Senators Stabenow, Levin Announce Funding for University of Michigan Program to Study Great Lakes Ecosystem

Sens. Debbie Stabenow, vice chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, and Carl Levin, chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, announced today a $101,000 grant for the Lake Michigan & Lake Huron Long-term Ecological Research Program through the University of Michigan's Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research. The University of Michigan received this award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and will use it to study how our Great Lakes ecosystem can be preserved.

"The Great Lakes are critical to Michigan's economy and our way of life," said Stabenow. "This grant will help University of Michigan researchers better understand how the Great Lakes respond to changing environmental conditions and help preserve our Lakes for future generations."

"Stewardship of our precious Great Lakes begins with understanding how best to protect them," said Levin. "This important federal support will help us understand what's happening in the Lakes and how we can ensure that they remain an important part of our economy and our quality of life for generations to come."

The 2014 Monitoring Activities for the Lake Michigan & Lake Huron Long-term Ecological Research Program collects data and conducts research to analyze how the Great Lakes ecosystem manages water quality, fisheries, and other services in the Lakes.

University of Michigan's Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory aim to preserve and enhance the quality of the Great Lakes ecosystem and make sure the Lakes remain healthy for years to come.