Great Lakes Observing System

Great Lakes Observing System
Name	Great Lakes Observing System
Formation	2005
Type	Regional observing network
Headquarters	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Region served	Great Lakes

Great Lakes Observing System is a regional integrated observing network that coordinates monitoring, data management, and applied research for the Great Lakes basin. It connects scientific institutions, federal agencies, state programs, and non‑profit organizations to support decision‑making for navigation, water quality, ecosystem management, harmful algal bloom response, and climate resilience. The system enables sharing of observations from sensors, satellites, research vessels, and citizen science programs across the United States–Canada transboundary watershed.

Overview

GLOS provides a coordinated framework linking observational assets such as buoys, shore stations, autonomous vehicles, and remote sensing platforms to stakeholders including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and state/provincial agencies. The network supports operational services like lake level forecasting used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, shipping interests at Port of Chicago, and municipal water utilities in cities such as Detroit and Toronto. GLOS outputs are integrated with modeling centers at institutions like the University of Michigan, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, and the National Weather Service to inform emergency managers, coastal communities, and fisheries managers.

History and Development

The initiative grew from regional needs identified following high‑profile events including the 1997 Red River flood and recurrent harmful algal blooms that affected the Lake Erie basin and municipal intakes such as in Toledo, Ohio. Early coordination involved collaborations among the Great Lakes Commission, academic partners including Michigan State University and Ohio State University, and federal programs like the Integrated Ocean Observing System. Formal organization and funding milestones occurred in the 2000s with support from the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and cross‑border agreements with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to harmonize monitoring across international boundaries.

Organizational Structure and Partnerships

GLOS operates as a consortium with a governance model that brings together board members from academia, state agencies, and federal partners including representatives from NOAA, EPA, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Key partner institutions include the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, the Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association, and university centers at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Cornell University, and the State University of New York. Cooperative agreements link GLOS to navigation stakeholders such as the Great Lakes Shipping Association and conservation groups like the Nature Conservancy and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

Observing Network and Technologies

The observing network integrates fixed assets like meteorological stations operated by the National Weather Service and limnological buoys deployed by the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, with mobile platforms including autonomous surface vehicles used by research groups at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and under‑ice gliders developed with engineering teams at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Satellite data streams from GOES and Sentinel-2 are assimilated alongside acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements and high‑frequency radar systems used by coastal observatories at University of Michigan and Cleveland State University. Emerging technologies include deployment of internet‑connected sensors using standards promoted by the Open Geospatial Consortium and cyberinfrastructure developed with support from the National Science Foundation.

Data Management and Products

Data management follows interoperable protocols to ensure discoverability and usability by scientists, managers, and the public. Catalogs and data portals use metadata standards advocated by organizations like the IOOS program and the Global Change Research Program. Products include forecasting tools for lake circulation and ice cover used by the National Ice Center, water quality dashboards used by state environmental agencies in Michigan and Ohio, and bathymetric maps utilized by the U.S. Geological Survey and commercial charting services. Data stewardship partnerships involve university data centers at University of Minnesota and cloud services coordinated with NOAA Big Data Program initiatives.

Research, Monitoring, and Applications

GLOS supports applied research on topics such as nutrient loading to Lake Erie, invasive species impacts observed with collaborations involving the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and climate change signal detection undertaken with teams at NOAA laboratories and the University of Toronto. Monitoring programs inform management of harmful algal blooms working with public health authorities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and municipal water departments in Cleveland and Milwaukee. Applications include support for commercial shipping routes through coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and predictive models used by hydropower operators on the St. Marys River and Niagara River.

Funding and Policy Impact

Funding for GLOS arises from competitive grants and cooperative agreements from federal sources such as NOAA and the National Science Foundation, state contributions from governments of Michigan, Ohio, New York, and provincial partners in Ontario, plus philanthropic support from foundations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The observatory’s data and assessments inform policy instruments including binational agreements under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, state nutrient reduction strategies in Ohio and Michigan, and infrastructure resilience planning influenced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and regional planning bodies such as the Great Lakes Commission.

Category:Great Lakes