SOUTH BEND — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded $2.5 million to the University of Notre Dame and its research partners to predict the next wave of invasive species likely to enter the Great Lakes and to identify cost-effective countermeasures. David Lodge, a professor of biological sciences and director of the university's Center for Aquatic Conservation, will serve as principal investigator for the project. He served as the first chair of the National Invasive Species Advisory Committee and was the lead author of the Ecological Society of America's paper calling for a stronger government response to the problem of invasive species.