Lake Michigan: Whitefish, Warming Waters, and What Comes Next
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
Release Date: 05/08/2025
The Emotional Tide: Trauma and Resilience in a Changing Climate
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
Unpack how climate change is reshaping not just ecosystems but our emotional landscapes. This episode connects the rising trauma of a changing climate to the challenges faced by seafood systems in the Great Lakes and around the world. Through systems thinking and trauma-informed design, we examine how climate disruptions ripple through fisheries, communities, and the human psyche, as well as how new approaches can help us respond with care, clarity, and resilience. Episode Guide 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition 02:40 Cheryl Dahle, design strategist for systems change, returns...
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From Roots to Rivers: Food Justice in Chicago
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
Explore how environmental justice, food sovereignty, and cultural relevance come together in Chicago. From the legacy of industrial pollution and the “Toxic Doughnut” to the impact of climate change on local growers, we examine how communities are reclaiming power through food. Tune in to hear how land-based farming connects to seafood, and why culturally rooted food systems matter for a more just and sustainable future. Episode Guide 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition 02:14 Meet Nick Davis, managing director of communications and engagement at the , a community-run...
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Lake Michigan: Whitefish, Warming Waters, and What Comes Next
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
Step into the world of commercial fishing in Lake Michigan, where deep-rooted tradition meets a rapidly changing environment. This episode traces the importance of whitefish, the effects of rising water temperatures, and the challenges facing fishing families as they navigate shifting policies and climate pressures. Hear how the future of a generational industry hangs in the balance and what’s at stake for the communities that depend on it. Episode Guide 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition 02:14 Karen Murchie, director of freshwater research at in Chicago, Illinois, shares...
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Tinned with Care: Preserving the Great Lakes
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
Discover how one entrepreneur is reshaping the future of regional seafood—one tin at a time. This episode takes you to Fishtown, Michigan, for the story behind the first Midwest-based tinned fish company sourcing exclusively from the Great Lakes. Learn how honoring local flavor, rethinking business models, and planning for climate resilience are all part of building a more sustainable seafood system from the inside out. Episode Guide 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition 02:07 Introducing Marissa Fellows, the founder and CEO of ,, whom we met in a shanty on the spectacular...
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Fishtown’s Fight: Saving a Working Waterfront
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
Journey into the heart of Fishtown, Michigan—a historic commercial fishing village on the shores of Lake Michigan that continues to anchor Great Lakes maritime culture. This episode dives into the deep roots of the region’s fishing community, the founding of the Fishtown Preservation Society, and the resilience required to protect a working waterfront threatened by rising waters and time. Hear how history, trauma, and community care intertwine in a place where fishing isn’t just a livelihood, it’s a living story. Episode Guide 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition 02:06...
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In Hot Water: Climate Challenges in the Gulf of Maine
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the ocean. In the first episode of In Hot Water, Maine, we hear from researchers at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, the University of Maine, the Island Institute and people working on the water who share the current challenges facing the Gulf of Maine’s fisheries and coastal communities such as invasive green crabs, sea level rise, coastal erosion, ocean acidification, increasing 100-year storms, and aging wastewater treatment facilities. There’s no quick fix for seafood harvesters in the Gulf, but climate solutions do exist. From...
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In Hot Water: Maine’s Iconic Lobster Fishery, Endangered Whales, and Their Intertwined Fate in a Warming Gulf
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the ocean. In this episode of In Hot Water, Maine, we learn more about the state's iconic lobster fishery, dive deeper into the plight of the endangered right whale, and understand how the present and future of these critically important species are so intertwined. There’s no quick fix for seafood harvesters in the Gulf, but climate solutions do exist. From encouraging species diversification to actively involving frontline communities, changemakers are leading a new path for seafood in Maine. Produced by Seafood and Gender Equality...
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In Hot Water: The History and Growth of Aquaculture in Maine and its Challenges in Coastal Communities
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the ocean. In this episode of In Hot Water, Maine, we learn more about the history of the state's aquaculture sector, kelp farming as a means to diversify income, social license, and the increasing effects of NIMBY or, Not in My Backyard, which is becoming more pervasive across the Vacationland state. There’s no quick fix for seafood harvesters in the Gulf, but climate solutions do exist. From encouraging species diversification to actively involving frontline communities, changemakers are leading a new path for seafood in Maine Produced...
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In Hot Water: How Disappearing Working Waterfronts and Gentrification Impact Seafood Harvesters
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the ocean. In this episode of In Hot Water, Maine, we learn about working waterfronts, the importance of their preservation for the future of the state's fisheries, the gentrification of Maine's coastal communities, and how climate change is endangering the physical and mental health of harvesters and their families. There’s no quick fix for seafood harvesters in the Gulf, but climate solutions do exist. From encouraging species diversification to actively involving frontline communities, changemakers are leading a new path for seafood in...
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In Hot Water: Is Seaweed a Climate Solution?
In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast
The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the ocean. In this episode of In Hot Water, Maine, we learn about the growth of the seaweed sector in Maine, which includes both wild and farmed seaweeds, while asking, “is seaweed a climate solution?” There’s no quick fix for seafood harvesters in the Gulf, but climate solutions do exist. From encouraging species diversification to actively involving frontline communities, changemakers are leading a new path for seafood in Maine Produced by Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) and Seaworthy, the “In Hot...
info_outlineStep into the world of commercial fishing in Lake Michigan, where deep-rooted tradition meets a rapidly changing environment. This episode traces the importance of whitefish, the effects of rising water temperatures, and the challenges facing fishing families as they navigate shifting policies and climate pressures. Hear how the future of a generational industry hangs in the balance and what’s at stake for the communities that depend on it.
Episode Guide
- 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition
- 02:14 Karen Murchie, director of freshwater research at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, shares the importance of freshwater ecosystems and the food they produce (but it’s a misnomer to call it “seafood!”)
- 07:20 A generational Great Lakes fishery steeped in tradition - meet Lakon Williams, operations manager and owner of Bayport Fish Company, a historic fishery on Michigan’s Saginaw Bay
- 11:14 Whitefish: a critically important fish in Lake Michigan’s commercial fishery
- 16:25 Lakon shares the history of commercial fishing in Lake Michigan and her frustrations about its historical and current management
- 23:23 Recreational fisheries influence the management of fisheries resources
- 28:12 According to the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, the Great Lakes show a trend toward higher water temperatures Lakon shares how that is affecting the fishery
- 34:21 The Department of Natural Resources and their relationship with the commercial fishing companies
- 38:06 The Great Lakes’ fishing industry is in “dire straits”
- 41;32 While not great for the native fish of the lakes, the introduced species Asian carp, or copi, represents a market opportunity
- 43:12 Lakon ends the episode sharing that while she hopes to leave a thriving and sustainable business to her family’s third generation, she’s wary of the future
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Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys seafood and is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood-producing regions.
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