Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (January 21, 2020) – Deep in the dark waters of the Great Lakes swims the only freshwater member of the cod family, the burbot (Lota lota) fish. Known by many names, including ‘lawyer’ and ‘eelpout’, the burbot is unknown to most people, but prized by some. Join fisheries specialist Titus Seilheimer for a special “Burbotine’s Day” edition of the Door County Maritime Speaker Series, on Thursday, February 4 at 7pm (CST) online, to learn more about this unique species.
To watch and participate in the virtual conversation or ask questions, Click HERE to register.
We will record the presentation and share it on our DCMaritime YouTube channel and Facebook afterwards.
The Burbot is a native Great Lakes predator that swims under the radar…and has some interesting and unexpected behaviors. Only when winters are at their coldest in the North does the burbot start thinking about love. The normally solitary burbot will meet up with other burbot, under the ice, to spawn in the coldest days of February (Happy Burbotine’s Day!).
Those in the know enjoy eating burbot, and it’s often called Poor Man’s Lobster. The burbot supports a small commercial fishery in Lake Michigan, and is prized for its flaky, white flesh.
Join Titus Seilheimer on a journey through the biology and ecology (and maybe some recipes) of the burbot. The event will be sure to delight Great Lakes lovers from 10-100.
Titus Seilheimer has been a fisheries specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant since 2012, where he leads research, outreach, and education activities focused on Great Lakes fisheries and ecosystems. Seilheimer has spent more than 100 days on Lake Michigan commercial fishing boats since 2015. His past research took him to all five Great Lakes as well as the southern Great Plains. He lives in Manitowoc, WI where he enjoys spending time exploring the local coast with his family and setting out on long bike rides with no planned route.
The Maritime Speaker Series offers an assortment of monthly programs on everything from historical topics to current issues affecting the Great Lakes and the economy that relies on them. Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series programs are held the first Thursday of each month, November through May, beginning at 7pm.
There is no charge to attend this virtual Speaker Series presentation, sponsored by the Door County Medical Center. We ask that you donate a non-perishable food item to a local organization of your choice.
Mark your calendar for these upcoming speakers in the series:
March 4 – Ladies of the Lights, with Dianna Stempfler
April 1 – Container Wars: The Contentious Claim to the Commercial Shipping Revolution, with Rhys Kuzdas, DCMM curator
Visit Maritime Speaker Series Schedule to learn more about the upcoming presentations.
ALL CONTENT © 2025 BY DOOR GUIDE PUBLISHING
