HOUGHTON — The Michigan Fresh Fish Fest will begin at the Houghton Downtown Waterfront Pier on Friday at 8 a.m. Highlights of the event include the Mi Fresh Fish Sail and the Mi Fresh Fish Fry. 

Participants will have the opportunity to climb aboard the Inland Seas, a tall ship schooner. Riders will sail Lake Superior while they learn about Michigan’s fresh fish through traditional stories and fish identification activities. Registration is $10 per person at events.anr.msu.edu/event. The Inland Seas will launch from 58 Huron Street in Houghton. Participants are encouraged to bring a water bottle, hat and sunscreen. 

After learning about the health benefits that local fish can provide, take advantage of the Mi Fresh Fish Fry on the pier. The fish fry will take place at the Huron Street Waterfront Park starting at 4 p.m. The fish fry is free and open to the public and will include food, cooking lessons, fishing activities and more. 

The Michigan Fresh Fish Fest is sponsored by the Michigan Sea Grant. The Michigan Sea Grant’s mission is to foster economic growth and protect Michigan’s Great Lakes resources through education, research and outreach. The Sea Grant is a collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. It’s part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network, which includes 33 similar university-based programs. 

The Michigan Sea Grant offers many educational programs for K-12 students, including multiple 4-H camps and their Life of the Straits program, where students learn more about the Straits of Mackinac. They also sponsor several research projects each year. One of these projects is led by Graduate Research Fellow Santosh Lamichlane of Michigan State University. Lamichlane’s team is focusing on the invasive carp’s presence in the Great Lakes. Specifically, how the invasive carp population responds to new and emerging fish viruses in the Great Lakes. Another team is focusing on how the growth of lake trout is affected by the changing climate of Lake Superior. Steven Voelker of Michigan Technological University is leading the project, which uses growth data from as far back as 1980. 

“Results from this research will improve understanding of lake trout population dynamics and provide valuable information to fisheries managers, helping to boost the economy and culture of coastal towns and communities they support,” researchers write on the project’s website. 

In their 2024-2027 plan, the Michigan Sea Grant outlines their goals for the near future. These include addressing four specific areas: healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, resilient communities and economies, and environmental literacy and workforce development. Their strategic plan explains they plan to “promote and support harvesting, culturing, and processing techniques that lead to safe, sustainable, high-quality food as well as economic, social and ecosystem benefits,” along with increasing “opportunities for students at all levels…to gain knowledge and experience addressing issues that are important to our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes and their respective watersheds.” 

The Michigan Sea Grant also offers a variety of fellowships, internships and scholarships for students. These can be found at michiganseagrant.org. HOUGHTON — The Michigan Fresh Fish Fest will begin at the Ray Kestner Waterfront Park on Friday at 8 a.m. Highlights of the event include the Mi Fresh Fish Sail and the Mi Fresh Fish Fry. 

Participants will have the opportunity to climb aboard the Inland Seas, a tall ship schooner. Riders will sail Lake Superior while they learn about Michigan’s fresh fish through traditional stories and fish identification activities. Registration is $10 per person at events.anr.msu.edu/event. The Inland Seas will launch from 58 Huron Street in Houghton. Participants are encouraged to bring a water bottle, hat and sunscreen. 

After learning about the health benefits that local fish can provide, take advantage of the Mi Fresh Fish Fry on the pier. The fish fry will take place at the Waterfront Park starting at 4 p.m. The fish fry is free and open to the public and will include food, cooking lessons, fishing activities and more. 

The Michigan Fresh Fish Fest is sponsored by the Michigan Sea Grant. The Michigan Sea Grant’s mission is to foster economic growth and protect Michigan’s Great Lakes resources through education, research and outreach. The Sea Grant is a collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. It’s part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network, which includes 33 similar university-based programs. 

The Michigan Sea Grant offers many educational programs for K-12 students, including multiple 4-H camps and their Life of the Straits program, where students learn more about the Straits of Mackinac. They also sponsor several research projects each year. One of these projects is led by Graduate Research Fellow Santosh Lamichlane of Michigan State University. Lamichlane’s team is focusing on the invasive carp’s presence in the Great Lakes. Specifically, how the invasive carp population responds to new and emerging fish viruses in the Great Lakes. Another team is focusing on how the growth of lake trout is affected by the changing climate of Lake Superior. Steven Voelker of Michigan Technological University is leading the project, which uses growth data from as far back as 1980. 

“Results from this research will improve understanding of lake trout population dynamics and provide valuable information to fisheries managers, helping to boost the economy and culture of coastal towns and communities they support,” researchers write on the project’s website. 

In their 2024-2027 plan, the Michigan Sea Grant outlines their goals for the near future. These include addressing four specific areas: healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, resilient communities and economies, and environmental literacy and workforce development. Their strategic plan explains they plan to “promote and support harvesting, culturing, and processing techniques that lead to safe, sustainable, high-quality food as well as economic, social and ecosystem benefits,” along with increasing “opportunities for students at all levels…to gain knowledge and experience addressing issues that are important to our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes and their respective watersheds.” 

The Michigan Sea Grant also offers a variety of fellowships, internships and scholarships for students. These can be found at michiganseagrant.org.