Lily Carey

Lily Carey is a freelance reporter for the Tribune.

Team members at Illinois Natural History Survey’s Lake Michigan biologist station collect samples from the artificial reef off the coast of Illinois Beach State Park in Zion on June 24, 2025. The team collected nine sediment samples and four algae samples that day. Five of the sediment samples were collected to give to Illinois State Geological Survey and four will be used by the team to track invertebrates living on the reef. The algae samples will be used to assess the biomass across the four sites on the reef. (Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune)

Can artificial reefs in Lake Michigan slow erosion and boost fish population? Researchers aim to find out.

July 17, 2025 at 10:21 a.m.

Rubble ridges, which have been built parallel to the shore, help retain some sand without fully stopping the natural flow in the lake.

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