Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research

06/23/2026

🚨 HAPPENING THIS SUMMER!! 🚨 👇

Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron is getting a high-tech visitor! Our partners at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) are deploying a SeaTrac uncrewed surface vessel from July 29th to September 4th as part of the SHARC (Surface Harmful Algal Research Craft) project. SHARC is a cutting-edge effort to monitor and understand Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Saginaw Bay. Deployment of the SeaTrac will operate out of Sebewaing, MI, with the craft conducting both underway sampling and holding locations far northeast as Caseville, MI.

🚨👀👉 Please stay at least 200 feet away from this freshwater SHARC if you see it at work!

🔗 See more details on this exciting field campaign at our blog: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/blog/2026/06/11/freshwater-sharc-new-hab-monitoring-technology-to-be-deployed-in-saginaw-bay/



cc: University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) Central Michigan University Cornell University LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education LSSU College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering UWM School of Freshwater Sciences Michigan Sea Grant Ohio Sea Grant University of Wisconsin Sea Grant/Water Resources Institutes Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Minnesota Sea Grant Pennsylvania Sea Grant New York Sea Grant Great Lakes Observing System Great Lakes Fishery Commission Great Lakes Commission Ohio State - College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts Michigan Earth University of Michigan - Climate & Space MSU College of Natural Science GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute The Nature Conservancy in Michigan LimnoTech Fondriest Environmental, Inc. Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc. National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition U-M Graham Sustainability Institute

This summer, Saginaw Bay is getting a high-tech visitor! The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) is deploying a SeaTrac uncrewed surface vessel from July 29th to September 4th as part of the SHARC (Surface Harmful Algal Research Craft) project. SHARC is a cutting-edge effort to monitor and understand Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Deployment of the SeaTrac will operate out of Sebewaing, MI, with the craft conducting both underway sampling and holding locations far northeast as Caseville, MI. Please stay at least 200 feet away from this freshwater SHARC if you see it at work!

See more details on this exciting field campaign at our blog:
https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/blog/2026/06/11/freshwater-sharc-new-hab-monitoring-technology-to-be-deployed-in-saginaw-bay/

06/10/2026

What an amazing to have a field day on with 's 2026 Summer Fellows! 🌊🛥️

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

06/10/2026

🌊💦🛥️ 2026 Summer Fellows enjoying a day on ! Today, the fellows get to practice collecting water samples on 's R/V Laurentian and learn more about Lake Michigan's ecology from NOAA GLERL Research Scientist Dr. Ashley Elgin.

cc: International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Great Lakes Observing System NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Michigan Sea Grant

06/05/2026

, : 📍✈️ CIGLR had a meeting-filled month of May!

From conferences and workshops to network meetings and scientific gatherings, our researchers and staff spent the month sharing science, building partnerships, and connecting with colleagues across the Great Lakes and beyond.

Here are a few snapshots from the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Meeting in Oswego, New York, and the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) meeting in Montréal, Québec.

Thank you for being champions for the Great Lakes and for sharing our collaborative science, partnerships, and impact! Check out the photo gallery to see more. 📸



cc: International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Great Lakes Observing System Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Ohio Sea Grant Minnesota Sea Grant University of Wisconsin Sea Grant/Water Resources Institutes Pennsylvania Sea Grant New York Sea Grant SUNY - The State University of New York Cornell University Cornell Biological Field Station Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada Visitez Montréal / Visit Montréal

06/05/2026

💻 📊 Today, CIGLR, SEAS, and MIDAS hosted the Great Lakes Environmental Data Training Workshop at the University of Michigan, bringing together students, postdocs, researchers, and professionals for a day of presentations, hands-on training, and discussion focused on Great Lakes environmental data and forecasting systems.

Participants explored Great Lakes forecast models, learned how to access and visualize environmental datasets, and heard from experts on real-world applications of environmental model data in fisheries, hydrology, water quality, atmospheric science, and more.

Thank you to all of our presenters, panelists, and participants for a fantastic day of learning, collaboration, and data exploration!



cc: International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Great Lakes Observing System NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Michigan Sea Grant U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome The Nature Conservancy in Michigan

06/04/2026

❄️ 🧊 NEW BLOG POST! What does it take to make sea ice travel safer in coastal Alaska?

This spring, UM CIGLR researchers traveled to St. Lawrence Island and Nome to meet directly with community members, emergency responders, subsistence hunters, and local leaders to discuss the challenges of traveling on sea ice in a changing Arctic.

These workshops are helping shape a next-generation sea ice forecasting tool that combines advanced modeling with Indigenous knowledge to provide more accurate, locally relevant information for communities that rely on ice for transportation, hunting, and everyday life. The conversations highlighted the importance of co-developing tools with the people who use them and ensuring local expertise guides scientific progress.

🔗 Read how these workshops are helping build safer, more resilient Arctic communities: https://ciglr.seas.umich.edu/safety-on-ice-alaska-community-workshops/



cc: International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Great Lakes Observing System Michigan Sea Grant The Nature Conservancy in Michigan LSSU College of Great Lakes Ecology and Education LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering UWM School of Freshwater Sciences GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) Cornell Biological Field Station University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) Cornell University Central Michigan University Ohio Sea Grant Ohio State - College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences MSU College of Natural Science LimnoTech Fondriest Environmental, Inc. Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc. National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center University of Alaska Fairbanks Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome University of Michigan - Climate & Space University of Michigan News University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

05/29/2026

🌊🧪 : Lake Erie harmful algal blooms may be more complex than previously thought. New research from the University of Michigan, CIGLR, NOAA, and partners found that blooms produce a diverse "forbidden soup" of bioactive compounds that can overlap and interact in ways that may increase toxicity. The findings highlight the importance of expanding our understanding of harmful algal bloom risks and monitoring efforts.

🔗 Read Article: https://news.umich.edu/lake-erie-produces-forbidden-soup-of-rotating-potential-toxins/

🔗 Read the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME) Publication: https://academic.oup.com/ismej/article/20/1/wrag026/8490297

🔗 Read the Environmental Toxicology Publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tox.70028



cc: International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Great Lakes Observing System Michigan Sea Grant The Nature Conservancy in Michigan UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering UWM School of Freshwater Sciences LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute Cornell Biological Field Station Cornell University Central Michigan University MSU College of Natural Science Ohio State - College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Michigan Sea Grant Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Ohio Sea Grant Michigan Earth University of Michigan Ecology and Evolutionary Biology U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

05/29/2026

🚨We're ! Please Share!

is seeking an Oil Spill Hydrodynamic Modeler to work with CIGLR and NOAA-GLERL researchers on oil spill transport and fate modeling. This Ann Arbor-based position offers the opportunity to apply cutting-edge modeling tools to support Great Lakes research and environmental protection. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Learn more and apply at this link: https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/278163/oil-spill-hydrodynamic-modeler



cc: International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Michigan Sea Grant The Nature Conservancy in Michigan LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education UWM School of Freshwater Sciences UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center Central Michigan University Cornell Biological Field Station Cornell University MSU College of Natural Science Ohio Sea Grant The Ohio State University School of Earth Sciences Ohio State - College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Michigan Tech Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering University of Michigan - Climate & Space University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) U-M Graham Sustainability Institute LimnoTech Fondriest Environmental, Inc. Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant New York Sea Grant Great Lakes Commission Great Lakes Observing System Great Lakes Fishery Commission

05/26/2026

🌊 Welcome, 2026 Great Lakes Summer Fellows! 🎉

Please join us in welcoming the 2026 fellows and check out our new blog to learn more about each fellow, their background, and the research they’ll be pursuing this summer: https://ciglr.seas.umich.edu/welcome-2026-gls-summer-fellows/

In partnership with NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, the Great Lakes Summer Fellows Program helps train the next generation of scientists through hands-on research, career development, and mentorship. Over the next 12 weeks, these emerging scientists will conduct research, build new skills, and form lasting connections as part of the fellowship cohort.



cc: University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Michigan Sea Grant Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) The Nature Conservancy in Michigan National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education UWM School of Freshwater Sciences UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute Central Michigan University Ohio Sea Grant Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant University of Wisconsin Sea Grant/Water Resources Institutes Ohio State - College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Cornell Biological Field Station MSU College of Natural Science University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts University of Vermont Hope College University of Delaware

05/22/2026

🎉 Congratulations to CIGLR’s Dr. Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome and Dr. Casey Godwin on their promotions to Research Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)!

Approved by the University of Michigan Board of Regents on May 21, these promotions recognize their significant contributions to research, collaboration, and leadership in Great Lakes science: https://record.umich.edu/articles/regents-approve-faculty-promotions-21/

We are proud to celebrate this exciting milestone and are grateful for the impact Ayumi and Casey continue to make through their work at CIGLR and SEAS. Congratulations!



cc: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Michigan Earth University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts University of Michigan - Climate & Space Great Lakes Observing System Great Lakes Commission Michigan Sea Grant Ohio Sea Grant MSU College of Natural Science GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering LSSU Center for Freshwater Research and Education UWM School of Freshwater Sciences Cornell Biological Field Station LimnoTech National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center The Nature Conservancy in Michigan Fondriest Environmental, Inc. Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc. Central Michigan University Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) Ohio State - College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences