University of Michigan launches $9M water center to improve health of Great Lakes

The center will receive $4.5 million in initial finding and another $4.5 million in funding for its first three years. The center is partially funded by the Erb Family Foundation.

The center will look for ways to improve wildlife protection, coastal health and reduce toxic contamination and combat invasive species, U-M President Mary Sue Coleman said Tuesday morning during her annual leadership breakfast.

In addition to research, center officials will work with other environmentalists, policymakers and nonprofit groups to create action plans for conservation.

The effort is expected to bring an additional scientific focus to an already-existing billion-dollar federal effort to clean up the lakes.

"As a university, we need to take on ownership and responsibility of regional sustainability challenges that affect us - close to home and where our expertise can have enormous impact," Coleman said. "The water center will do that."