For Friday, March 28, 2025

1 – Artificial intelligence and machine learning are expected to change how scientists monitor and model the Great Lakes. 

A new paper in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society reports on a workshop attended by 22 researchers from across North America. They explored how AI tools could improve forecasts for things like harmful algal blooms, ice cover and shoreline flooding.

The authors say the Great Lakes are a good test case for AI because of their complexity and the large amount of environmental data that’s already available. AI could enable faster, more localized forecasts and new insights into lake behavior.

The paper emphasizes that responsible use is critical. It calls for transparency, ethical development and open data practices to ensure AI complements rather than replaces traditional science.

Ongoing AI work is being led in part by the University of Michigan’s Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, which has launched a GitHub site to share tools and promote collaboration.

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2 – You can help monitor water quality in Michigan through the Clean Water Corps. 

The Corps is a network of volunteer monitoring programs that collect surface water quality data throughout the state. The effort is accepting enrollments for the 2025 season. Training for people in the Saginaw Bay area can be done online via Zoom. 

Besides water quality, volunteers also monitor for invasive species and habitat conditions in Michigan lakes. There’s a fee to participate. The data collected goes into a public database dating back to 1974. 

You can find out more about the Michigan Clean Water Corps and becoming a volunteer by going online to MiCorps.net. 

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3 – There are more than 1,000 boating sites in Michigan, administered by the state and local governments. 

An online Michigan Boating Facility Finder includes an interactive map to find out about launch points, watercraft rules and closures. 

You can explore locations on the map or filter by ramp types, waterbody, boating piers and restrooms. 

More information is online at Michigan.gov/boating. 

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 6:45 and 8:45 Friday mornings on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM in University Center, Michigan, near Bay City (listen live). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

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