After an evening of rocking and rolling with the waves, we got underway for Washburn, Wisconsin. Enroute to Chequamegon Bay, Apostle Islands, Team 2 sampled all 3 stations along our final transect, Transect 5; lectures today included Dr. Jim Lubner’s “State of Lake Michigan,” including pertinent information on invasive species and their potential to “homogenize ecosystems around the world.” He spoke to the importance of the Great Lakes Compact and its goal of preserving and improving the integrity of these lakes by providing a guide as to when it is appropriate to remove water from them. Dr. Joel Hoffman followed with a lecture on coastal wetlands, which will provide valuable background for us as we see them firsthand from kayaks tomorrow. Rounding out our academic day, Dr. Nancy Auer spoke about the sturgeon, a fish she says has “…along with redwoods and horseshoe crabs, survived for 100-200 million years .” After discussing the issues facing this ancient fish, she concluded by asking both educators and scientists to speak passionately and positively about the sturgeon, in order to ensure its presence into the future.
And finally, at the end of the day, we were able to explore Washburn (land again!) and return to our mother ship for a delicious dinner of steak and shrimp!