Minnesota Sea Grant is leading Sea Grant's 2026 Great Lakes BioBlitz, a community science effort to record as many species as possible within the Great Lakes basin over the course of four weeks. Educators, students, families, youth groups, and the general public are invited to participate.
A BioBlitz provides a way to record the variety of wild living things found in a given area, called biodiversity. Residents of the Great Lakes region from both the United States and Canada collect as many observations as possible over four weeks. These observations help scientists and resource managers better understand when and where organisms occur. Biodiversity data can contribute to research and conservation efforts.
A kick-off webinar will be held on April 16, 2026, to help participants learn how to observe nature and use iNaturalist for data collection.
Dates
April 22 - May 24, 2026
April 22 - May 24, 2026
How do I participate?
- Visit iNaturalist's "2026 Sea Grant Great Lakes BioBlitz." You'll have the option to create an account or log in in the upper right-hand corner.
- Once you log in or create an account, select "join" to become a member of the 2026 Sea Grant Great Lakes BioBlitz project.
- Start making and posting observations. You can record audio or take photos.
- Participate in weekly 2026 Sea Grant Great Lakes BioBlitz photo challenges and journal opportunities through your iNaturalist account.
Project Partners
This project is possible through a partnership with the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network and the Sea Grant Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL). Collaborators include the Great Lakes Aquarium and Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Contact
Heidi Ferris, Minnesota Sea Grant Environmental Literacy & Workforce Development Extension Educator. [email protected].
Image credit: University of Minnesota Duluth.