University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tag: limnology

What a Difference a Day Makes: Lake Mendota Goes From Blue-Green to Crystal Clear

by Anna Mueller – I showed up at the Center for Limnology’s Hasler Lab a few hours after the sun had risen and it was already getting hot. I was sweaty from biking to work and could feel the sun burning against my hair. Like any other day, I walked around the squat CFL building …

Hasler Lab Open House This Friday, June 21!

Calling all lake lovers! (Or wetland enthusiasts, river runners, pond explorers, etc.) This Friday, June 21st, you’re invited to Hasler Lab’s Annual Open House. Each summer we pick a Friday afternoon to open the doors to our lab so that anyone in town can come learn about the world-class research going on right here in …

“Within the first few hours, I already looked at the lake differently.” Hasler Lab’s summer intern reflects on her first week.

by Anna Mueller – I have grown up in the Madison lakes – jumping into Mendota and Wingra every summer without a second thought, doing polar plunges late in the fall, fishing with my brother. And, this year, rowing competitively for the Badgers. When I enrolled for my first semester at UW Madison, I chose …

Fan Mail and A Few Thoughts About Science’s Role in Society

A few weeks ago, a letter arrived in our mailbox here at Hasler Lab from a reader of this blog. It was … not the most positive message. In fact, it stopped just short of “mean Tweet” territory. Here, in its entirety, is the letter:  It seems to me that your blog is no different …

Study of “Annual Life Cycle” in Wisconsin Lakes Finds Unpredictable Fate “Up North,” While Southern Waters Routinely Run Out of Air

A new study has found that, despite relatively similar climate conditions, there is a big difference in how lakes in northern and southern Wisconsin are responding to a warmer, wetter world.  Using data collected on eight Wisconsin lakes over the last forty years, a team of researchers built a computer model to better understand how …

A “Patchwork Quilt” Career: Remembering Lorna Petty Harrell (1947-2022)

In late April of this year – on Earth Day, to be exact – Center for Limnology alumna, Lorna Petty Harrell passed away. Lorna earned her master’s degree in zoology in 1972 at what was then referred to as the Laboratory of Limnology. She was the first female graduate student in John Magnuson’s lab and …

Breaking Down Barriers: Trout Lake Station Gives Summer Field Crews a Boost with “LimnoLaunch”

By Christina Weatherford On May 26th and 27th, Trout Lake Station made waves – literally and figuratively – with the first-ever LimnoLaunch. This all-hands-on-deck, two day training covered everything from driving a boat to using specialized sensors to detect chlorophyll in the water column. The event was attended by researchers at all levels – from …

Live and In-Person (Again) – Center for Limnology Open Houses!

Would you like to learn more about our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands? Do you love freshwater? How about swimming or fishing or Babcock Dairy ice cream? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then mark your calendar for our summer Open Houses! Hasler Lab Open House – Madison – Friday, June …

Beneath the Surface, Long-Term Lake Monitoring Reveals the Drama of a Food Web in Flux

Seen from shore, it doesn’t look like a lot is going on in Trout Lake in northern Wisconsin. Aside from windy days that shove waves against its mostly wooded shoreline, the lake presents, more often than not, a smooth, picturesque surface of crystal-clear water. But, peer beneath the surface or, more accurately, dig through decades’ …

Our Top 5 Posts of 2021: Dead Zones, Sleeper Populations & Good News on Algae Blooms

Happy New Year! Here’s hoping 2022 trends upward a little more steeply than the past couple of years. We here at the Center for Limnology are excited to share even more freshwater news, research and more with you in the year to come but, before we get to brand-new content, let’s look back at some …