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NOAA

 Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

GLERL was established by NOAA in 1974 to accomodate a need for federal research on the Great Lakes. The lab is located in Ann Arbor, and has a Lake Michigan field station located in Muskegon.

Some of GLERL's major projects include:

History of the Great Lakes State
The Great Lakes contain 18% of the world's surface fresh water, making them the largest system of fresh water on earth. Michigan comes from the Native American word "Michigama," which means "great lake."

Model-T picture
  • 1783 Michigan becomes part of the U.S. under the Treaty of Paris, although the Brits don't turn the area over to the Americans until 1796.
  • 1837 President Andrew Jackson signs the bill that makes Michigan the 26th state.
  • 1855 The Sault Ste. Marie locks open, allowing shipping between lakes Superior and Huron.
  • 1900 Ransom E. Olds opens the nation's first factory designed expressly for the manufacturing of automobiles.
  • 1903 Ford begins mass producing automobiles, and introduces the Model-T five years later.
  • 1957 The Mackinac Bridge opens, connecting the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
  • 1966 Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the Lake Superior shoreline is designated as the country's first National Lakeshore.

Local Environmental Agencies

Good source for general Great Lakes information:

Great Lakes Information Network


National Sea Grant
College Program

The National Sea Grant College Program encourages the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research and education. Sea Grant is a partnership between the nation's universities and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Isle Royale National Park

Isle Royal Isle Royale National Park is located on Lake Superior. Accessable only by float plane or boat, it is a park largely untouched by human influence. The park is part of the International Biosphere Reserve Program, serving as a "living lab" for scientists. With 165 miles of scenic hiking trails and 36 campgrounds, Isle Royale is also a haven for wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts.

CILER is a cooperative program between NOAA/ERL/GLERL, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. CILER is the only institute of its kind with the direct responsiblilty for research in fresh water. Research is not limited to fresh water, as CILER also supports research in estuarine and coastal marine environments.

Proposed Thunder Bay
National Marine Sanctuary

NOAA has proposed the designation of a National Marine Sanctuary in and around Thunder Bay, located in Michigan's Lake Huron. The proposed sanctuary would protect a nationally significant collection of approximately 160 shipwrecks. Thunder Bay would be the only Great Lakes National Marine Sanctuary and the only sanctuary to focus on a collection of shipwrecks.

In June 1997, NOAA published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Draft Management Plan. This document highlights what types of education, research, and management activities the Thunder Bay National Marine Sactuary would conduct. NOAA plans to publish a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Management Plan by Winter 1999.

Michigan CZM Program

The Federal Government and the U.S. coastal states are partners in the national Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program, authorized by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to largely protect, preserve, and promote wise use of our nation's coastal zones. The Michigan program is dedicated to encouraging responsible growth and development along the coast, improving public access to the coast, and aiding in winter navigation. Special features included under the Michigan CZM Program are: the proposed Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, wetlands, sand dunes, bluffs, sandstone, cliffs, rocky beaches, submerged shipwrecks, and the endangered piping plover.

Created by: Heather Hofert
email:hofert@glerl.noaa.gov