2026 Budget Cuts to NOAA Could Halt Federal Funding to Great Lakes Research

Public outrage swells after policy restrictions on iconic lake threatens millions of Americans: 'This has massive impacts on coastal communities'

The Trump administration has dramatically cut staff at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  As a result, Great Lakes scientists can't protect people and animals from toxic algal blooms.  What's happening? As ProPublica reported, federal funding cuts are weakening environmental protections in the Great Lakes. The remaining staff members at the lab protecting the …

Millions of people depend on the Great Lakes’ water supply. Trump decimated the lab protecting it. • Minnesota Reformer

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park on the North Shore of Lake Superior, Minnesota, USA, circa 1960. Photo by Harvey Meston/Archive Photos/Getty Images.This story was originally published by 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 syste…

2026 budget cuts to NOAA could halt federal funding to Great Lakes research

In 2024, Great Lakes researchers at the University of Michigan were awarded a $6.5 million five-year grant by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to host a research center focused on algal blooms, climate change and overall environmental impacts on human health for communities living in, working in and visiting the Great Lakes region. However, President Donald Trump’s administration could now be cutting Great Lakes research by si…

Scientists seek sources of fecal pollution that can contaminate rivers and close beaches

By Joshua Kim Water quality experts are using DNA tools to track down contamination responsible for beach closures and reduced recreational opportunities along the Great Lakes and other Michigan inland lakes and streams. The post Scientists seek sources of fecal pollution that can contaminate rivers and close beaches first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.