DETROIT (WTAQ) - Twenty-one U.S. and Canadian institutions are banding together to help restore and protect the Great Lakes.

Three universities in neighboring Michigan are among those taking part in the Great Lakes Futures Project, which was announced Monday.

They plan to draft a series of papers explaining factors which have affected the lakes for the last 50 years, plus issues expected in the next 50 years. Invasive species, climate change, chemical pollution, and the economy will all be explored.

The project is designed to help government, school, and business leaders answer long-range questions about preserving the Great Lakes – including the management of watersheds.

Besides the research, the project will feature numerous public events put on by schools and community groups. The University of Michigan, Michigan State, Wayne State of Detroit, and Buffalo are the U.S. colleges providing funds for the new project.

Additional money comes from the Michigan and New York Sea Grant programs, and the Group for InterUniversity Research in Limnology and Aquatic Environment.