Ohio Sea Grant

“People will and have seen improved water quality because of these wetlands, but the wetlands are changing and are located in changing landscapes. So we have to keep monitoring them."

Happy American Wetlands Month! As May comes to a close, we're highlighting the H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program, which plays a key role in improving water quality in Ohio.

Through the Lake Erie and Aquatic Research Network (LEARN), contracted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and maintained by Ohio Sea Grant, the program assesses how effective H2Ohio wetlands are at removing nutrients.

Read more: https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/news/2026/v5zm3/h2ohio-wetland-monitoring-program-drives-water-quality

Photo credits: L. Sandoval, R. Becker, D. Dean.

National Sea Grant College Program
Ohio Division of Wildlife
Bowling Green State University
Kent State University
National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg University
University of Toledo Lake Erie Center
Wright State University
H2Ohio
Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve

“You will never, ever regret the choice to study at Stone Lab. Students can learn a whole lot in a classroom, but nothing replaces the hands-on, real-world experience you’ll gain by being at Stone Lab. Applied science, in real time, is invaluable.”

For Ohio natural resources professional Natalie Foos, receiving a scholarship to attend a class at Stone Laboratory in her sophomore year of high school was a career-defining opportunity.

Read more: https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/news/2026/lfo6h/how-a-sl-scholarship-forged-a-career-in-conservation

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Thank you to everyone who helped take part in this important clean up!!

How can we predict the big floods of the future? How will they impact people?

Ohio Sea Grant researchers recently harnessed AI technology to address flooding and water-energy challenges in Northeast Ohio and across the country. Led by Dr. Yeghiazarian of the University of Cincinnati (UC), the team created new information networks to connect “siloed” infrastructure data and predict impacts.

Read more: https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/news/2026/35i1u/researchers-develop-aipowered-technology-to-address-flooding

“We often talk about that sense of calm and clarity that comes from being on the water, and I have seen firsthand how real and impactful that is. What Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab do so well is connect that emotional experience with science, education, and purpose.”

Michelle Burke, president of the Ohio Marine Trades Association and president of the Friends of Stone Laboratory (FOSL) Board, recently reflected on the big impacts Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory make while looking back on her own career.

Read more: https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/news/2026/zjtgd/life-water-osg-sl-make-an-impact

Ohio Clean Marinas & Clean Boaters Programs

Today is Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day to kick off National Safe Boating Week, so the Ohio Clean Marinas Team is spreading the message to all recreational boaters and water enthusiasts to Keep What Matters Afloat and make safety a priority in this summer!

Be sure to inspect your life jackets for wear & tear, make sure they properly fit, and replace with new ones, if necessary, BEFORE heading out on the water!

Find yourself in need of a life jacket when boating? Look for a Life Jacket Loaner Station found at many of our Certified Ohio Clean Marinas.
Ohio Boating and Watercraft ODNR Parks & Watercraft Cleveland Marine Office Ohio Sea Grant National Safe Boating Council

"It's a lot more flooding, erosion, and combined sewer overflow, plus a lot more transport of pollutants from land to the Great Lakes and coastal marinas. Flooded homes and businesses, shut-down public transportation routes, exposed utilities – these are all coastal storm hazards that at-risk populations will be exposed to.”

How can coastal Lake Erie communities prepare for future impacts from increased precipitation and more extreme storms? Ohio Sea Grant has tackled this question in recent years through its coastal resilience and storm preparedness efforts by extension specialists Dr. Scott Hardy and Sarah Orlando.

Read more: https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/news/2026/0fr6a/helping-great-lakes-communities-build-resilience-to-coastal

This spring, Ohio Sea Grant Extension Educators Jill Bartolotta and Sarah Orlando hosted a science career workshop for about 30 high school students at Lakewood High School.

The workshop focused on Lake Erie environmental issues, how science is used in different careers, and job opportunities in the water economy.

NEW: Ohio Sea Grant recently funded six new research projects as part of its 2026-2028 research grants program. 🔬

Researchers will use approximately $1.2 million in Ohio Sea Grant funding over two years to support research projects with topics ranging from environmental stressors to stormwater management to sustainable fisheries. 💧

Read more: https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/news/2026/xsmke/osg-announces-new-funded-research-projects-for-20262028

Start planning your Lake Erie trip to visit Stone Lab this summer! Lake Erie is one of Ohio’s most important natural resources and one of its most dynamic. A visit can deepen your understanding of water, ecosystems, and the role science plays in protecting them.

This summer, Stone Lab, The Ohio State University’s island campus on Lake Erie, will continue to share Lake Erie science with the public through tours and free outreach events.

Stone Lab will again offer science and history tours of Gibraltar Island on Thursdays and the South Bass Island Lighthouse, as well as weekly Put-in-Bay Science Days on Fridays and Saturdays.

Weekly Summer Events/Tours - June through August:
Put-in-Bay Science Days will take place on Fridays and Saturdays from June 12 to August 15, 11AM to 4PM at the South Bass Island Lighthouse grounds. Free event with lighthouse tower open for tours.

Tours of Gibraltar Island will be offered on Thursdays this summer from June 11 to August 13. Two tour times are available to guests from 10AM to 12PM and 1PM to 3PM. No tours will be offered on June 25 due to a conflicting event. Rates are $15 per adult and $7 per child (5 and under are free), plus an additional $10.00 fee in cash paid to the water taxi captain for round-trip transportation to the island. Participants meet at the Boardwalk Restaurant dock 15 minutes before the tour starting time.

The South Bass Island Lighthouse grounds are open to the public from dawn to dusk, and self-guided tours around the grounds will be available on Fridays and Saturdays from June 12 to August 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visit https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/news/2026/3r30f/osg-sl-to-hold-summer-tours-public-outreach-events for more details on all of these summer events and tours. Save this post (three dots at the top right of this post) for reference and to look back on at a later date.

-
Photo Credit: Clay Kessler.

Photo Description: Side-view of the South Bass Island Lighthouse (right) with steel skeleton navigation tower (left) on a sunny day with a few clouds in the sky. Several people are walking on the grounds in front of the lighthouse.