On December 9-10, 2010, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Scienceled a pivotal workshop aimed at developing a long-term framework for collaboration and coordination of ecosystem modeling and forecasting activities in the Great Lakes. The workshop was co-hosted with NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and the Cooperative Institute for Lake Ecosystem Research. Other key partners included the USGS Great Lakes Science Center, USEPA Large Lakes Laboratory, Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS), and Illinois/Indiana Sea Grant Program.

The main outcome was the recommendation of an official pilot working group on modeling and forecasting focused on Lake Michigan housed at GLOS. The Lake Michigan Committee of the Great Lakes Regional Research Information Network has identified a priority need for a lake-wide management model, and the workshop working group will help the relevant Sea Grant programs develop an effective RFP.