Upstate Freshwater Institute

10/08/2026

Early mornings, long days, and plenty of hard work! Our field crew kept busy throughout the summer collecting samples, tackling challenges, and getting the job done. Here’s a glimpse of what goes into a month of summer fieldwork at UFI. ☀️

09/14/2026

Something’s bubbling up from below the surface… 👀

These little underwater rings are created when air is pushed through the water in a wat that forms a spinning vortex!

This is just a glimpse of what we’ve been seeing below the surface of Lake Ontario, stay tuned for more! 🌊

09/06/2026

UFI will be closed tomorrow, Monday the 7th, for Labor Day. We will be open during normal hours on Tuesday.

09/03/2026

📚 Back to school means getting students back to learning, and we're here to help!

From water quality monitoring to exploring the Great Lakes, our loan program allows educators to bring environmental science out of the textbook and into the real world. Check out our website for more information on the supplies and classroom-ready activities we have available to borrow!

🔗https://www.upstatefreshwater.org/outreach/loan-program

Teachers, we want to hear from you! If we had supplies available to borrow that would help students complete environmental action projects - think trash cleanups, gardening, habitat projects - would you use them? 🗑🐝🌱

What would you want to see in an environmental action project loan kit? Tell us in the comments!

08/27/2026

👀See it. 🚫Avoid it. 📷 Report it.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can appear quickly and may produce toxins that are harmful to people and pets.

This HAB had the "pea soup" and "spilled paint" look, but HABs can also appear as streaks or dots or clumps!

Take a picture and report it to the DEC. Every observation helps!

🔗 https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/water-quality/harmful-algal-blooms/notifications

08/14/2026

✨UFI presentation tonight!✨ Catch us in Sodus talking about the buoys and our Sanctuary Community Grant project!

🌊This Friday at 6PM in Sodus Point!

Join the Upstate Freshwater Institute, the Town of Sodus Historical Society, the Village of Sodus Point Historian, and the Sodus Bay Historical Society for a presentation like no other! Explore how the Upstate Freshwater Institute's advanced monitoring buoy systems collect near-real-time data on temperature, waves, and weather, and how that information supports scientific research and recreation. With data and imagery captured via underwater cameras, we invite you to dive beneath Lake Ontario’s surface to learn about water quality monitoring and its recreation connection. This work contributes to ongoing scientific efforts within the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary with support from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s Sanctuary Community Fund. This event is free and open to the public!

08/11/2026

This summer, we've had the pleasure of welcoming a few students to UFI!

In June, a local high school student joined us for a job shadow to learn what a career in freshwater science looks like. From field research to laboratory work!

We've also been fortunate to have an incoming college freshman help sort quagga mussels and organize historical monitoring samples, gaining hands-on experience while supporting our long-term research projects.

We're always excited to share our work with the next generation of scientists. Thank you both for your enthusiasm and willingness to spend some of your summers with UFI! 🌞

08/11/2026

Be sure to check us out at the H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego next week!

08/02/2026

Catch us out in your community this month! We'll be at each of our buoy locations to share more about what we do and how YOU can access Lake Ontario data! 🌊

Thank you to our community partners - Town of Sodus Historical Society/Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum, Oak Orchard Yacht Club, and H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego - for hosting these presentations!

These presentations are part of UFI's Seeing Below the Surface project, supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation's Sanctuary Community Fund.

We hope to see you there! 🤩

07/27/2026

Today's is research scientist, Megan Kingsley! 🗺
Megan began at UFI as a field technician and recently graduated from SUNY ESF with a BS in Environmental Science with a concentration in watershed science.

💧At what point did you know what you wanted to do for a career? 💧
I knew what I wanted to do for a career when I realized I loved being around water and enjoyed learning about freshwater ecosystems and human interactions with them.

💧What does a day working at UFI look like? 💧
My day typically entails calibrating sondes and prepping for fieldwork, collecting samples out on the water, and entering data. And of course, enjoying the sunshine on field days!

💧What's one thing you love about your job?💧
I love that I get to work with my hands while being outdoors around water.

💧What do you like to do outside of work?💧
I enjoy hiking/walking with my dogs, hanging with friends, and cooking.

We are thrilled to welcome Megan to the team! Leave a comment to welcome Megan or ask a question! 🤩