Recreation
Isle Royale trail guide gets digital makeover
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A longtime guide to trails on Michigan’s Isle Royale has been updated with downloadable maps and QR codes.
Great Lakes
Invasive mussels clear the water and coat the wrecks at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
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Lake Huron is now the clearest Great Lake, dethroning Superior from the top spot while shedding new light on shipwrecks in Thunder Bay.
Amphibians
There may be hope for an endangered frog in the Great Lakes region
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Since the 1970s, the Blanchard’s cricket frog has gone missing from much of the northern portion of its range. But experts say their fate may be looking up.
Water
Irrigation hides climate change threats to streams, water scorpions, trout
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Drops in baseflow can harm stream’s health and the health of the organisms that rely on them. But irrigation can mask climate-driven drops in those flows, said Sue Borchardt, a doctoral student in the department of geography at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Homepage Featured
Clearing the air over northern Michigan pollution
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By Kurt Williams
Air quality in northern Michigan was bad on Jan., 21. At least that’s what the weather app on Sharon Emery’s phone reported. The ominous warning “Unhealthy Air Quality for Sensitive Groups” hung above the day’s current conditions of clear skies and 27 degrees. Emery has a place in Cheboygan, on the shore of Lake Huron in northern Michigan. It’s not known for poor air quality, especially in winter.
Water
Water sensors, data collaboration make Great Lakes smarter
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The Great Lakes Observing System has created “Smart Great Lakes,” by making it easy for the public and policy makers to access data from buoys and underwater probes.
Climate change
Warm winter changes — but can’t stop — outdoor fun
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From ski slopes to dog sled races to snow carving contests, warmer weather this season has forced Michigan’s winter sports and tourism groups to adapt to keep participants and spectators coming.
Books
The secret savior of the US and Canada’s shared waters
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Read about the history of the little known International Joint Commission in “The First Century of the International Joint Commission.”
Climate
Warmer weather, new pests threaten vineyards, wine industry
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Climate change is pushing vineyard owners to prepare for possible impacts, including the effects on pests that threaten Michigan’s $2.1 billion-a-year wine industry.
Echo
Fighting polarization in algae bloom controversy
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A new study shows some surprising common ground in Ohioans’ beliefs about solving Lake Erie’s algal bloom problem, even when they disagree on the best solution.