This summer’s annual “HABs Grab”—a region-wide, large-scale, collaborative research effort focused on understanding Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the Great Lakes—has expanded to include new partners, through the Great Lakes Commission’s HABs Collaborative group, and additional lakes and sampling locations. While a previous effort in 2019 focused on Lake Erie, sampling locations now include all five Great Lakes.

The HABs Grab involves scientists and researchers from multiple institutions in the region, including universities, government agencies, and research centers, working together to collect water samples from several Great Lakes locations simultaneously. The collected samples are analyzed to determine the extent and severity of any algal blooms, including the presence and concentration of toxins, and other factors like nutrient levels. This information allows scientists to assess the extent and severity of blooms at a specific point in time, and their potential toxicity, which is crucial for protecting human and ecosystem health and for managing the risks associated with these blooms.

Michigan Sea Grant (MISG) has provided funding to Dr. Trista Vick-Majors, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Michigan Technological University, to coordinate this summer’s grab in August 2025. The HABs Collaborative has also been instrumental in coordinating and supporting sampling across the region. Dr. Silvia Newell, MISG director, joined a sampling effort with Nicole Wagner and students from Oakland University to collect samples from Lake St. Clair near Detroit. The HABs Grab is partnering with the Great Lakes Winter Grab team, also supported by MISG and headed by Vick-Majors and Michigan Tech PhD student Connor O’Loughlin, to coordinate this August’s effort.

Read the full story on the Michigan Sea Grant website.