Tag Limnology
Study maps uneasy future of Wisconsin trout populations
Climate change has affected Wisconsin trout species differently: Populations of smaller, brightly colored brook trout have declined, while numbers of larger brown trout have generally increased.
Study finds that big rains bring big algae blooms… eventually
Phosphorus is only one part of the algae bloom recipe, research shows. Other key factors at play are calm winds, warm surface waters and a low abundance of tiny crustaceans called zooplankton.
UW scientist wins Blue Planet Prize
Steve Carpenter, one of the world’s foremost lake ecologists, has been awarded an international prize for scientific research that has helped provide solutions to global environmental problems.
Report: Scales tipping against walleye; time to get hooked on new fish
Wisconsin spends millions each year to keep the walleye fishery running. But researchers say it is time to shift the emphasis from restoring struggling species to adapting to new conditions that favor different species.
Study finds that not even the largest lakes in the world are safe from salt
Researchers used water quality data and computer models to analyze the amount of salt being carried into Lake Michigan by 234 different tributaries, from major rivers to tiny streams.
Algae blooms a problem but not a trend, study finds
“For many, many lakes, they are a very serious problem,” says Grace Wilkinson of the UW–Madison Center for Limnology. “But algal blooms are not getting worse everywhere."
Invasive species often start as undetected “sleeper populations”
The finding has important implications for the way we approach invasive species control and management, researchers say.
Summer road trip finds small streams have big impacts on Great Lakes
While decades of monitoring and regulatory efforts have paid little attention to these tiny tributaries, Mooney’s research shows that they play an outsized role in feeding algae blooms and impacting coastal waters.
Changing environment at home genetically primes invasive species to take over abroad
New research findings could make future encroachments easier to predict, a huge priority since invasive species cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage each year.
Controlling invasive milfoil with lake-wide herbicide could do more harm than good to native plants
New research could help lake managers make more informed decisions about their invasive species control strategies.
Environmental DNA shows promise in estimating sport fish populations
eDNA could help fisheries managers keep tabs on walleye health across many more lakes at a fraction of the cost of current monitoring methods.
Top limnology posts of the decade: warming, zebra mussels, algae
UW-Madison's Center for Limnology took a look back at its top posts from the past decade about the waters of Wisconsin and the world. Take a look.
Study says “hidden overharvest” from fishing plays a role in Wisconsin walleye declines
New research finds that It finds that 40 percent of walleye populations are overharvested, which is ten times higher than the estimates fisheries managers currently use.
‘Stories from the Flood’ recount suffering, resilience in Kickapoo Valley towns
“Stories from the Flood,” a collaboration involving UW–Madison, has gathered over 70 written, audio, and video interviews with people who experienced what some call a “thousand-year” flood along the Kickapoo River and nearby Coon Creek.
Extension’s statewide reach aids water quality collaboration
Nearly 100 people packed a room on the UW–Madison campus, appropriately overlooking the world’s best-studied lake, Lake Mendota. They were there to think about and to talk about water.
Scientists angle for more attention to fishing for fun
New research brings attention to the need to better manage recreational fisheries to protect the health of inland and near-shore fish populations and to preserve the recreational fishing experience.
Reddit competes to visualize Madison’s prized Lake Mendota ice data
Data visualizations generated by a Reddit competition reveal a concerning trend that’s been known to scientists at UW–Madison and elsewhere for decades: ice is disappearing on Lake Mendota.
As the climate warms, tens of thousands of lakes may spend winters ice free
A new study from an international team of researchers, including at UW–Madison, shows that many northern latitude lakes are at risk of experiencing some ice-free winters in the coming decades.
Mercury levels in fish fluctuate along with water levels in lakes
A new study has found that when droughts cause water levels to drop, the levels of mercury found in fish also plummet. In wetter weather, water levels rise and levels of mercury in fish increase.
Forget ‘needle in a haystack.’ Try finding an invasive species in a lake.
A new study may explain why the tiny and invasive spiny water flea passed undetected in Lake Mendota, one of the most-studied lakes in the world, for a decade.