The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) is a laboratory in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...

 (NOAA)/Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research is a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . OAR is also referred to as NOAA Research....

 (OAR). It is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...

, with a subsidiary field station in Muskegon, Michigan

Muskegon, Michigan

Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...

.

GLERL is a multi-disciplinary environmental research laboratory that provides a solid scientific understanding, as well as, the leadership necessary for the wise use and management of Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

 and coastal marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 environments.

History

GLERL was created 25 April 1974 when NOAA merged part of the pre-existing Lake Survey Center (the Limnology and Computer Divisions) with the staff of the International Field Year of the Great Lakes (IFYGL) office. IFYGL had taken place the previous year 1972-1973. The first director was Eugene Aubert (1974-1986).

Awards

• The Huron Explorer, a 41-foot (13 m) former U.S. Coast Guard vessel, was refurbished to use vegetable based fuels and lubricants rather than petroleum based. The Department of Energy
  United States Department of Energy
  The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
  
  gave an award to NOAA for the vessel as part of the Federal Energy Management Program.