Lake Tahoe is one of the most studied lakes in the world, and understanding what’s happening beneath its famously clear surface is critical to protecting its future.

On this episode of Tahoe TAP, hosts Mike Peron and Rob Galloway sit down with Dr. Stephanie Hampton, Director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and a professor of environmental science and policy, for a conversation about the science behind Lake Tahoe and the challenges facing freshwater ecosystems.

A freshwater ecologist by training, Hampton has spent more than two decades studying lakes and the forces that shape their health and resilience. Her research has taken her from Lake Tahoe to Lake Baikal in Siberia, one of the world’s oldest and deepest freshwater lakes, giving her a global perspective on the factors that keep aquatic ecosystems healthy — and the growing pressures they face from climate change and human activity.

Hampton’s work places her at the intersection of science, environmental policy and public understanding. In addition to leading the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, she currently serves as President of the Ecological Society of America and has held leadership positions with the National Science Foundation and Washington State University.

For a region where the health of the lake is closely tied to its environment, economy and quality of life, Hampton’s work offers an important look at what researchers are learning about Tahoe — and what those discoveries could mean for the lake in the decades ahead.

In this episode, Tahoe TAP explores the science behind Tahoe’s clarity, how changing environmental conditions are affecting freshwater ecosystems, what researchers are watching most closely, and how scientific research can help guide the decisions needed to protect the lake.

Tune in for a fascinating conversation with one of the country’s leading freshwater ecologists and get a deeper look at the science helping us understand — and protect — Lake Tahoe.