NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Blog

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

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

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

June 22, 2021
by Gabrielle Farina
1 Comment

New wave buoy will provide data to support wave and flood forecasting on Lake Champlain

The NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and partners recently deployed a buoy in Lake Champlain that will measure the lake’s wave heights to assess the accuracy of a new experimental model for the lake. This is part of … Continue reading

February 4, 2021
by Gabrielle Farina
2 Comments

Five decades of Great Lakes ice cover data – and where to find it

Understanding the major effects of ice on the Great Lakes is crucial. Ice cover impacts a range of societal benefits provided by the lakes, from hydropower generation to commercial shipping to the fishing industry. The amount of ice cover varies … Continue reading

December 3, 2018
by Nicole Rice
Comments Off on The HAB season is over, but the work goes on

The HAB season is over, but the work goes on

It’s nearly winter here in the Great Lakes—our buoys are in the warehouse, our boats are making their way onto dry land, and folks in the lab are working hard to assess observed data, experiments, and other results from this … Continue reading

July 26, 2018
by Kaye LaFond
Comments Off on Andrea VanderWoude blends science and art to study the Great Lakes from the sky

Andrea VanderWoude blends science and art to study the Great Lakes from the sky

Andrea VanderWoude is a remote sensing specialist — that means she’s looking at things from far away. Whether she’s studying harmful algal blooms or rip currents, her job is to pull information out of pictures taken from airplanes or satellites. … Continue reading

July 20, 2018
by Katherine Glassner-Shwayder
4 Comments

Casting a high tech sampling net to learn more about the Great Lakes ecosystem

To answer questions about organisms and how they interact in the Great Lakes ecosystem, scientists from NOAA GLERL and CIGLR are using a new high tech sampling tool called MOCNESS (Multiple Opening and Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System). Continue reading

January 18, 2018
by Nicole Rice
Comments Off on Great Lakes in winter: Water levels and ice cover

Great Lakes in winter: Water levels and ice cover

The Great Lakes, along with their connecting waterways and watersheds, make up the largest lake system on the planet—more than 20% of the world’s surface freshwater! Water levels on the lakes change in response to a number of factors, and these … Continue reading

November 15, 2017
by Katherine Glassner-Shwayder
Comments Off on New algorithm to map Great Lakes ice cover

New algorithm to map Great Lakes ice cover

NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) is on the cutting edge of using satellite remote sensing to monitor different types of ice as well as the ice cover extent. To make this possible, an algorithm—a mathematical calculation developed at GLERL … Continue reading

May 30, 2017
by Margaret Lansing
Comments Off on NOAA GLERL collaborating with partners to monitor the Lake Huron ecosystem

NOAA GLERL collaborating with partners to monitor the Lake Huron ecosystem

The NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) is participating in an international, multi-agency effort to study invasive species, water quality, fisheries, and climate change in Lake Huron this field season—pursuing key knowledge gaps in the ecosystem. The Coordinated Science … Continue reading