Our faculty are internationally known for their work in areas such as freshwater contaminants, biological pollutants, fisheries, invasive species, aquaculture, observation technology, climate variability, weather prediction, and water policy.

Our research teams include scientists, economists and legal experts who are advancing fundamental and strategic science and training the next generation of freshwater, climate, and weather professionals. Their work informs policy, improves management, and promotes the health and sustainability of the Earth and its ecosystems worldwide.

Investment in our research includes funding from the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Energy, state of Wisconsin and local government, as well as corporate partners, foundations and private donors.

Our researchers and students collaborate with on-site partners, and our building houses offices for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Sea Grant, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Southeast Wisconsin Watershed Trust, Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and Milwaukee’s Harbor District.

9On-site governmental and nonprofit collaborators

Research Impact

  • CWP: Columbia Journal of Environmental Law Published “Navigating Rough Waters After Sackett v. EPA: Federal, Tribal, and State Strategies”
    Wetlands, including ephemeral and intermittent streams, play a critical role in keeping our water clean, managing floods, and providing habitat for wildlife. In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court decision Sackett v. EPA drastically reduced protections for wetlands under the Clean Water Act, leaving over half of U.S. wetlands unprotected by federal law. The stakes are …
  • Binkowski Talks About Sturgeon Propagation Breakthrough
    UWM School of Freshwater Sciences Fred Binkowski, Senior Scientist Emeritus, is featured in this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on Wisconsin lake sturgeon. Binkowski's work with the DNR successfully raising sturgeon in a hatchery has been critical to sturgeon propagation breakthrough. Read Full Story
  • Capstone Students Support Restoration with LNRP
    UWM School of Freshwater Sciences undergrad students in the Capstone class, led by Dr. Ryan Newton, partnered with Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership (LNRP) to support restoration work on the Valley Creek Corridor in Port Washington, WI. The students provided data which will help to prevent flooding and protect from infrastructure damage. The School of Freshwater …

We’re committed to advancing key research priorities

Explore freshwater systems and develop methods for their preservation and management. Study the impacts of climate change, human activity, and invasive species on the Great Lakes and Earth’s ecosystems worldwide. Improve water safety through cutting-edge research. Track the presence and sources of pathogens and determine the impacts of contaminants on human and ecosystem health. Form collaborations among scientists, engineers, and industry.

Predict weather and climate and their impacts to society. Manage, replace and restore the Great Lakes’ commercial and recreational fisheries. Drive new technologies in water research and management and fisheries management and urban aquaculture. Advance understanding of atmospheric processes on local to global scales. Link science to action and generate transformational policies from great science.