Great Lakes Now

Saving mussels one dive at a time

1 min read

Saving mussels one dive at a time

Biological collection specialists are divers who travel around the country relocating freshwater mussels and other vulnerable aquatic species before river restoration projects begin.

In September of 2024, a team of 20 divers scoured 40,000 square meters of the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. In just two weeks, the team found, identified, marked, tagged, and relocated every native freshwater mussel within their search area.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Agriculture Canada Great Lakes Now

What the recent tariff news means for the Great Lakes

4 min read

What the recent tariff news means for the Great Lakes

President Donald Trump has made rethinking international trade policy a centerpiece of his second administration. While Congress generally has the authority to regulate international trade, it has also delegated some of this authority to the president. On Feb. 1, Trump announced he would be imposing 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, with a 10% tariff on Canadian energy.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Great Lakes Now Ohio

Toledo’s community art highlights importance of native plants for safe drinking water

6 min read

Toledo’s community art highlights importance of native plants for safe drinking water

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Clara Lincolnhol, Great Lakes Echo

Toledo, Ohio, has a rich Rust Belt history that influences its present-day culture. Local environmental groups and agencies are turning to public art to teach residents that the area’s natural history is just as important.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Great Lakes Now Lake Superior Michigan

The fascinating history of the Great Lakes Yemeni sailors

10 min read

The fascinating history of the Great Lakes Yemeni sailors

Abdullatif Ahmed was just 23 years old when he first stepped foot on the Medusa Challenger, a 1906-built Great Lakes bulk freighter.

“Before I came to America in 1990,” he said, “I had never even seen the sea.”

Born and raised in Juban, a rural district in southern Yemen, Ahmed was drawn to the Great Lakes by family history and opportunity.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.