Interview With GLSC’s Nicole Watson About PhD Dissertation Research at Michigan State University Featured in Article About Arctic Grayling Reintroduction
Developing More Options for Managing Invasive Plants
GLSC Studies the Effect of Pausing Sea Lamprey Control Efforts During COVID
GLSC Teaches Preschool Students About Aquatic and Terrestrial Science of the Great Lakes
GLSC Invited to Great Lakes Angler Workshop
Great Lakes Science Center
Welcome! The Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) is part of the Midcontinent Region of the USGS, DOI Regions 3 and 5. Our scientists work in the Great Lakes region and other parts of the country to meet the nation’s need for scientific information used by resource managers to restore, enhance, manage, and protect the living resources and habitats in the Great Lakes basin.
News
Tree rings provide an important multi-century context for the current wildfire crisis
Tree rings provide an important multi-century context for the current wildfire crisis
Photo Edition | Field Season 2024 - Vol. 2026 | Issue Spring
Photo Edition | Field Season 2024 - Vol. 2026 | Issue Spring
Amphibian Week with USGS: Science for Healthy Habitats
Amphibian Week with USGS: Science for Healthy Habitats
Publications
Status and trends of pelagic and benthic prey fish populations in Lake Michigan, 2025 Status and trends of pelagic and benthic prey fish populations in Lake Michigan, 2025
Fall bottom trawl (fall BT) and lakewide acoustic (AC) surveys are conducted annually to generate indices of pelagic and benthic prey fish densities in Lake Michigan. The fall BT survey has been conducted each fall since 1973 using 12-m trawls at depths ranging from 9 to 110 m at fixed locations distributed across seven transects; this survey estimates densities of seven prey fish...
Rearing method has limited effect on post-release movement of reintroduced age-0 Lake Sturgeon Rearing method has limited effect on post-release movement of reintroduced age-0 Lake Sturgeon
Overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution caused the extirpation of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) throughout much of the Great Lakes. A Lake Sturgeon reintroduction program using two rearing strategies began in 2018 in the Maumee River, a tributary of Lake Erie. We assessed the movement of streamside or traditionally reared age-0 Lake Sturgeon using acoustic telemetry to determine...
Spawning habitat suitability models for Lake Erie cisco (Coregonus artedi) during the historical period of pre- and post-population declines 1877–1957 Spawning habitat suitability models for Lake Erie cisco (Coregonus artedi) during the historical period of pre- and post-population declines 1877–1957
Coregonine fishes play a key role in the food webs and fisheries of the Laurentian Great Lakes and are a major focus of basin-wide conservation efforts. In Lake Erie, management goals prioritize rebuilding spawning populations of cisco (Coregonus artedi). However, the historical distribution of cisco spawning habitat and the environmental conditions that influence early life-stage...
Science
eDNA and the Efficacy of Management Actions
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a powerful feedback tool, giving managers fast, clear, and cost-effective evidence to guide decisions and improve conservation outcomes.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Environmental Health Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Western Fisheries Research Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Pacific Northwest Environmental DNA Laboratory
eDNA for Water-Quality Monitoring and Public Health Protection
By analyzing genetic traces left behind in water, eDNA provides early warning signs of problems—helping managers respond faster, protect public health, and keep freshwater ecosystems resilient.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Environmental Health Program, Alaska Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Western Fisheries Research Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Pacific Northwest Environmental DNA Laboratory
eDNA Science for Species Management, Ecosystem Health, Biodiversity Monitoring, and Habitat Restoration
Using eDNA to track biodiversity, guide restoration, and safeguard ecosystems for the future.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Western Fisheries Research Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Pacific Northwest Environmental DNA Laboratory