COSEE Great Lakes: Michigan's Successful Fisheries Collaborations

An understanding of the Great Lakes fisheries is a vital element of Great Lakes Literacy.  Since 2006 the Great Lakes Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE Great Lakes), co-funded by the National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has advanced fisheries understanding, and broader Great Lakes Literacy, on the part of educators, students and the public throughout the Great Lakes region.

This session describes how COSEE Great Lakes efforts in Michigan have involved fisheries biologists – academic, federal, state and tribal – in varied educational opportunities ranging from short classroom presentations to participation in week-long residential workshops.  COSEE-sponsored fisheries scientists have provided their research data to teachers for classroom use;  joined research cruises with educators aboard to teach about the Lake Huron food web; led sampling outings using fyke nets and seines to show teachers what species are found in coastal waters; and participated as presenters in online webinars.  Innovative evaluation methods have demonstrated gains in participant depth and breadth of knowledge.

The Michigan COSEE Great Lakes experience has demonstrated great collaborative success with state and regional fisheries scientists, and serves as a lesson for those who are interested in collaborating with the other 14 COSEE Centers nationwide.