Lake Sturgeon are huge, long-lived fish that are often called “living fossils.” They have survived all of Lake Erie’s hardships, and now scientists, educators and community members are all working hard to restore their populations.

Michigan Public's Kate Furby and Jodi Westrick traveled around the state to learn more about Lake Sturgeon, from going out on frozen Black Lake during the ice fishing season to touching baby sturgeon in the Toledo Zoo, all in the name of learning more about the efforts being made to restore these populations to their rightful waters. Efforts to ensure lake sturgeon are here for future generations.

Support for the production of this podcast was made possible by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, as part of its Great Lakes News Collaborative.

Music by Blue Dot Sessions.

More at michiganpublic.org/bts

Michigan Public's Dustin Dwyer dons a wet suit, borrows a surfboard, straps on a GoPro, and heads into the waves of Lake Michigan. In November. All in the name of finding out: How does anyone have fun surfing in Lake Michigan?

Waves on Lake Michigan can be fickle creatures, surfers told him. For non-surfers, it’s a bit of a wonder how there are waves at all.

In the second episode of Beyond the Shore, we uncover why Lake Michigan, and most of the Great Lakes, really, produce surfable waves and whether or not these surfers are experiencing less of them as our climate changes. 

Support for the production of this podcast was made possible by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, as part of its Great Lakes News Collaborative.

Music by Blue Dot Sessions.

More at michiganpublic.org/bts

The Great Lakes hold more than 20% of the fresh surface water in the entire world. If you live here or you’ve been here, you’ve probably gone to the beach. Maybe you’ve gone fishing or gotten water up your nose. But there’s so much more to the Lakes when you look below. Like shipwrecks!

Each of the Great Lakes has sunken ships. But in Lake Huron, there’s a place nicknamed Shipwreck Alley.

Michigan Public's Rebecca Williams and Jodi Westrick took a road trip north to Alpena from Ann Arbor to check it out.

Support for the production of this podcast was made possible by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, as part of its Great Lakes News Collaborative.

Music by Blue Dot Sessions.

You could be forgiven for mistaking the Great Lakes for oceans. Many of us have made memories on the beaches – but there’s so much more to learn about our huge inland seas. Join us as we travel to Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Superior, and Lake Ontario to discover something about each that makes them so special and learn why it will take communities across the Great Lakes region to ensure they stay great for generations to come. 

The first episode drops May 1, with new episodes every Friday through May 29. Subscribe at michiganpublic.org/bts or wherever you get your podcasts.