Matt Herbert

Matt Herbert

@matteherbert.bsky.social

Conservation Scientist @nature.org in Michigan; Great Lakes, conservation, fish, freshwater, biodiversity, nature, ecology, sustainability; Views expressed here are my own, and not of my employer or any other organization I'm associated with

270 followers124 following95 posts

Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

Efforts to address Lake Whitefish population crashes in the #GreatLakes are growing. We need more capacity and resources, but the ball is gaining momentum. Kudos to @kellyhouse.bsky.social & @bridgemi.com for staying on top of this. #fisheries #PureMichigan #whitefish bridgemi.com/michigan-env...

bridgemi.comWith no time to spare, Michigan hatches a Great Lakes whitefish rescue plan - Bridge MichiganWith little time left to avert a population collapse, officials plan to pluck whitefish from the mussel-infested Great Lakes and raise their offspring in hatcheries.
Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

"Rescinding the Roadless Rule would diminish protections for rivers, and may compromise drinking water quality and affordability, reduce recreational opportunities, and threaten freshwater #biodiversity." #Conservation #freshwater #recreation #GetOutdoors journals.plos.org/water/articl...

journals.plos.orgAssessing the value of the U.S. Roadless Rule for people and natureFor more than a century, forest policy in the United States has recognized the importance of protecting forested watersheds to safeguard water resources. The 2001 U.S. Forest Service Roadless Area Con...
Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

Study: Indigenous practices are a source of resilience for helping respond to climate change, but Indigenous people are already experiencing impacts from climate change and their traditions, as well as their lands and waters, are threatened by #ClimateChange. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comIndigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems and practices for climate survival - Humanities and Social Sciences CommunicationsHumanities and Social Sciences Communications - Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems and practices for climate survival
Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

In two new publications, scientists call for an approach for using conservation genomics with ethical deliberation, in consultation with Indigenous peoples and with the goal of holistically supporting #ecosystems. #Conservation #Indigenous #genomics phys.org/news/2026-07...

phys.orgConservation genomics faces growing calls to center Indigenous knowledge and data rightsThroughout human ecological history, we have played a variety of roles within ecosystems around the world. In this so-called Anthropocene era, genomic innovations have given us new and powerful ways t...

Matt Herbert reposted

Katie O'Reilly
@drkatfish.bsky.social

In the lower #GreatLakes, whitefish numbers have been declining in part due to invasive mussels - now a bill under consideration in the Michigan state Senate would allocate funding to the state's DNR for a rearing/stocking program to support whitefish recovery www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/05/05/m...

greatlakesnow.orgMichigan lawmakers may fund last-ditch effort to save whitefish - Great Lakes NowLawmakers move to restock the iconic fish that are disappearing from the lower Great Lakes.
Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

Wow. What an incredible honor for @kellyhouse.bsky.social. Extremely well deserved. Her series on the decline of Lake Whitefish in the #GreatLakes was outstanding and incredibly important. We need more of this kind of deep-dive investigative journalism. Kudos to Bridge Michigan for providing it!

Bridge Michigan@bridgemi.com

bit.lyBridge Michigan’s Kelly House honored by MIT for science, whitefish reportingSenior environmental reporter Kelly House and her series on declining whitefish in the Great Lakes were honored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Knight Science Journalism Program.
Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

Our Tributary Whitefish Restoration Team has been spending nights on the Jordan River evaluating the success of the latest Lake Whitefish egg stocking effort. Kudos to Little Traverse Bay Band for leading this, and all of the partner agencies for contributing. #GreatLakes #PureMichigan #fisheries

Matt Herbert reposted

Titus Seilheimer
@drfishsg.bsky.social

Spring means warmer temperatures and the start of fish spawning. One of the earliest spawning fish in Wisconsin is the Northern Pike. Pike arrive right after ice out and use flooded areas. This gives their offspring a long first year growing season. #GreatLakes

Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

Stoneflies would be a perfect Michigan state insect. They love healthy, high quality rivers, and are known for their association with trout (which also love high quality rivers). #PureMichigan #Michigan #Rivers greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/27/s...

greatlakesecho.orgStoneflies or leafhoppers: Which could become the official state insect?By Justin Fox Clausen Two insects are under consideration as Michigan's official state insect: the stonefly and, more recently, the Huron River leafhopper. The state is one of two in the country with...

Matt Herbert reposted

Birder K
@birderk.bsky.social

Ship traffic will be fun to watch. All the Great Lakes will likely have wave heights over 25 feet late tonight into late Monday night. The NWS in northern Michigan mentioned that the occasional hurricane force gust is possible on Lake Superior with top wave heights of 34 feet! #GreatLakes #weather

Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

Reduced Sea Lamprey control efforts during the 2020 Covid shutdown caused an increase in #GreatLakes lamprey numbers. But control efforts since then have already brought them back under control. This demonstrates the importance of maintaining control efforts. www.michiganpublic.org/environment-...

michiganpublic.orgInvasive sea lamprey declining as control efforts in the Great Lakes resumeDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes surged because treatments were limited.
Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

Re-establishing river-spawning populations of Great Lakes Lake Whitefish can help conserve their populations. And efforts are underway to develop and test ways to do exactly that. This article highlights work that Sault Tribe is leading. #GreatLakes @mlive.com www.mlive.com/environment/...

mlive.comTribes move whitefish upriver in bid to revive Great Lakes runsBiologists are releasing live whitefish in Upper Peninsula rivers to see whether they can serve as a bridge for large-scale species restoration.
Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

Sault Tribe released over 425,000 Walleye and over 100,000 Lake Whitefish in conservation efforts to support fish populations and healthy fisheries. #GreatLakes #PureMichigan #Indigenous www.9and10news.com/2025/10/06/s...

9and10news.comSault Tribe releases over 500,000 fish in annual stocking effortThe Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has completed its annual fish stocking, releasing over 500,000 walleye and whitefish to support fisheries and address invasive species challenges.
Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

There aren't very many large, contiguous roadless areas left in the US. And it turns out that 99% of Americans understand that and care that those lands remain roadless. I would have guessed #RoadlessAreas would be popular, but 99%?!? #Conservation #Outdoors www.outdoorlife.com/conservation...

outdoorlife.comMore Than 99 Percent of Americans Disapprove of Roadless Rule Rollbacks, According to New AnalysisA public comment period for the planned rescission of the Roadless Rule ended Friday with more than 99 percent of comments opposing the move.
Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

Great day yesterday scouting sites with partners from Little Traverse Bay Band and Sault Tribe, in preparation for upcoming work this fall/winter, as part of our efforts to develop restoration strategies for tributary runs of Lake Whitefish. #GreatLakes

Matt Herbert
@matteherbert.bsky.social

New Report Sounds Alarm Over Lack of Planning and Oversight For Upcoming Great Lakes Water Demands #Water #GreatLakes greatlakes.org/2025/08/grea...

greatlakes.orgGreat Lakes Region Unprepared for Increasing Water Use Demands - Alliance for the Great LakesCHICAGO, IL (August 20, 2025) – The Great Lakes region faces the prospect of water shortages, groundwater conflicts, and contaminated aquifers as demand sharply increases from large water users such [...