EXPERTS ADVISORY

Federal investment in Great Lakes research doesn’t just protect the waters’ ecosystems, it bolsters safety and prosperity for the people who call the region home, according to a new peer-reviewed publication. 

The report was published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research and was written by experts from institutions around the Great Lakes region, including the University of Michigan. Authors and IAGLR members are available for interviews about the wide-ranging benefits of this science supported by the public, for the public.

Gregory Dick is director for the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research and director of the Great Lakes Center for Freshwaters and Human Health. He is also an Alfred F. Thurnau Professor in the U-M Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability.

His research focuses on the role of microorganisms in shaping environmental processes, water quality and biogeochemistry. His lab is currently studying the microbial ecology of harmful cyanobacterial blooms that threaten freshwater ecosystems around the world, using Lake Erie as a natural laboratory.

“Investment in scientific research on the Great Lakes pays off by protecting ecosystems and human well-being and stimulating economic activity,” he said. This work is essential for ensuring clean drinking water, enabling safe boating and swimming, promoting healthy fisheries, and supporting industries that rely on the lakes. Protecting the Great Lakes is a bipartisan issue and has long enjoyed bipartisan support; this investment must continue for the benefit of the millions of people who live, work, and play on the lakes.”

Mary Ogdahl is managing director of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, which consists of a research institute and a regional consortium that is a partnership between universities, nongovernmental organizations, businesses and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Odgahl helps support NOAA’s mission and strategic goal through coordinating and managing CIGLR’s personnel, programmatic activities, proposal development, and research and administrative budgets. 

“We are sitting on the largest freshwater resource in the world. In a time when we have clearly observed the devastating impacts of scarcity and degradation in other regions, the U.S. and Canada have an obligation to invest in the long-term health of the Great Lakes. Research and monitoring are essential for ensuring the Great Lakes can continue supporting a strong economy and vibrant communities,” she said. “Our future depends on understanding the natural systems on which we rely, and that understanding can only be gained through science.

“As with anything we rely upon for our health, safety or financial security, continued investment is both necessary and expected. We don’t expect our bodies or even our cars to be healthy without regular check-ups and maintenance. Why should the Great Lakes—critical to the daily lives of millions of people—be any different?”

Contact: [email protected] 

Mike Shriberg, professor of practice and engagement at the School for Environment and Sustainability, is associate director of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research. He is also engagement director at Michigan Sea Grant and will become director of the U-M Water Center on July 1. He previously served as Great Lakes regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation and co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. His research and expertise is on Great Lakes water policy and politics.

“We stand at a critical crossroads in how we manage the Great Lakes,” he said. “It is rare for the leading scientists and researchers in the region to join together to submit a commentary, but we all recognize the urgency of the moment and the real impacts of the current cutbacks to scientific funding and research. The Great Lakes are what unite the region, and the scientific capacity to understand and manage our shared resource is at existential risk. That’s why we are speaking with one voice about the value of our collective scientific research to the health and well-being of our people, communities and natural resources.”

Contact: [email protected] 

Study: Investing in Great Lakes Science is critical for safety and prosperity (DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2025.102614)

This experts advisory originally appeared on the Michigan News website.