Restoration of the health and integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem is acknowledged by citizens of the basin as an important environmental priority.  A series of workshops are being held throughout the Great Lakes states to determine the priorities for ecosystem restoration and garner support for funding a broad restoration effort.  Components of a restoration plan would include habitat improvement, invasive species control, wetland restoration, and cleanup of contaminated sediments.  GIS is an effective tool to support restoration planning and management and can be utilized to understand past and present conditions, as well as assess the impacts of restoration plan alternatives.

Aquatic Invasive Species Diffusion Maps

As part of a project in a course on animated and web-based mapping, GIS certificate student Jennifer Zeisloft is preparing an animation depicting the diffusion of three aquatic invasive species (Round Goby, Eurasian Ruffe, and Zebra Mussels) from a Great Lakes perspective.