The Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) is the regional association for the Great Lakes observing network, part of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). GLOS coordinates a network of federal, state, academic and private institutions to gather data and make it discoverable according to international standards. As the only freshwater region of the U.S. IOOS, GLOS meets the region’s unique needs by acting as a single-minded coordinator of data gathering activity. That coordination allows equal access to top-quality information that supports ecosystem restoration and protection, reduction of public health risks, improving safety and efficiency of maritime operations, mitigation of natural hazards and adaptation to climate change.
Contact Information: Kelli Paige, Executive Director, kpaige@glos.us
About the Great Lakes Region
GLOS works to make real-time and historical data publicly available to the larger Great Lakes community, benefiting data users and decision makers in the Great Lakes. GLOS serves the needs of data providers by curating and serving their findings, and serves information consumers by establishing quality control and offering convenient tools and easy access.
Activities that GLOS undertakes are as follows:
- Continuing to implement IOOS in the Great Lakes by leading the coordination and management of an end-to-end network of observations, data management and delivery, data analysis and modeling, research, and outreach.
- Serving as a Data Assembly Center (DAC) for the Great Lakes by providing data assembly, quality control, discovery, and access services across multiple observing systems, platforms, and data types to address stakeholder needs and increase product development and/or operational efficiency.
- Expanding, sustain, and direct the Great Lakes’ observing network towards addressing existing and emerging data and information needs in the Great Lakes region.