IAGLR is an international association for research on the Great Lakes. It is a scientific organization composed of researchers who study the Laurentian Great Lakes, other great lakes in the world and their watersheds, as well as those who are interested in such research. The members of the IAGLR include all scientific disciplines with a common interest in the management of large lake ecosystems at several levels.

It is a professional association managed by its members who organize an annual conference on research in the Great Lakes. His Great Lakes research journal is a highly respected and widely distributed professional publication.