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New NOAA Great Lakes Laboratory Opens, New Acting Director Named January 7, 2009 http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090107_glerl.html A
larger facility to focus on Great Lakes issues opened today following a
ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new NOAA Great Lakes
Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) in Pittsfield Township,
Mich. “GLERL
starts the new year with a new building,” said Richard W. Spinrad, NOAA
assistant administrator for oceanic and atmospheric research. “This laboratory
is a leader on many Great Lakes issues, such as invasive species, lake levels,
and the use of biofuels for its research ships. In its new space, the
laboratory will expand its efforts to serve the Great Lakes region through
research and partnerships.” Spinrad
also announced Marie Colton as the acting director of the lab and acting lead
of the NOAA Great Lakes regional team, succeeding Stephen B. Brandt who is
leaving Michigan to be the director of Oregon Sea Grant in Corvallis, Ore. Colton,
who has been with NOAA since 2005 as technical director of the National Ocean
Service, has also held positions at NASA and the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval
Research. She holds bachelors and masters degrees in physical oceanography from
the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Fla. In 1989, she received
her doctorate in physical oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School in
Monterey, Calif. The
new 40,225 square-feet facility has modern wet and dry laboratories, conference
facilities, a library, marine instrumentation shop, and office space to
accommodate about 120 federal and cooperative institute employees. NOAA will
lease the building for 20 years. Office
and laboratory space will also be provided to partner organizations, including
Michigan Sea Grant Extension, The Cooperative Institute for Limnology and
Ecosystem Research, the International Association for Great Lakes Research, the
NOAA National Center of Excellence for Great Lakes and Human Health, NOAA
National Center for Research on Aquatic Invasive Species, and the Great Lakes
Habitat Restoration Office. GLERL
was formed in 1974 and is one of NOAA’s seven research laboratories. The Ann
Arbor area facility includes a field station in Muskegon on the shores of Lake
Michigan. NOAA
understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of
the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and
marine resources. |