State of the Great Lakes: Condition of Great Lakes contamination, biotic communities, invasive species, coastal zones, aquatic habitats, human health, land use-land cover, resource utilization, and climate change based on indicators in the Great Lakes suite. To the extent possible, the presentations will report conditions at a lake-basin scale as well as convey the overall basin-wide status.

Plenary Presentation #1: Indicators – Contaminants, Biotic Communities and Invasive Species
(Amy DeWeerd, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
                                   
Plenary Presentation #2: Indicators – Coastal Zones and Aquatic Habitats
(Gail Hesse, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency)
                                               
Plenary Presentation #3: Indicators – Human Health, Land Use, Resource Utilization, and Climate Change
(Mary Thorburn, Ontario Ministry of Environment)

The Nearshore Areas of the Great Lakes – Status and Trends: The condition of the nearshore zone of the Great Lakes, based on information from the Nearshore Background Paper being written for SOLEC 2008, including what has changed in the nearshore areas since 1996.

Plenary Presentation #4:  Impacts of Changing Land Use
(Scudder Mackey, University of Windsor/Habitat Solutions)
                                   
Plenary Presentation #5:  Nearshore Terrestrial Ecosystems
(Dan Kraus, The Nature Conservancy Canada)
                                   
Plenary Presentation #6:  Coastal Wetlands
(George Finney, Bird Studies Canada)
                                   
Plenary Presentation #7:  Nearshore Waters (biological, physical, chemical features)
(Murray Charlton, Environment Canada - retired)

Afternoon Concurrent Discussion Sessions – Next Steps, Policy Implication: Discussions will relate to indicator refinement and development, data tracking and issue-based reporting with respect to the use of this information for policy and management decision-making. The sessions will also discuss the integration of reporting approaches and other indicator initiatives within the Great Lakes basin.

Suggested session topics include:

1. Progress Towards Assessing Chemicals of Emerging Concern
2. Adaptive Management Implications for the Changing Aquatic Nearshore
3. Tracking Nearshore Terrestrial Habitats and Species
4. Impacts of Changing Land Use
5. Implementing Coastal Wetlands Monitoring
6. Implications of Water Management
7. Linking Beach Health with Human Health
   

Cash Bar/Networking

Right Honourable Herb Gray, International Joint Commission Chairman
Commissioner Allen Olsen, International Joint Commission

Welcomes/Highlights from Day 1/Overview of Day 2

The Lakes and Connecting Channels: Each of the Great Lakes and the   connecting channels are unique. Each presentation will give an overview of the ecosystem conditions of the waterbody and also focus on one nearshore issue.

Plenary Presentation #6:  Niagara River – Nearshore focus: Contaminants and the Influence of Contaminants on the Lake Ontario Nearshore (Brad Hill, Environment Canada)

Lunch Break

Afternoon Concurrent Discussion Sessions – Issues, Policy Implications, Next Steps:  Afternoon discussion sessions will provide participants with an opportunity to discuss the information presented in the morning plenary with respect to the Nearshore Areas as well as discuss other issues and information related to the specific waterbody.

1. Lake Superior - Non-native Species
2. Lake Michigan - Botulism
3. Lake Huron - Beach Health & Biodiversity Strategy
4. St. Clair - Detroit River Connecting Channel - Nutrients & Algal Blooms
5. Lake Erie - Nutrients & Harmful Algal Blooms
6. Niagara River - Contamination
7. Lake Ontario - Impacts of Water Levels

Closing Remarks (Plenary)

Adjourn