pontoon boat in Lake Mendota moored to pier

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

  • Stock photo image of lake rocks in foreground and blurred background with UN-SALTED Great Lakes written across the photo

    Unsalted Great Lakes Podcast

    Love the Great Lakes? Join Allison Devereaux as she explores the largest freshwater system on earth. Unsalted: a podcast for people who live, work and play on the Great Lakes.

  • Hilary Dugan stands behind podium at ASLO conference smiling and welcoming people to the conference in Madison. SHe is wearing a sleeveless dress and is smiling at the crowd.

    2024 Yentsch Schindler Award to Hilary Dugan

    The 2024 Yentsch-Schindler Early Career Award was presented to Dr. Hilary Dugan for her exceptional, balanced contributions to our understanding of salinization of freshwater ecosystems and winter limnology, and for her commitment to scientific mentorship and impact-creation via proactive, open-science translation to resource managers and the public. The award was presented to Dr. Dugan at the 2024 ASLO Summer Meeting in Madison, WI, USA.

  • Paul Hanson is standing at podium in front of backlit green and blue fabric talking to a crowd. He is smiling and has on a button down shirt and jacket.

    2024 John Martin Award to Paul Hanson and co authors

    The 2024 John H. Martin Award was presented to “Lake metabolism: Relationships with dissolved organic carbon and phosphorus” by Hanson et al. for showing that lakes experience seasonal net heterotrophy, except in cases of high phosphorus and high primary production. The Martin Award was presented to Dr. Paul Hanson (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center for Limnology) on behalf of the co-authors during the 2024 ASLO Summer Meeting in Madison, WI, USA in June.

  • As Ice Coverage of Lakes Decreases, Scientists Work to Understand What Happens Under Water in Winter

    New research into under-ice conditions is challenging what limnologists thought they understood about lakes' winter behavior.

  • Consequences of less ice on lakes due to climate change

    The lakes in the Great Lakes region and around the world don’t freeze over as they did in past centuries. That has serious consequences for people, wildlife, and the environment as a whole.

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