Many parts of the ocean are better understood than some of the Earth's large lakes, despite the fact that these are key reservoirs for much of the fresh water on the planet. Since 1994, scientists at the Large Lakes Observatory (LLO) have been working to change that.

For Jay Austin, who has made a career of studying the Great Lakes, the warming climate around Lake Superior is no mystery. But he was surprised to find the waters of the lake itself warming even more rapidly.