Smart Great Lakes Initiative
Stored: Smart Great Lakes Initiative
| Type | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | Great Lakes Observing System (nonprofit) |
| Top Organization | Department of Commerce |
| Creation Legislation | Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | Smart Great Lakes Initiative upgrades observation with smart tech and data integration, boosting safety, resilience, and economy via advanced tools. |
| Program Start | May 2019 |
| Initial Funding | $500,000 (seed funding) |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
Smart Great Lakes Initiative (SGLI) is a collaborative effort led by the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS), a nonprofit Regional Association of NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) under the Department of Commerce, to advance observation technologies across the Great Lakes.
The Smart Great Lakes Initiative modernizes the Great Lakes observation network by deploying smart technologies and integrating data across regional systems, enhancing real-time monitoring and decision-making capabilities, aiming to improve safety, environmental resilience, and economic outcomes by providing stakeholders with advanced, interoperable data tools through a collaborative, binational framework.
Notable achievements include the 2021 launch of the Seagull platform, unifying over 9,000 data streams, and its role in supporting Lakebed 2030, with $1 million invested by 2025 in smart tech like Imaging FlowCytobots for harmful algal bloom (HAB) monitoring.
Goals
- Deploy smart sensors and platforms to enhance real-time data collection, targeting improved forecasting for HABs, storms, and ice cover.
- Integrate disparate Great Lakes observing systems into a cohesive network, aiming for seamless data access across the U.S. and Canada.
- Enable data-driven decisions for safety, spill response, and climate adaptation, with metrics like increased buoy uptime and data interoperability.
Organization
The Smart Great Lakes Initiative is spearheaded by the Great Lakes Observing System nonprofit, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, certified by NOAA as an IOOS Regional Association in 2016. GLOS coordinates a binational coalition including NOAA, USGS, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and regional partners like the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS), managing assets via the Seagull platform.
Funding combines NOAA IOOS grants—$500,000 initially in 2019—private contributions, and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law awards, totaling over $3 million by 2025. The initiative’s leader is the GLOS CEO, Jennifer Boehme as of 2025, guided by a steering committee.
History
Launched in May 2019 at the Great Lakes Observing Summit, the Smart Great Lakes Initiative built on the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, which formalized IOOS, to address fragmented data systems across the Great Lakes. It emerged from GLOS’s leadership, culminating in the 2019 Smart Great Lakes Commons white paper and the 2021 Seagull platform debut. Key milestones include deploying smart buoys in 2022–2023 and integrating HABs monitoring with GCOOS by 2024. It continues to evolve, with a 2025 focus on climate resilience and a proposed Great Lakes Mapping Act to bolster funding.
Funding
Initial seed funding of $500,000 in 2019 came from IOOS and GLOS partners, with annual funding growing to $3–4 million by 2025 through NOAA grants, regional contributions, and $1 million from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for smart tech. Funding is ongoing with no end date, though a 2024 IOOS budget proposal cut to $10 million regionally poses risks. Additional support targets Lakebed 2030 integration.
Implementation
The initiative deploys smart buoys, gliders, and FlowCytobots since May 2019 across Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, integrating data into Seagull for real-time access. Implementation includes phased upgrades—e.g., 2022 buoy enhancements—and partnerships for HABs and spill response, with no fixed end date, tied to GLOS’s long-term vision and IOOS goals.
