SOLEC 2008 will be held October 22–23, 2008, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.  This year, emphasis will be on “The Nearshore.” In 1996, SOLEC focused on the nearshore lands and waters of the Great Lakes where biological productivity is greatest and where humans have maximum impact.  In 2008, the conference will concentrate on what has changed with respect to the nearshore environments since 1996.  Additional conditions and issues not evaluated in 1996 will also be addressed.

Presentations during day 1 of SOLEC will focus on the state of the Great Lakes based on indicator assessments and other information about nearshore areas. On day 2, the presentations will highlight information about each Great Lake, the connecting channels (including the Niagara River), and the St. Lawrence River with a focus on the nearshore areas and related issues, such as habitat loss, viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), nutrients and water levels.

Breakout sessions will follow the plenary presentations on both days.  These afternoon sessions are an opportunity for participants to discuss the information that was presented in the morning as well as to debate more specific issues. See SOLEC 2008 Draft Conference Agenda for more details.

Draft State of the Great Lakes 2009 indicator reports and category assessments will be available in advance of the conference. These reports and assessments are being prepared by various authors from many agencies and organizations in order to assist with assessing the overall state of the Great Lakes. See Draft Indicator Reports for more information.

A draft background paper – The Nearshore Areas of the Great Lakes 2008 - will be available in advance of the conference. This paper will provide a more comprehensive summary of current environmental conditions related to the nearshore in order to enhance participants’ discussions at SOLEC 2008.

The State of the Great Lakes 2007 products are available at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/solec/. A limited number of the State of the Great Lakes 2007 Highlights report will be available at the conference. Copies of the State of the Great Lakes 2007 CD are also available upon request. This CD includes the State of the Great Lakes 2007 technical and highlights reports as well as all the previous State of the Great Lakes reports.

For more information related to State of the Great Lakes Reporting and SOLEC, visit www.binational.net or email SOLEC@ec.gc.ca.

SOLEC 2008 has been planned to minimize environmental impacts. Visit A "Greener" SOLEC to check out what steps have been taken to "green" this conference as well as to find out what you can do to help “green” your conference experience.