Researchers are getting a grant to help explore the world beneath the surface of the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) at the University of Windsor is receiving a $15.9-million grant to develop a monitoring and research system for the Great Lakes, to help researchers support efforts to preserve their ecosystems.
Most of the grant is being used to set up the Real-time Aquatic Ecosystem Observation Network (RAEON), which will allow scientists in Canada and the United States to receive the latest data on the Great Lakes. The funding will purchase equipment necessary to conduct the research. The rest of the money will pay for an expansion of the university's Freshwater Restoration Ecology Centre in LaSalle.
Dr. Aaron Fisk is the chairman of Tier 1 Canada Research in Changing Great Lakes Ecosystems and a chief investigator for GLIER. He says the grant, which took over 18 months to put together, will help researchers and students open a whole new dimension of researching the largest freshwater system in the world.
"It's really going to change what we can do and what we can do for the Great Lakes," says Fisk. "It really strengthens an already strong program that works with all kinds of universities in Canada and the United States, and agencies."
Among the Canadian universities with staff involved in Great Lakes research are Western, Trent, and Carleton. There is also a strong bi-national approach to the initiative, with the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Cornell, Ohio State University and others taking part.
Fisk admits this kind of research can be daunting and not for everyone, but the work is extremely rewarding.
"The Great Lakes is a big place, and it's not easy to do research on," says Fisk. "I don't think that's quite appreciated. It's as dangerous as going out on the ocean. So we need these partnerships to do this kind of research, and it's great."
The grant is made possible through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, and the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Growth.