Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research

08/11/2026

Can AI Forecasting Help the ? A University of Michigan Institute Hopes So: https://www.lakescientist.com/can-ai-forecasting-help-the-great-lakes-a-university-of-michigan-institute-hopes-so/



cc: Great Lakes Observing System International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Michigan Sea Grant NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability Fondriest Environmental, Inc.

The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research is using AI forecasting to assist Great Lakes research and train environmental science students.

08/05/2026

The Great Lakes Observing System has partnered with the National Museum of the Great Lakes to present a temporary micro-exhibit about the observing network. is proud to be one of the partners, alongside the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, supporting this important work.

Now through Aug. 31, museum visitors can explore how real-time data from observing platforms across the supports research, forecasting, navigation, and recreation. 🌊🛰️

Read more 👇

07/23/2026

Save the Date - October 14-15, 2026 - Smart Great Lakes 2.0 Workshop 👇

Save the Date - October 14-15, 2026 - Smart Great Lakes 2.0 Workshop

The next Smart Great Lakes 2.0 Workshop will be held in Detroit, MI, to complement the two-day workshop held in Burlington, ON, in February of 2026. At this workshop, participants will pick up on the previous discussions about the challenges and opportunities for science and research in the Great Lakes, to continue priority setting for Smart Great Lakes 2.0.

Block your calendars. Registration information will be shared soon!

07/23/2026

👀🚨Happening Tomorrow! starting at 11am PST 👇

🌊 Join us for the virtual NOAA CoastWatch Satellite 201 Summer Lecture Series! 🛰️

Dive deeper into satellite oceanography with this advanced lecture series with remaining classes on July 24 and 31. Topics include alternative data access, CoastWatch utilities, ocean color products beyond chlorophyll, and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).

👉 More about the course: https://coastwatch-training.github.io/trainings/upcoming/sat201_26.html

👉 Register for the course: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdP_QGFwbT92DJm7Vnds74YQIHYqVjs-oLgyqDo9sIsiKneBg/viewform



cc: International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Great Lakes Observing System Michigan Sea Grant The Nature Conservancy in Michigan UWM School of Freshwater Sciences Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering MSU College of Natural Science Ohio Sea Grant Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Ohio State - College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences The Ohio State University School of Earth Sciences University of Michigan - Climate & Space GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute Central Michigan University Cornell University LimnoTech Fondriest Environmental, Inc. Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc. U-M Graham Sustainability Institute NOAA Satellite and Information Service NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

This is the registration form for the NOAA CoastWatch satellite 201 course to be held online on July 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2026. The course will cover the following subjects: SAR Data: An introduction to Synthetic Aperture Radar. CoastWatch Utilities: An introduction to using the CoastWatch proprietary...

07/17/2026

🔥 As smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to spread across the state and country, University of Michigan experts, are helping explain what is happening, why it’s occurring, and how to protect yourself. For those currently in Michigan, where the Air Quality Index in some areas has hit the 500s, limit time outdoors, keep windows closed, and check AirNow.gov before heading outside. https://myumi.ch/zNwNy

Smoke from Canadian wildfires is blanketing parts of the U.S., pushing air quality into the "Very Unhealthy" and, in some areas, even "Hazardous" range.

As smoke spreads across the state and country, University of Michigan experts, including SEAS faculty, are helping explain what is happening, why it’s occurring, and how to protect yourself.

For those in Michigan today, where the Air Quality Index in some areas has hit the 500s, limit time outdoors, keep windows closed, and check AirNow.gov before heading outside. https://myumi.ch/zNwNy

07/17/2026

Statement from Jonathan Overpeck, Climate Scientist and Dean, University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability:

07/01/2026

🚢⚙️ Last week, CIGLR attended the 2026 Soo Locks Engineers Day, an annual event that celebrates the engineering, innovation, and infrastructure that keep the Great Lakes navigation system moving.

The Soo Locks are a vital link in the Great Lakes maritime transportation network, enabling ships to move millions of tons of cargo between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes each year. Events like Engineers Day provide a valuable opportunity to connect with the public, share Great Lakes science and research, and highlight how engineering and environmental observations help support safe navigation, healthy ecosystems, and resilient coastal communities.

More about the Soo Locks: https://saultstemarie.com/attractions/soo-locks/



cc: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Great Lakes Observing System Michigan Sea Grant U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District I Love Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education LSSU College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education Lake Superior State University University of Michigan - Climate & Space

07/01/2026

🌊 ! Last week, and partners deployed two additional Lake Michigan buoys in Little Traverse Bay and Ludington. Maintained by CIGLR and funded by the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS), these observing systems expand real-time monitoring of Lake Michigan's weather, waves, water conditions, and nearshore ecosystems.

Check out the buoys' latest observations:

🔗 Little Traverse Bay Buoy: https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=45022

🔗 Ludington Buoy: https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=45024

These observing systems help improve Great Lakes research, forecasting, and safe navigation.



cc: International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability Michigan Sea Grant Great Lakes Commission UWM School of Freshwater Sciences Central Michigan University GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute MSU College of Natural Science Ohio Sea Grant LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) Cornell University @

07/01/2026

🧪🌊 See how and our partners are helping researchers better understand the potential for airborne harmful algal bloom toxins and improve future public health forecasts for communities. 👇

06/30/2026

🚨 Call for Abstracts! to AGU26 Session H078: Hydroclimate and Adaptive Management 🚨

The intersection of quantitative hydroclimatology and adaptive management is an active area of development. This American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting session brings together research on this topic to facilitate knowledge exchange and discussion among researchers and operational practitioners. We invite abstracts that fall under this broad umbrella for consideration in our session, described below.

AGU Fall Meeting: 7–11 December 2026, San Francisco, CA

Session Title:
H078. Hydroclimate Data, Modeling, and Machine Learning for Adaptive Management of Large Lakes, Coasts, and Watersheds

Session Description:
Adaptive management of large lakes, coastal systems, and watersheds requires hydroclimate information that supports decision-making across a range of spatiotemporal scales. This includes evaluating management alternatives, anticipating variability and extremes, and understanding the capabilities and limitations of management actions. These systems present challenges, including coupling within the land-water-atmosphere system, complex feedbacks, sparse observational coverage, and the need to integrate data and models across jurisdictions. Advances in coupled Earth system modeling, in situ and remote sensing observations, and machine learning are improving the ability to characterize and predict hydroclimate variability. This session invites contributions that advance hydroclimate data, models, and analysis frameworks in support of adaptive management, including coupled atmosphere-lake-ice-wave systems, integration of observational datasets, hybrid physics-machine learning and data assimilation approaches, and methods for uncertainty quantification in the context of decision-making. We encourage contributions that connect methodological advances to decision-making, including hazard mitigation, resilience planning, and resource management.

⭐️ Abstract Submission Deadline: 5 August 2026 ⭐️

Session Information and Abstract Submission:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu26/prelim.cgi/Session/281524

The conveners below enthusiastically invite you to submit an abstract to this session. Please also feel free to share this invitation with other researchers, operational practitioners, and institutions.

-- Dani Jones, Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research ( ), University of Michigan
-- Lauren Fry, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
-- Jia Wang, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
-- Pengfei Xue, Michigan Technological University
-- Christine Swanson, Cornell University



cc: International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Great Lakes Observing System Michigan Sea Grant The Nature Conservancy in Michigan UWM School of Freshwater Sciences Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education LSSU College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering Michigan Engineering University of Michigan - Climate & Space University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability Michigan Earth University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts U-M Graham Sustainability Institute GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute MSU College of Natural Science Central Michigan University Ohio Sea Grant Ohio State - College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

Adaptive management of large lakes, coastal systems, and watersheds requires hydroclimate information that supports decision-making across a range of spatiotemporal scales. This includes evaluating management alternatives, anticipating variability and extremes, and understanding the capabilities and...