Brand-New Green Bay Wetlands Publication Joins Other Resources 

It’s known as the world’s largest freshwater estuary, Green Bay. This ecosystem provides habitat for fish, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles and plants, not to mention the sustenance it has and continues to provide for humans. A recently completed compendium, “Green Bay Wetlands Project: An Expanded Bibliography Summarizing Nearly 50 Years of Research,” go.wisc.edu/4dygiy, was completed in honor of Sea Grant’s 50th anniversary. 

Hallet J. “Bud” Harris is a current member of the Sea Grant Advisory Council and former director of what at the time in the 1970s and ‘80s was called the Sea Grant Green Bay Subprogram. He said of the new publication, “The work reflected in this publication, 48 papers, tells an important story about the vitality and changes within Green Bay’s wetlands. It’s important to look back at past floristic dynamics, and how lake levels and climate conditions have acted as drivers. It’s also important because we stand ready to site a new National Estuarine Research Reserve in this one-of-a-kind place. The publication offers foundational information as we think about infusing new research and outreach resources to the area.” 

He continued by noting that Sea Grant support not only advances science, it’s also an opportunity to foster education, “While collecting data in marshes is hard work, doing so with students and learning as we go has its own rewards.” 

This new contribution is also one of many to be found at the program’s publications website, go.wisc.edu/a8hdj5. Throughout its history, Sea Grant has offered many publications on topics such as fisheries, coastal engineering and aquaculture. In that time, a change has been the rise in the number of people with access to online tools—more things can be downloaded—and less reliance on the need to mail out hard copies of materials. What hasn’t changed in those decades is Sea Grant’s dedication to sharing resources that allow people to be stronger stewards of freshwater resources.—MH