Great Lakes Winter Science

Despite rapidly changing conditions, the effects of winter on the Great Lakes remains understudied. The majority of Great Lakes monitoring and data collection efforts occur during warm weather months, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of the lakes’ ecosystem. As a result, policy and management decisions are largely based on observation and data collected during the late spring, summer and early fall. A better understanding of how winter impacts the Great Lakes is vital to improving the governments’ ability to effectively manage Great Lakes water quality and the ecosystem services they provide. 

With input from Great Lakes winter science practitioners and users, the IJC Great Lakes Science Advisory Board’s Great Lakes Winter Science report identifies the current challenges that limit cold-weather monitoring and opportunities to strengthen winter science efforts. The report also highlights persistent knowledge and coordination gaps to be addressed.

A brief overview of the project is available in the report one-pager document.