But for some of the smallest creatures in our lakes, the workday begins at sundown. Their shift is still 9-to-5, but the AM’s and PM’s …
Crazy-Clear Water in Madison’s Lakes? Thank a Tiny, Voracious Critter Called Daphnia
This may sound unusual, since Lake Mendota is not known for its clear water. In fact, in late summer, a Secchi disk usually only drops one meter into the green, murky water before it disappears. …
Heatwaves Been Stressing Lakes Out, Study Says
A study spanning more than ten years across three lakes has found that heatwaves have a dramatic impact on algae blooms. Algal growth in one lake increased, on average, by 57 percent in the days …
Earth Day at 55: The Fact of the Matter is That Facts Still Matter
On this day, 55 years ago, nearly 10% of Americans participated in one of the country’s most time-honored traditions – they took to the streets (or, in some cases, the rivers) in peaceful protest. All …
Learn Your Lakes! Introducing a Mobile Scavenger Hunt for Our LTER Study Sites
We get it – ice fishing (or even ice boating) isn’t for everyone. If this current polar vortex has you staying warm indoors, have we got a cool new thing for you! Now you can …
Lake Loop: Bacteria in Lake Mendota Repeat A Cycle of Evolution Year After Year
Like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, bacteria species in a Wisconsin lake are in a kind of endless loop that they can’t seem to shake. Except in this case, it’s more like Groundhog …
Lake Life: Field Notes from a Summer of Limnology
by Madelyn Anderson – For the last three months, my days have ebbed and flowed with the water. I would wake up, strap on my sandals, and walk to our lab on the lake, where …
From the Lake to the Sea: A Week Exploring Saltwater Systems with Sea Grant
by Madelyn Anderson – “Don’t fall out of love with freshwater.” That’s what my colleagues told me as I announced I’d be spending a week in North Carolina, catching waves and getting to know coastal …