Freshwater ecosystems account for half of global emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Rivers and streams, especially, are thought to emit a substantial amount of that methane but the …
climate change
Resistance is (Sometimes) Futile: Study Says That, In Many Lakes, It’s Time to Accept Change and Plan for the Future of Fishing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – by Adam Hinterthuer As lakes across the upper Midwest warm, cool-water species of fish are finding it harder to thrive. In Wisconsin, that trend is especially noticeable in struggling walleye populations. …
Guest Post: In the Right Place All the Time – Greenhouse Gas Research and NTL-LTER
By Lori Balster. Originally published in Environmental Monitor, October 12, 2021 While researchers all over the globe have been studying greenhouse gases, there are still some areas in the field that have not received as …
In Rare Dose of Good Climate News Study Finds That, No, Algae Blooms Aren’t Getting Worse Everywhere
As Earth’s average temperature rises, climate change impacts are being felt across the globe. Hurricanes and wildfires are bigger and more destructive. Extreme rain events are more common. Droughts last longer. But, surprisingly, one big …
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 …
Reddit Competes to Visualize Madison’s Prized Lake Mendota Ice Data
by Eric Hamilton, University Communications – For 166 years, observers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Wisconsin State Climatology Office have recorded a central aspect of life in the city — the dates when …
Winter is Coming? Tens of Thousands of Lakes May Spend Winters Ice Free as Climate Warms
MADISON – In many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, frozen lakes define the winter experience and create an indelible sense of place. From ice fishing and hockey to skating, skiing and snowmobiling, icy lakes enable …
How A 30-Year Rain Event Became a 100-Year Flood
In case you’ve somehow missed the news, let’s just say that it’s been wet in Wisconsin over the last week. Really, really wet. Here in Madison we’re still holding our breath, filling up sandbags and …
What’s Tipping the Scales Toward More Bass, Fewer Walleye in Wisconsin Waters?
by Sydney Widell For walleye and other northern Wisconsin fish, a warming climate may mean smaller populations and shrinking ranges, said Center for Limnology Director, Jake Vander Zanden, in a lecture Wednesday. Addressing a crowd …
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 …