About

About CAC

Welcome to The Center for Aquatic Conservation, located at the University of Notre Dame. While only miles from Lake Michigan, the scope of the Center’s efforts reaches well beyond the Great Lakes. From invasive species in the Great Lakes Region to waterborne diseases in tropical Africa, the mission of the Center for Aquatic Conservation is to promote the application of scientific knowledge to conserve earth’s freshwater resources. Through research, education, and outreach, the CAC is building partnerships to enhance the capacity of ecosystems to support the diversity of life and increase human welfare in future generations.

Scientists at Notre Dame are partnering with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy to affect both management and policy, and to enhance their own research in order to more efficiently and directly benefit society. Center-sponsored educational opportunities, such as courses, workshops, seminars, and research fellowships allow scientists to participate in informing management and policy. They also encourage students to relate research to pressing societal issues. Finally, scientists and students from CAC are sharing their latest research in outreach efforts such as the new invasive species gallery at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

CAC and The Nature Conservancy-A Complementary Partnership

A primary partner is The Nature Conservancy, the world's largest conservation organization. TNC has an unparalleled ability to convene and collaborate with industries, government agencies, and other entities to solve societal problems. CAC researchers work directly with TNC staff to identify urgently needed scientific research and then to disseminate the outcomes of that research to stakeholders. Specifically, CAC researchers are working with TNC sataff from The Great Lakes program and the Michigan and Indiana TNC offices.

Our Project Partners

• TNC Global Invasive Species Initiative
• The Nature Conservancy in Indiana
• The Nature Conservancy in Michigan
• Indiana Invasive Species Task Force (Indiana DNR)
• Ottawa National Forest
• Great Lakes Protection Fund (GLPF)
• USDA Forest Service Invasive Species Program
• Center for Microfluidics and Medical Diagnostics
• US Fish & Wildlife Service

Related Links

• Global Linkages of Biology, the Environment, and Society (GLOBES)
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• US Invasive Species Advisory Council
• Eck Institute for Global Health
• Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC)
• ND Energy Center
• ND Office of Sustainability (Green.ND)
• The Ecological Society of America (ESA)
• The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment
• ISIS - Integrated Systems for Invasive Species
• Reuben Keller - author of Bioeconomics of Invasive Species

For further information, please contact us.