Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) UPDATE
Oct. 13, 2006

Remote sensing workshop hosted by the National Association of Regional Associations of IOOS
GLOS staff and regional partners Sam Batzli (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and George Leshkevich (NOAA-GLERL) attended a remote sensing workshop hosted by the National Association of Regional Associations of IOOS last week in Durham, N.H. The focus of this workshop was compiling detailed information on the needs of regional associations for near-term (1-5 years) and long-term (5-15 years) spaceborne sensor observations. Much of the discussions centered upon the eminent failure of land and ocean satellite systems, inabilities to acquire foreign satellite imagery in near real-time, and critical needs for high resolution (less than 100 meter pixels), multitemporal and multispectral imagery in the nearshore zones. This input is being compiled for submittal to NOAA-NESDIS and NASA in a comprehensive report expected to be completed by the end of calendar year 2006. A pdf copy of the powerpoint presentation compiled by the GLOS representatives is available at http://www.glos.us/pdf/GLOS_remotesensing_20061003.pdf. The final report being compiled needs to address binational considerations for the Great Lakes, with more emphasis on collaborative program development with the Canadian Space Agency.

Ocean Priorities Report briefing and public comment
The Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST) hosted a series of regional public briefings on the Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy. The powerpoint slides presented by Dr. Margaret Leinen of NSF at the recent Great Lakes briefing on this subject (Sept. 15 at the Shedd Aquarium) can be downloaded at http://ocean.ceq.gov/about/docs/jsost_briefing090106.pdf. A PDF of the JSOST U.S. Ocean Research Priority Plan final draft report is available at http://www.glos.us/pdf/JSOST final draft 060830.pdf. The report titled "Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States: Research Priorities for the Next Decade," outlines U.S. national research priorities which would affect the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River system for the next 10 years. The GLOS Board of Directors, in collaboration with the Great Lakes Commission and other regional partners, will be submitting comments on the draft report. The deadline for comments is Oct. 20, 2006. Please contact Roger Gauthier at 734-971-9135 or gauthier@glc.org to obtain a copy of the comments being prepared by the GLOS Secretariat.

Great Lakes Regional Research Information Network holds kickoff meeting
The Great Lakes Regional Research Information Network (GLRRIN) is a new, informal network that is being led by a binational team of Sea Grant, university and federal researchers through a grant from the National Sea Grant Program. GLRRIN seeks to promote enhanced information exchange and coordination between Great Lakes researchers, universities and federal, state/provincial and other agencies that have Great Lakes research priorities and budgets. GLOS secretariat staff attended the kick-off meeting for the GLRRIN project Sept. 5-6, 2006, at U.S. EPA offices in Chicago. The Lake Erie Millennium Network, which was the model for GLRRIN, has created a forum for academic and federal researchers to coordinate research endeavors around Lake Erie. Most of the focus has been on support of the Lake Erie Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) and respective Remedial Action Plans affected by lakewide processes. Since 1999, the Lake Erie Millennium Network has conducted more than a dozen thematic workshops and four large-scale conferences to showcase critical research endeavors. For more information on GLRRIN, visit http://www.canamglass.org/glrrin/.