Kaskaskia Biological Station

exterior of Kaskaskia Biological StationThe Kaskaskia Biological Station is on Lake Shelbyville near Sullivan, Illinois.  Research is conducted on Lake Shelbyville and throughout the state.  Facilities include office space, microscope lab, on-site housing, bunk space for up to eight people, wet lab, workshop, boat shed, storage facilities, and boat ramp access to Lake Shelbyville.

Wet lab

array of tanks
Large tanks are set up behind the wet lab to run mesocosom experiments.

The station’s 1,500-square-foot wet lab includes two environmental control chambers, recirculating systems, and space for raceway and tank experiments. Outside the wet lab are larger tanks that can be set up in large numbers for replication of mesocosom experiments.

Aquariums and recirculating systems

aquariumfish in tankrecirculating tanks

Field work

man holding large fish on a boatThe Kaskaskia Biological Station employs approximately ten research technicians and numerous seasonal technicians. Field equipment available to staff and students at the station includes several electrofishing boats, electric seines, a backpack electrofisher, and a variety of gears used to sample larval fish, zooplankton, and macroinvertebrates.

Sampling Illinois lakes and rivers

boat full of fishtwo people on a boat

Larval fish, zooplankton, and macroinvertebrates are processed in the laboratory

larval fishzooplanktonmacroinvertebrate