US EditionFederal budget proposal puts Great Lakes research at risk
- The proposed 2026 federal budget plans to cut nearly $1.5 billion, or 25%, from NOAA, threatening Great Lakes research centered on Lake Michigan.
- This proposal follows a trend of federal cuts and restrictions aimed at programs NOAA considers misaligned with administration policy, sparking concern across the Great Lakes region.
- NOAA funds about 95% of the Great Lakes Observing System’s $4.2 million budget, supporting a buoy network that provides real-time environmental data critical for water quality and fisheries management.
- Dr. Harvey Bootsma noted one buoy is accessed over 30,000 times each season, while experts warn that cutting NOAA funding risks disabling vital monitoring relied upon by communities, industries, and ecosystems.
- Experts and local officials warn that proposed funding reductions could undo decades of efforts to protect the world’s greatest freshwater ecosystem, threatening public safety, economic stability, and environmental quality.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Millions of people depend on the Great Lakes’ water supply. Trump decimated the lab protecting it. • Michigan Advance
Lake Michigan | Susan J. DemasThis story originally appeared in ProPublica, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Just one year ago, JD Vance was a leading advocate of the Great Lakes and the efforts to restore the largest system of freshwater on the face of the planet. As a U.S. senator from Ohio, Vance called the lakes “an invaluable asset” for his…
Local View: To protect Great Lakes' economic engine, save research funding
At a time when a strong economy is paramount, the U.S. government risks undermining one of its most valuable assets: the Great Lakes. These waters, and the fisheries sustained within them, support a multibillion-dollar economy and countless jobs, all of which depend on the crucial scientific research conducted by many state and federal entities, including the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Ecosystem Mission Area. The proposed elimination of fundi…
ProPublica
Great Lakes NowMillions of People Depend on the Great Lakes’ Water Supply. Trump Decimated the Lab Protecting It.
The Trump administration’s slashing of budgets and staff have Great Lakes scientists concerned that they have lost the ability to protect the public from toxic algal blooms, which can kill animals and sicken people.
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