Center for Limnology

Three undergrad students are in a john boat in the middle of wild rice, green shoots surround the boat with lush green trees in the background.

THANK YOU! We promise to use your donation to get undergrads out on our lakes for in-depth research experience.

Two people are sitting in a boat on Lake Mendota working on a buoy. They are both wearing winter safety suits and the shoreline is in the distance.
David Buoy Wraps Up 11th Year Monitoring Lake Mendota
On a tree lined shore of Trout Lake, an undergrad is leaning over a boat in a lake with a secchi disk while a grad student is sitting and recording data.
Summer at Trout Lake Station

The Center for Limnology.  Global leadership, local impact.

The discipline of Limnology in North America was founded at UW-Madison in the 1890s. After 130 years, the Center for Limnology remains a globally-recognized leader in the field. Our faculty and researchers lead cutting-edge research programs in limnology, aquatic ecology, fisheries, and ecosystem science. Our work aims to understand the world’s aquatic ecosystems, and to inform and inspire their stewardship.

Our core research mission is closely integrated with training the next generation of freshwater leaders – we train graduate students (MS and Ph.D.) through Freshwater and Marine Sciences and Integrative Biology graduate programs. We engage with diverse partners, and share our knowledge and research with a wide range of audiences and users. Field facilities at the Hasler Laboratory for Limnology in Madison, WI and Trout Lake Station in Boulder Junction, WI support our researchers and students, as well as the larger freshwater research community.

Research at the Center for Limnology

Aquatic Invasive Species

What are the impacts of invasive species in lakes and rivers, and what management strategies are effective?

Global Limnology

How are lakes around the world responding to human impacts and global environmental change?

Carbon Cycling

What is the role of lake and river ecosystems in global carbon cycling?

High-tech Limnology

Can we use new technologies and knowledge-guided machine learning to better monitor, model, and manage lakes?

Fish and Fisheries

How can we manage inland and marine fisheries in a rapidly changing world?

Water Quality

How do climate change, pollutants, changing land use, food web perturbations, and other factors influence water quality?

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By The Numbers (2024)

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$15.1M

Active Research Grants

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50+

Research Watercraft

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24

Graduate Students and Postdocs

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54

Undergraduate Research Experiences

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46+

Peer Reviewed Publications

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2000+

Community Members Engaged in Outreach

The Center for Limnology is committed to the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Our Hasler Laboratory and Trout Lake Station facilities were built before the Americans with Disabilities Act and are not fully ADA accessible. If you have questions about accommodations to participate in any outreach or department event, please email or call Monet Hutchins at the Hasler Lab (monet.hutchins@wisc.edu or 608-262-2009) or Gretchen Gerrish at Trout Lake Station (ggerrish@wisc.edu or 608-890-4763).

“Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background—people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.” ~ UW President Charles Van Hise, 1904