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.

Walleye are struggling to adapt to rapid seasonal changes

Walleye, a prized catch for freshwater sportfishing enthusiasts and a staple in Midwestern cuisine, also play a vital role in the cultural traditions of many Indigenous communities. However, according to a new study led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, walleye populations are now facing challenges due to the increasing temperatures in the waters of the Midwest United States and Canada.

Sixteen projects chosen for Research Forward (Round 3) awards

LakeView is an integrated UW lake observatory whose mission is to prepare the scientific community for the next generation of space-based Earth observatories for water quality. NASA missions, scheduled to launch in the next 1-5 years, will generate a new kind of data (hyperspectral imagery) in support of sustainable use of Earth’s natural resources, including lakes.