When my niece was trying to decide what she wanted to study in college, one of her considerations was oceanography. Naturally, wanting to learn about the salt-water world, she looked for the top training facility. Among the considerations were Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Ft. Pierce, Florida. No one would ever want to cut options short by considering anything less than the best.

But these respected research facilities are not oriented in the direction that interests us the most - fresh water. This study is an area of education that is slowly taking on a category of its own. With increased pressure to protect the Great Lakes and learn how they tick, the approach must be much more specific. This year’s State of the Lake report, therefore, looks for the experts where people normally don’t look for experts - close to home.

Lake Superior is fast becoming the fresh-water capital of the world. With the implementation of the Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, more advanced study at Michigan Tech, Houghton, University of Wisconsin-Superior and additional facilities like Lake Superior Center, we will find more and more attention called to the outstanding educational opportunities that lie right here in the Lake Superior basin.

It is exciting what is happening in lake education these days. There is more advanced degree work and original research going on than we ever imagined. And what excites us even more is the collaborative work being done between Lake Superior institutions. And if you think there is nothing new to discover, a quick review of the research projects will show that there’s a lot to be uncovered about our lake. We hope to have a report later this year on the newly discovered Keweenaw Current, a strong column of swiftly moving water off the Keweenaw Peninsula which is being jointly investigated by Michigan Tech and UMD. To coin a phrase, this is a lake of opportunity.

The State of the Lake report begins on page 14. We hope you’ll find the report enlightening. We know that you’ll find that this lake of ours is a busy place. And the next time someone asks where they can really get an expert’s opinion on the lake, you’ll know where to send them. Not very far from home.

Paul L. Hayden
Editor

Address e-mail to plh@lakesuperior.com