The North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research (NTL-LTER) program conducts and facilitates long term ecological research on Wisconsin lakes. Housed on both the UW-Madison campus and at Trout Lake Station, NTL is part of the larger LTER network funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation since 1981. NTL is committed to promoting and valuing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in all aspects of our research and activities. We invite you to explore our datasets and collaborate with us.
In the News
Officials scramble after invasive species reaches new waters: ‘They will undermine the basis of the food web’
A concerning discovery in a Wisconsin lake this summer shows how invasive species can damage ecosystems without being discovered for long periods.
October 5, 2024
Aquatic invasive species are more widespread in Wisconsin than previously thought
A report on more than 40 years of research on Wisconsin lakes is highlighting some of the lessons scientists have learned about aquatic invasive species, including that far more ecosystems are playing host to non-native species than previously thought.
September 5, 2024
Lake and river foams study reveals high PFAS levels, even though underlying water may be less contaminated
According to a new study of rivers and lakes in Wisconsin, natural foams from these bodies of water contain much higher concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) than the water below them.
July 23, 2024
175th Anniversary projects bring together UW’s past, future
127 years ago, University of Wisconsin biology professor Edward Birge purchased glass models of sea creatures ranging from jellyfish to sea cucumbers from famous German glassblowers Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka, for use in teaching biology. It’s also why, this year, Laura Monahan arranged for UW–Madison to hire expert glassblower Tim Drier to create similar deep-sea invertebrate models, as the old ones were too delicate and artistically valuable to handle.
July 23, 2024
Salting the Seasons
Dugan’s scientific journey began in the Arctic, where the rapid transition from winter to summer happens in June. “Nowhere is changing as fast as the Arctic when it comes to losing ice,” she says. In many places in this warming world, winter is the fastest warming season. Wisconsin has lost snowpack and almost a month of lake ice in the last century. Dugan wondered: what happens to ecosystems as they lose ice? “Maybe it’s not important, but we don’t actually know,” she says. “I’m generally fascinated by how humans are changing lakes,” says Dugan.
March 11, 2024- Archived News