For Friday, July 25, 2025
1 – When you’re at the beach, keep an eye on your dog.
Harmful algal blooms, also called HABs, pose a serious danger to dogs.
HABs may look like green scum or mats. Some release toxins that can affect a dog’s liver, nervous system, or skin.
Dogs can get sick by drinking the water, swimming through a bloom, or licking algae off their fur.
Symptoms like vomiting, weakness, and seizures can appear fast. If exposure is suspected, rinse your dog with clean water and contact a veterinarian.
Before you go, check Michigan’s BeachGuard system via Michigan.gov for current beach advisories or closures due to water quality hazards.
Even if the water looks clear, rinsing your pup after every swim is always a smart move.
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2 – Lake whitefish are crashing in Lakes Michigan and Huron.
According to a report in Bridge Michigan, Lake Huron harvests are down 80% since 2000. In Lake Michigan, they’ve fallen 70% since 2009.
Experts say overfishing isn’t the main cause. Invasive quagga mussels have stripped the food web, starving young fish before they mature.
Managers slashed catch limits in central Lake Michigan by 94% this year, but experts say fishing restrictions alone won’t fix the collapse.
Tribal leaders and scientists are calling for actions such as restoring habitat, controlling mussels and ecosystem-based management.
The state Natural Resources Commission recently heard a presentation on the situation but took no action.
More info is online at BridgeMI.com.
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3 – More than a dozen leading scientists and experts from Midwestern U.S. and Canadian universities and research institutions released a report highlighting climate change impacts on the Great Lakes region.
According to the Environmental Law and Policy Center, key findings include more dangerous heat.
Urban areas like Chicago may experience over 200 hours above 95°F by the 2030s, up from just 30 hours in recent years. This spike in extreme heat increases energy costs and endangers vulnerable residents.
Overall, the Midwest is warming. Since 1951, annual average air temperatures have increased by 2.9°F in the U.S. Great Lakes region.
Since 2019, the Midwest has already warmed another two-thirds as much (by 1.1°F) as it did in the decades before that (by 1.6°F), so warming is accelerating.
– Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 6:45 and 8:45 Friday mornings on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM WUCX in University Center, Michigan, near Bay City (listen live). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes
Mr Great Lakes 