Currently, ohio state universitys stone laboratory operates two large vessels to conduct research, monitoring, educaon, and outreach

This Project Grant award of $2,500,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects program (CFDA 11.469) will fund the design and construction of a new research vessel to support scientific research, monitoring, and outreach activities in the Great Lakes region, particularly Lake Erie.

The key objectives are to: 1) conduct a survey to identify detailed vessel equipment and sampling needs of Great Lakes academic institutions, government agencies, non-profits, and the private sector; 2) evaluate engineering designs and cost estimates for a new vessel that can meet the identified requirements; and 3) select a shipbuilder to construct the new research vessel. The expected outcomes include enabling expanded data collection, improving understanding of environmental impacts, and informing management decisions related to water quality, harmful algal blooms, and other critical Lake Erie issues. The new vessel will support work by Ohio State University and partner organizations across the region.

Expected outcomes

Design and build of a new research vessel that will: providing the data required to make quantave assessments and inform management decisions. Adding greatly to our understanding of the impacts of reducing lake erie watershed point and nonpoint polluon. Perming the detecon of trends in nutrient concentraons, harmful algal blooms (HABS), novel toxins, aquac invasive species, and oxygen-devoid dead zones in lake erie. Help tracking the eecveness of restoraon eorts associated with the great lakes water quality agreement, ohios domesc acon plan, and governor dewines statewide H2OHIO program. Enabling direct assessment and evaluaon of models being developed to link land uses to lake erie water quality and models being developed to forecast HABS and dead zones. Using cung-edge research to monitor biological processes rates and test new methods and technologies to monitor water quality parameters. Informing eorts to address land use issues in adjacent lands that drain into lake erie allowing US to determine if these changes are either improving or degrading lake condion. Intended beneciaries: the new vessel will be able to support the following program acvies carried out with both state and federal agencies: (1) ohio epas lake erie impairment criteria required under the clean water act; (2) ohio department of natural resources fisheries assessment program; (3) NOAA great lakes ecological research laboratorys (GLERL) experimental forecasng; (4) US EPA great lake naonal program oces cooperave science and monitoring iniave; (5) USGS lake erie biological staons MUL-jurisdiconal collaborave research and assessment projects; and (6) great lakes observaon systems (GLOS) binaonal nonprot that aims to enable easy access to the real-me and historical lake data. The vessel will be able to help three of ten annexes listed under the US epas great lakes water quality agreement (GLWQA). Addionally, the new vessel will support basic and applied research conducted by academic researchers from across the great lakes region and beyond. Subrecipient acvies: N/a