In the Great Lakes, summer means the arrival of sun, warmth and time spent enjoying the outdoors. Unfortunately, it also often means the arrival of harmful algal blooms.
NOAA Sea Grant announced today grants totaling $15.9 million to support over 300 projects around the nation that help build resilient coastal communities and economies. Through university, state and other partnerships, Sea Grant Programs will supplement the federal funding with an additional $7.9 million in non-federal matching funds, bringing the total investment to more than $23.8 million.
Deborah H. Lee, the chief of water management for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, has been named the new director of NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL). Lee is slated to begin on December 1, 2014.
The largest harmful algae bloom in Lake Erie’s recorded history was likely caused by conditions that are expected to become more common in the future due to climate change.