Did you know that thick ice provides protection from erosion and flooding during storms? The amount of ice cover varies from year to year, as well as how long it remains on the lakes. NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory scientists are studying, monitoring, and predicting ice coverage on the Great Lakes to determine climate patterns, lake water levels, water movement patterns, water temperature structure, and spring plankton blooms. To learn more: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/ic