The LEC is an interdisciplinary research and education center dedicated to solving environmental problems in the Great Lakes.
The Lake Erie Center is an integral environmental resource at The University of Toledo and is located in the northwestern corner of Ohio's Maumee Bay State Park. Research at the Lake Erie Center explores the linkages among land use, aquatic resources, water quality, sustainable living and human health - using the Maumee River and Bay and its key influence on the western Lake Erie Basin as a model. The Lake Erie Center assembles within a single facility programs and expertise in aquatic conservation, bioremediation and restoration, coastal zone processes, environmental chemistry and hydrology, ecology and ecosystem management, fishery genetics, geography and land use planning, limnology, remote sensing, and environmental and health monitoring.
The mission of the Lake Erie Center is to:
- Implement long-term research on environmental conditions and living and non-living aquatic resources in Maumee Bay and the western basin of Lake Erie, as a model for Great Lakes ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems worldwide.
- Conduct research into the linkages between land-use practices and water quality, habitat, economics, natural resources, sustainability, and environmental and public health.
- Provide a state-of-the-art research and education facility for sponsored research and collaborations by faculty from the University of Toledo, other universities, federal and state agencies, and visiting scientists.
- Facilitate hands-on cutting-edge environmental research and education experiences for graduate and undergraduate students.
- Engage secondary school students, teachers, and the public with environmental education, sustainable living, and informed outreach awareness programs.
