Many of Michigan’s most popular fish are getting smaller as inland lakes warm, according to a new University of Michigan study that analyzed more than 75 years of records from […]
By Eric Freedman
Flashing light on warning signs near curves can slow drivers and reduce the odds of a crash during winter weather conditions, says a new study by Michigan State University engineers.
The post Winter makes curved roads dangerous; researchers seek solutions first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
By Victoria Witke
Christina Petalas, a doctoral student McGill University, studies herring gulls to learn about plastic pollution near the St. Lawrence River. Across two studies, she found plastic additives in every bird sampled, which could have human health consequences.
The post What herring gulls tell us about plastic pollution first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
Since first being detected in 2021, a subtype of highly pathogenic avian influenza has had a dramatic impact on North America
By Clara Lincolnhol
New research says workers picking, grinding and packaging cannabis are developing workplace-related asthma, and two deaths have occurred so far.
The post Cannabis workers are developing job-related asthma and some have died, study says first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
By Camila Bello Castro
A recent case study of a former “abandonment tourism” business in Detroit found a disconnect between the lived experience of many city residents and the lives of the tour participants who were generally white, younger and more international than most Detroiters and generally first-time visitors to the city.
The post Swiss researcher studies ‘abandonment tourism’ in Detroit first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
By Akia Thrower
A new study reveals how gray wolves in Isle Royale National Park seasonally alter their habitat preferences to align with beavers’ habitat preferences, a shift that might have implications for the island’s ecosystem.
The post Wolves hunt beavers in Isle Royale National Park, changing the ecosystem first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
By Eric Freedman
Tiny pieces of moss can be crime-busters, says a study examining how law enforcement agencies, forensic teams and botanists have used moss to solve murders, track missing people, calculate how long ago someone died and – in a notorious Mason County case – try to locate the body of a baby murdered by her father.
The post Green clues: Crime-busters turn to moss to help solve crimes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
By Georgia Hill
Scientists studying the body size and growth patterns of non-native earthworms in the UP’s Huron Mountains say they are disrupting forest ecosystems. Contrary to popular belief, most North American earthworms are invaders unintentionally introduced during European colonization. They have a significant impact on ecosystems, especially in the Great Lakes region where they affect soil structure, nutrient cycling and biodiversity.
The post New research in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula shows how invasive earthworms are changing forest soils first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
By Victoria Witke
New research shows Anishinaabe fire practices shaped today’s Great Lakes ecosystems. The region’s forests never existed and can’t continue to exist without people – or fire.
The post Anishinaabe fire practices shaped Great Lakes ecosystems, new research shows first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.
A new study from Loyola University Chicago finds that muskrats – the humble, semi-aquatic rodents long overshadowed by beavers – may play a crucial role in restoring the health of […]
By Eric Freedman
Empty lots in deindustrialized cities like Detroit may contribute to bird species diversity, says a new study by researchers at MSU and Carleton University in Canada. The study is based on sound recordings collected at 110 sites in 11 Detroit neighborhoods. The study recommends that vacant land management in the city takes a balanced approach that considers the needs of both residents and birds. There are other concerns about vacant land, too, including as sites for solar arrays.
The post Vacant lots boost diversity among Detroit’s birds, study finds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.