NOAA EXPANDS GREAT LAKES RESEARCH
Ten Universities Named to Form Great Lakes Cooperative Institute

NOAA today announced the establishment of a new Great Lakes Cooperative Institute to conduct collaborative research through a consortium of universities and institutions in the Great Lakes region, Research efforts will focus on forecasting; invasive species, control, impact, and assessment; the Great Lakes Observing System; protection and restoration of resources; and Great Lakes education and outreach.

The Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research is comprised of a consortium of academic institutions including the Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Penn State University, State University of New York-Stony Brook, University of Illinois of Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Toledo, and University of Wisconsin.

“NOAA’s mission goals and strategic plan are the central focus of the work conducted by NOAA Cooperative Institutes,” said retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Cooperative Institutes serve a vital function by providing education and training to future generations of our nation and NOAA’s scientific workforce.“

NOAA currently supports 21 Cooperative Institutes in 17 states focusing on research ranging from satellite climatology and fisheries biology to atmospheric chemistry and coastal ecology. Cooperative Institutes are located at parent institutions whose geographic expanse extends from Hawaii to Massachusetts and from Alaska to Florida.

“Maintaining strong cooperative relationships with academic institutions is critical to providing the scientific basis for sound decision-making that helps preserve the health and vitality of the Great Lakes region ecology,” said Stephen B. Brandt, director, NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. "The Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystem Research will provide NOAA new opportunities for research and education with leading universities throughout the Great Lakes region.”

The new Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research will replace the current Great Lakes Cooperative Institute at the University of Michigan and will include an expanded partnership. Joining NOAA’s other cooperative and joint institutes across the country, these institutes are NOAA-supported, non-federal organizations that have established an outstanding research program in one or more areas that are relevant to NOAA’s mission. The Cooperative Institute collaborates with NOAA scientists on long-term research topics and provides significant coordination of resources among all non-government partners and promotes the involvement of students and postdoctoral scientists in NOAA-funded research.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is celebrating 200 years of science and service to the nation. From the establishment of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation of the Weather Bureau and the Commission of Fish and Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: http://www.oar.noaa.gov

NOAA’s Cooperative Institutes: http://www.nrc.noaa.gov/ci

NOAA’s Great Lakes Observing System: http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/Programs/eos