June 23, 2025
by GLERL Communications Team
Comments Off on Great Lakes Water Levels Down from Record Highs of 2017-2020
Great Lakes water levels have taken a dip over the last few years. Only a few years ago, we were fielding questions related to record high water levels on each of the lakes. Now, as water levels return to near … Continue reading
May 8, 2025
by GLERL Communications Team
Comments Off on 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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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