Great Lakes Observing System Regional Association

THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSED WORK PLAN WILL ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING THREE GOALS AND THE VISION OUTLINED IN GLOS' 2020-2025 STRATEGIC PLAN, "SMART GREAT LAKES": GOAL 1: IMPROVE THE OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE OF GLOS IN SUPPORT OF STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT OF PARTNERS/STAKEHOLDERS. GOAL 2: EXPAND GLOS DATA MANAGEMENT AND CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE (DMAC) CAPABILITIES AND SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS GAPS IN THE DATA-TO-INFORMATION SUPPLY CHAIN. GOAL 3: SUPPORT AND ENHANCE THE GREAT LAKES OBSERVING NETWORK TO ADDRESS CRITICAL DATA NEEDS.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREAT LAKES OBSERVING SYSTEM FY 2016-2020

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREAT LAKES OBSERVING SYSTEM 2011-2015

PURPOSE: THE GREAT LAKES OBSERVING SYSTEM (GLOS), A 501C3 BASED IN ANN ARBOR, MI, HAS SERVED AS THE INTEGRATED OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM (IOOS) REGIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE GREAT LAKES SINCE 2008, WITH A MISSION TO PROVIDE END-TO-END DATA SERVICES THAT SUPPORT POLICY, SCIENCE, MANAGEMENT, AND INDUSTRY IN THE GREAT LAKES. GLOS IS A CERTIFIED REGIONAL COASTAL OBSERVING SYSTEM (RCOS) UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE INTEGRATED COASTAL AND OCEAN OBSERVATION SYSTEM ACT OF 2009 (ICOOS ACT). THE GREAT LAKES OBSERVING SYSTEM STANDS OUT WITHIN THE REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS IN SERVING THE LARGEST SURFACE AREA OF FRESHWATER IN THE WORLD AND A CRUCIAL DRINKING WATER SOURCE FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. BEYOND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR DRINKING WATER, THE GREAT LAKES ARE A VITAL NATURAL RESOURCE SUPPORTING DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS, ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES, AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. THEY PLAY ESSENTIAL ROLES IN AGRICULTURE, TRANSPORTATION, AND ENERGY PRODUCTION. DESPITE THEIR IMPORTANCE, THE LAKES FACE THREATS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, EROSION, AND HABITAT LOSS, POSING RISKS TO THEIR ECOLOGICAL HEALTH. THE GREAT LAKES REGION ALSO BOASTS A DIVERSE NETWORK OF RIGHTS HOLDERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THESE INCLUDE FEDERAL, STATE, PROVINCIAL, MUNICIPAL, FIRST NATIONS, M?TIS, AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, ALONG WITH ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, LOCAL PUBLIC BODIES, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. DUE TO THE EXPANSIVE GEOGRAPHY AND MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE REGION, MAINTAINING CONSISTENT OBSERVATIONS, ENSURING ADEQUATE GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE, AND ADDRESSING EMERGING MONITORING NEEDS PRESENT ONGOING CHALLENGES FOR PARTNERS IN THE REGION. GLOS AIMS TO ENHANCE ITS ROLE AS A REGIONAL OBSERVATIONS HUB THROUGH EQUITABLE SERVICE DELIVERY, BY FOSTERING ESSENTIAL COORDINATION WITH NEW COMMUNITIES AND USERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY OVERLOOKED AND UNDERSERVED. THIS COORDINATION WILL IDENTIFY COMMUNITIES? INFORMATION NEEDS, AND SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF OBSERVATIONS AND DATA MANAGEMENT TAILORED TO MEET THE EVOLVING REQUIREMENTS OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION. TO PROTECT THIS RESOURCE AND ADDRESS THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF GREAT LAKES COASTAL COMMUNITIES, STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING ARE IMPERATIVE. GLOS ALSO AIMS TO FORTIFY AND EXPAND THE IMPACT OF EXISTING GREAT LAKES OBSERVING SYSTEMS AND THE RECENT INVESTMENTS MADE POSSIBLE WITH RECENT BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL) FUNDING. A NOTABLE REGIONAL DATA CHALLENGE REVOLVES AROUND YEAR-ROUND DATA COLLECTION, PARTICULARLY DURING WINTERS. INSUFFICIENT PHYSICAL AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL OBSERVATIONS DURING THESE TIMES HINDER INVESTIGATIONS INTO LONG-TERM TRENDS AND AFFECT SHIPPING, MODEL DEVELOPMENT, AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS INFLUENCED BY BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES THAT OCCUR IN WINTER. GLOS WILL ENGAGE WITH REGIONAL PARTNERS TO EXPLORE DEVELOPMENT OF A YEAR-ROUND OBSERVING NETWORK TO COLLECT CRITICALLY-NEEDED BIOGEOCHEMICAL DATA, AND EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO INTEGRATE A DIVERSE SUITE OF OBSERVING TECHNOLOGIES (E.G., SEQUENCING, FISH TELEMETRY, REMOTE SENSING, ETC.) TO HELP BETTER ASSESS MULTI-STRESSORS? IMPACTS AND HOW BIODIVERSITY SUPPORTS ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS IN THE GREAT LAKES. GLOS WILL USE IRA FUNDS TO BOOST THE RESILIENCE OF COASTAL COMMUNITIES, ECONOMIES, AND ECOSYSTEMS, BY DEVELOPING TOOLS TO PUT ACTIONABLE INFORMATION IN THE HANDS OF MORE PEOPLE FOR DECISION-MAKING, AND INCREASE THE SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF CLIMATE-INDUCED COASTAL IMPACTS TO THE GREAT LAKES. THIS EFFORT WILL REQUIRE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OUTREACH, AND CO-PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE THAT COMMUNITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS CAN READILY USE. AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, GLOS PROPOSES TO EXPAND CAPABILITIES UNDER ITS SEAGULL PLATFORM BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, AS WELL DEVELOP A LIGHTWEIGHT APPLICATION FOCUSED ON GREAT LAKES BEACH SAFETY. THIS EFFORT WILL DOVETAIL WITH BROADENING OUR USER BASE. GLOS WILL DEVELOP NEW AND STRENGTHEN EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY AS GLOS WORKS TO EXPAND ITS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. GLOS

TOPIC AREA 1: TO SUPPORT IMPROVED AND ENHANCED COASTAL, OCEAN, AND GREAT LAKES OBSERVING SYSTEMS. GLOS WILL SUPPORT IMPROVING AND ENHANCING OBSERVING SYSTEMS IN THE GREAT LAKES. THE FUNDING WILL BE USED TO RECAPITALIZE AND MODERNIZE SYSTEMS TO ADDRESS SUSTAINED MONITORING OF COASTAL CONDITIONS. PROJECT WORK WILL ADDRESS CRITICAL ASSETS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING REPAIRS, REPLACEMENTS, AND SPARES TO ENHANCE RESILIENCE OF THE OBSERVING SYSTEM AND PRODUCT DELIVERY SERVICES TO PREVENT FAILURES. TOPIC AREA 2: TO ENHANCE ASSOCIATED SHARING AND INTEGRATION OF FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL DATA TO INFORM THE MOST PRESSING REGIONAL COASTAL AND OCEAN MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES. AS THE IOOS RA IN THE GREAT LAKES AND ROP EQUIVALENT, GLOS WILL SUPPORT THE SHARING AND INTEGRATION OF FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL DATA. THE FUNDING WILL BE USED TO SUSTAIN AND ENHANCE DATA ACCESSIBILITY IN THE REGIONS THROUGH DATA PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, PORTAL MANAGEMENT, AND OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING AC

GLOS WILL SUPPORT THE IMPROVEMENT AND ENHANCEMENT OF VARIOUS OBSERVING SYSTEMS AROUND THE GREAT LAKES, AS WELL AS EXPANSION OF DATA PARTNERS WITHIN THE IOOS ENTERPRISE. SPECIFICALLY, THE PROPOSED WORK WILL INCLUDE UPGRADES FOR MORE THAN 20 OBSERVING PLATFORMS WITHIN THE REGION, SUPPORT FOR AT LEAST 10 NEW PLATFORMS, AND 4 NEW PARTNERSHIPS. IT WILL ALSO CREATE TWO SMALL POOLS OF COMPETITIVE-SELECTION SUPPORT FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS FOR OBSERVING TECHNICIANS AND OBSERVING CONTINGENCY FUNDS. GLOS WILL EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY REGIONAL BATHYMETRIC DATA AND ENHANCE COASTAL SAFETY AND COASTAL FORECAST MODELING.

THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE GREAT LAKE RESTORATION INITIATIVE AND THE GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT PURSUANT TO PUBLIC LAW 111-88. SPECIFICALLY

IMPLEMENTATION OF GREAT LAKES OBSERVING SYSTEM, 2008-11

TRANSITION OF THE LAKE ERIE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

PURPOSE: THE PROJECT WILL HELP DEVELOP A LOW-COST OBSERVING NETWORK CAPABLE OF GATHERING IN-LAKE FULL FREQUENCY WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS, AND THE METHODOLOGY TO RELATE THAT DATA WITH THE MOST PRESSING WATER LEVEL-RELATED COASTAL HAZARDS. THE REAL-TIME AND ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS OF WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS ARE CRITICAL FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN LIFE, AS WELL AS COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECOSYSTEMS. HOWEVER EXISTING COASTAL OBSERVATION NETWORKS CANNOT ADEQUATELY RESOLVE SPATIAL SCALES AND ARE NOT DESIGNED TO RESOLVE HIGH FREQUENCY WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS THAT HAVE DIRECT CONNECTIONS TO COASTAL HAZARDS. IN ADDITION, MOST OF THOSE GAUGES ARE LOCATED ONSHORE WHICH LIMITS THE ABILITY TO USE THEIR DATA FOR TIMELY WARNINGS. BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP AN OBSERVING NETWORK CAPABLE OF FILLING THOSE DATA GAPS, AS WELL AS A TOOLKIT THAT ELUCIDATES THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FULL-FREQUENCY WATER LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS AND THE MOST PRESSING HAZARDS FACING COASTAL COMMUNITIES CAN POTENTIALLY HELP MINIMIZE IMPACTS. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WILL BE AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF THE PROJECT TO PRIORITIZE LOCATIONS OF INTEREST TO COMMUNITIES IN LAKE MICHIGAN AND LAKE SUPERIOR, AND TO ENSURE THAT THE FINAL PRODUCTS MEET THEIR INFORMATION NEEDS. IN ADDITION OWNERSHIP OF THE OBSERVING PLATFORMS WILL BE GIVEN TO INTERESTED COMMUNITIES AT THE END OF THE PROJECT AND THEIR DESIGNATED PERSONNEL WILL BE TRAINED ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE SYSTEMS.

MANAGEMENT OF THE GREAT LAKES OBSERVING SYSTEM (GLOS)

''COORDINATING FOR THE DELIVERY OF GREAT LAKES BOTTOM MAPPING DATA AND DATA PRODUCTS''