The Kaskaskia Biological Station sits on Lake Shelbyville near Sullivan, Illinois. As part of the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the station plays a hands-on role in the understanding of how fish and freshwater systems work across Illinois.
What We Do
Kaskaskia is a working field station where researchers study everything from how fish use habitat to how invasive species spread. Our work includes long-term monitoring, controlled experiments, and day-to-day fieldwork aimed at making real progress in fisheries science and aquatic conservation.
The focus is practical: better data, better tools, and better decisions for managing lakes and rivers.
Facilities
The station has the tools and space needed to support year-round work on the water and in the lab. On-site features include:
- A 1,500-square-foot wet lab with two environmental control chambers
- Space for raceway and tank experiments
- Outdoor tanks used for larger-scale mesocosm studies
- A microscope lab
- Office space and housing with bunks for up to eight people
- Workshop, boat shed, and storage buildings
- Direct boat ramp access to Lake Shelbyville
These resources enable staff to run side-by-side experiments indoors and outdoors, compare conditions, and track changes over time.
In the Field
Kaskaskia crews do fieldwork across Lake Shelbyville and other bodies of water in Illinois. Their equipment includes:
- Electrofishing boats
- Backpack electrofishing gear
- Electric seines
- Nets and other tools for sampling larval fish, zooplankton, and macroinvertebrates
Samples collected in the field are brought back to the station for sorting, measurement, and analysis.
Who Works Here
Roughly ten full-time and seasonal technicians support the work at Kaskaskia. The station is directed by Dr. Joe Parkos and assistant director Dr. Anthony Porreca. Graduate students and visiting researchers often work side-by-side with the staff, gaining real-world experience in fisheries ecology.
Why It Matters
Lake Shelbyville gives researchers access to a large, dynamic reservoir system. But the reach of the station goes well beyond the lake itself. Kaskaskia plays an essential role in statewide studies on freshwater systems, helping shape how aquatic resources are studied and managed across Illinois.
