Oswego, NY, Monday, May 22, 2023 - The Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) is a binational effort to coordinate enhanced monitoring and research activities across the Great Lakes to address specific science priorities for each lake, which are established by the Lake Partnerships under the Lake-wide Management Annex of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). 

For CSMI field years, the Lake Partnerships identify priority areas where additional science and monitoring efforts are needed to provide the best information for managers to make lake-wide management decisions.

The Lake Ontario Partnership identified four priority areas for the 2023 Lake Ontario CSMI: chemical contaminants, nutrient and bacterial pollution, habitat and species, and invasive species. Each priority area is further described through specific research topics and needs (see Appendix 1 of Prospectus (pdf)).

CSMI field year planning, implementation, and reporting activities are coordinated by the GLWQA Science Annex CSMI Task Team. The planning team for 2023 Lake Ontario CSMI used the four priority areas to categorize research efforts, which range from investigations of nutrient dynamics and chemical contaminants to studies of native fish species populations. In all, over 50 binational projects are planned for 2023 fieldwork in Lake Ontario. Some of these projects represent established baseline monitoring programs that provide data on an ongoing basis, others are unique collaborations among agencies that enhance binational monitoring activities, and others are targeted CSMI field year projects that leverage additional resources.

The foundation of the CSMI process is built upon binational and domestic collaboration that would not be possible without a dialog amongst many partners working together to plan and execute projects that address CSMI priorities. Leveraging existing long term monitoring programs provides access to sampling locations, equipment, research vessels, and scientific experts, that maximizes the integration, reach and scope of the CSMI sampling process. 

This Prospectus (pdf) highlights a subset of the extensive binational collaborative muti-agency efforts occurring throughout 2023, specifically the: lower food web sampling, water quality and nutrients monitoring efforts, coordinated glider deployments, chemical contaminants monitoring, and fish population assessments. 

An overview of select one-year targeted projects and program enhancements that address science priorities are also summarized, including projects funded through the US Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). 

Additionally, the Great Lakes Research Consortium (GLRC) Small Grants Program put out a call for proposals to address CSMI 2023 priorities and funded three projects led by academic institutions. 

Due to the large scope of work planned in Lake Ontario for 2023, not all activities occurring during the field year are included within the main text of this prospectus; a comprehensive list of the projects identified by the CSMI Task Team for the 2023 field year is included in Appendix 2 (see Prospectus (pdf)) for reference. A table of agency and partner abbreviations/acronyms used throughout the text can be found in Appendix 3 (see Prospectus (pdf)).


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.

Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly.