International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR)

Federal policies may change, but Great Lakes stewardship continues. The latest Lakes Letter explores how strengthening protection amid evolving political and funding landscapes can be achieved through collaboration.

Read the full issue here: https://bit.ly/ll-sp26

The latest issue of JGLR is here! Explore new research on invasive species, fish ecology, food webs, contaminants, habitat change, and freshwater management from across the Great Lakes and beyond. Dive into Volume 52, Issue 3 today: https://bit.ly/4w4HKbk

Your Voice Can Help Protect the Great Lakes 🌊

Did you know the Great Lakes provide drinking water for over 40 million people? They support 1.5 million jobs and anchor a $6 trillion regional economy. Much of this depends on science that guides cleanup efforts, tracks invasive species, and monitors water quality.

Now, proposed federal rules could weaken the very system that supports that science. Proposed changes to federal grant regulations (Docket OMB-2026-0034) would:

✅ Let political appointees override expert peer review
✅ Require permission for scientists to attend conferences and inclusion in terms of the grant
❌ Ban using grant funds for journal subscriptions
❌ Create barriers to international research partnerships

This isn't just about universities and laboratories—it's about the health of our communities, the safety of our water, and the future of this irreplaceable natural resource.

💬 We need YOUR voice by July 13, 2026.

Whether you're a scientist, student, teacher, angler, boater, conservation volunteer, or simply someone who loves the Great Lakes, your experience matters. Tell the Office of Management and Budget why peer-reviewed, collaborative science is essential to protecting our shared waters.

👉 Click the links below to learn more and submit your public comment.

🔗 IAGLR’s Statement: https://bit.ly/3SwgyDG | Federal Register: https://bit.ly/4w1AsVO

Please SHARE this post to help spread the word in your community. Every voice counts.

Revisit the IAGLR & SCAS-SCSA 2026 Joint Conference plenary by Myrle Ballard.

In Understanding Our Relations: Why Three-Eyed Seeing is Significant, explore how Indigenous and Western ways of knowing can work together to support freshwater science:

Plenary: Myrle Ballard, University of Calgary Understanding Our Relations: Why Three-Eyed Seeing is significant

Part 2 of the IAGLR & SCAS-SCSA 2026 Joint Conference plenary by Scott Higgins & Alexis Kanu:

Alexis Kanu, Executive Director, Lake Winnipeg Foundation Plenary: Eutrophication at the science-policy interface: Whole-ecos...

What does it take to turn freshwater science into meaningful action?

Watch the IAGLR & SCAS-SCSA 2026 Joint Conference plenary by Scott Higgins & Alexis Kanu discussing collaboration and the role of science in shaping the future of our waters. Part 1:

Scott Higgins, IISD Experimental Lakes Area Plenary: Eutrophication at the science-policy interface: Whole-ecos...

Now available: the Stevenson Award plenary from the IAGLR & SCAS-SCSA 2026 Joint Conference.

Joey Bernhardt explores how a mechanistic understanding of global change can connect processes.

Watch: https://bit.ly/4xn2Piw

Plenary: Joey Bernhardt, University of Guelph, Stevenson Awardee Towards a mechanistic science of global change: from cells to ecosy...

Missed the Rigler Award plenary at the IAGLR & SCAS-SCSA 2026 Joint Conference?

Watch Dr. Irena Creed share insights on freshwater science, ecosystem resilience, and the future of water research: https://bit.ly/49YnOhB

Plenary: Irena Creed, University of Toronto Scarborough, Rigler Award Recipient Rewired watersheds and toxic blooms in northern lakes

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Winnipeg for the IAGLR & SCAS-SCSA 2026 Joint Conference! Missed a session? Conference recordings are now available in Fourwaves, and plenary talks can be viewed on YouTube. We look forward to seeing you next year!

A new JGLR study found that digital tools improve access to Great Lakes water data—but meaningful action often depends on education, community engagement, and connecting information to lived experiences. JGLR, vol. 52, issue 2: https://bit.ly/48jUbq0