Date: October 30, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM ET (11:00 AM CT)
Location: Zoom
Webinar Topic: BenthicNet: Expanding Access to Specimen Collections for Biomonitoring
Biomonitoring tools first developed in Wisconsin are used worldwide. The state has numerous reference collections of benthic specimens gathered over decades. Access to these irreplaceable materials and their data are necessary fuel for future innovation.
BenthicNet is a network of specialists across Wisconsin who are expanding access to these historically significant specimens while also training the next generation of biomonitoring experts. Researchers from UW-Parkside, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Madison and the Milwaukee Public Museum will talk about the creation of BenthicNet, how the data will be used and their goal of contributing to a resurgence of biomonitoring expertise in Wisconsin.
Panelists include: * Jessica Orlofske, Associate Professor/Director of Center for Environmental Studies, UW-Parkside * Jeffrey Dimick, Aquatic Biomonitoring Laboratory Manager, UW-Stevens Point * Craig Brabant, Curator, Wisconsin Insect Research Collection, UW-Madison * Chris Tyrrell, Research Curator, Milwaukee Public Museum This event is part of the online Great Lakes Freshwater Symposium series, a partnership between the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, the Great Lakes Higher Education Consortium and Council of the Great Lakes Region.
