NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Blog

The latest news and information about NOAA research in and around the Great Lakes

May 8, 2025
by GLERL Communications Team
Comments Off on Great Lakes Ice Cover Near Average for the 2025 Season

Great Lakes Ice Cover Near Average for the 2025 Season

Each spring, NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) conducts an analysis of how Great Lakes ice conditions progressed throughout the previous winter. This analysis, which compares the past winter’s conditions to historical trends, helps us understand the key factors … Continue reading

March 6, 2024
by Gabrielle Farina
Comments Off on NOAA GLERL Physical Scientist receives NOAA National Ocean Service Peer Recognition Award

NOAA GLERL Physical Scientist receives NOAA National Ocean Service Peer Recognition Award

NOAA GLERL Physical Scientist James Kessler recently received a NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) Peer Recognition Award for outstanding day-to-day collaborative efforts involving crosscutting programmatic tasks that contributed to the accomplishments of the NOS mission.  Peer Recognition “Rafting” Awards recognize … Continue reading

February 22, 2024
by Gabrielle Farina
Comments Off on Q&A with NOAA scientists: Causes and impacts of 2024’s historically low Great Lakes ice cover

Q&A with NOAA scientists: Causes and impacts of 2024’s historically low Great Lakes ice cover

Many people have questions about the historically low Great Lakes ice cover this winter, and we’ve got answers! NOAA GLERL’s Bryan Mroczka (Physical Scientist) and Andrea Vander Woude (Integrated Physical and Ecological Modeling and Forecasting Branch Chief) answer the following … Continue reading

February 17, 2023
by Gabrielle Farina
Comments Off on Low ice on the Great Lakes this winter

Low ice on the Great Lakes this winter

Ice coverage has reached a record low in the Great Lakes for this time of year. As of February 13, 2023, only 7 percent of these five freshwater lakes was covered in ice. Read the full story on NOAA Research.

December 19, 2022
by Gabrielle Farina
Comments Off on Underwater robots significantly advance our ability to study Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms

Underwater robots significantly advance our ability to study Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms

Newly published research from the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR), and partners reveals that using underwater robots could significantly advance scientists’ ability to study the harmful algal blooms (HABs) that … Continue reading

December 14, 2022
by Gabrielle Farina
Comments Off on Decades in the making, NOAA’s newest Lake Superior and Lake Ontario forecast systems become fully operational

Decades in the making, NOAA’s newest Lake Superior and Lake Ontario forecast systems become fully operational

Did you know that NOAA operates a forecasting system that predicts water conditions on the Great Lakes? Whether you’re wondering about a lake’s temperature, currents, or water level changes, NOAA’s got you covered! This fall, NOAA implemented newly updated versions … Continue reading

October 26, 2022
by Gabrielle Farina
1 Comment

Lessons from Lake Huron: A look back at NOAA GLERL’s 2022 fieldwork for the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative

Every summer, NOAA GLERL scientists travel far and wide across the Great Lakes region to study the biological, chemical, and physical properties of these amazing lakes. A portion of this fieldwork contributes to a larger project called the Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative – or CSMI – which helps us take a deeper dive into studying a different Great Lake each year. 2022 was Lake Huron’s turn to shine, and GLERL’s efforts focused on benthic and spatial surveys in Thunder Bay and Saginaw Bay. Continue reading

August 10, 2022
by Gabrielle Farina
Comments Off on New under-ice observing capabilities could lead to new discoveries in the Great Lakes

New under-ice observing capabilities could lead to new discoveries in the Great Lakes

In the world of Great Lakes research, the start of winter traditionally signals the end of fieldwork for the year…This break leads to a several-month gap in most of GLERL’s field data, but this project aims to fill that gap using the high-tech SAAB Sabertooth AUV.  Continue reading

October 12, 2021
by Margaret Lansing
1 Comment

NOAA Wave Glider Camaro Gathers Key Data During 25-Day Cruise in Lake Superior

The NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and Michigan Technological University (MTU) Great Lakes Research Center recently teamed up on the deployment of a wave glider in Lake Superior. The chemical and biological data collected will help researchers understand … Continue reading

September 14, 2021
by Gabrielle Farina
2 Comments

From safe drinking water to sustainable fisheries, NOAA GLERL’s Experimental Lake Erie Hypoxia Forecast is even more useful than anticipated

Four years ago, NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) began providing an Experimental Lake Erie Hypoxia Forecast Model to warn stakeholders of low-oxygen upwelling events that can cause water quality … Continue reading