Session 1. Physical Processes in Lakes

Chaired by: Dmitry Beletsky, Chin Wu and Cary Troy

Dmitry Beletsky, CILER, University of Michigan, 4840 South State Road,, Ann Arbor, MI 48108; Phone: (734) 741-2360; E-mail: dima.beletsky@noaa.gov.

Chin Wu, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1265 Military Trail, Madison, WI 53706; Phone: (608) 263-3078; Fax: (608) 262-5199; E-mail: chinwu@engr.wisc.edu.

Cary Troy, Purdue University, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907; Phone: (765) 494-3844; Fax: (765) 494-0395; E-mail: troy@purdue.edu.

This session’s focus is on the physical limnology of the Great Lakes and other lakes of the world. Papers are solicited dealing with modeling, experimental and laboratory studies of physical processes in lakes (waves, currents, turbulence, stratification, sediment transport, etc.) ranging in sizes from small to medium and large.

Session 2. Coupled Physical and Biogeochemical Processes in Large Lakes

Chaired by: Leon Boegman, Josef Ackerman and Ram Yerubandi

Leon Boegman, Department of Civil Engienering, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada; Phone: (613) 533-6717; E-mail: leon.boegman@civil.queensu.ca.

Josef Ackerman, Department of Integrative Biology, Unversity of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1; Phone: (519) 824-4120; E-mail: ackerman@uoguelph.ca.

Ram Yerubandi, National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: (905) 336 4785; E-mail: Ram.Yerubandi@ec.gc.ca.

Physical and biogeochemical limnologists have traditionally conducted independent research on lake processes. The lessons learned are that this approach does not always provide clear solutions to management problems. For example, Lake Erie hypoxia is controlled by both physics (e.g. turbulent mixing) and biogeochemistry (e.g. oxygen demand) interacting in a complex manner. Multidisciplinary collaborative projects focusing on biophysical coupling are rapidly becoming the norm to provide solutions for the future. This session will feature talks on coupled physical and biogeochemical processes in large lakes.

Session 3. Climate Change and Variability and their Impacts on Environment and Ecosystems in the Great Lakes Region

Chaired by: Brent Lofgren, Jia Wang and Murray MacKay

Brent Lofgren, NOAA/GLERL, 4840 S. State Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA; Phone: (734) 741-2383; Fax: (734) 741-2055; E-mail: Brent.Lofgren@noaa.gov.

Jia Wang, NOAA/GLERL, 4840 S. State Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA; Phone: (734) 741-2281; E-mail: Jia.Wang@noaa.gov.

Murray MacKay, Environment Canada, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, ON M3H 5T4 Canada; Phone: (416) 739-5710; Fax: (416) 739-5700; E-mail: Murray.Mackay@ec.gc.ca.

Climate variability in the Great Lakes is influenced by teleconnection patterns, including the Arctic Oscillation (AO) or North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and ENSO (El Nino and Southern Oscillation), with greenhouse gas-induced climate warming happening simultaneously. The larger picture requires these influences to be integrated with each other and with impacts at various spatial scales and time scales up to multiple centuries. This session invites observational and modeling studies that investigate either individual climate subsystems (atmosphere, hydrodynamics, lake ice, ecosystems, and land processes/hydrology) or interactions among the climate subsystems. Papers on adaption and mitigation approaches and the management of natural resources (such as water quality and quantity, fisheries, etc.) in response to future climate change are also welcome.

Session 4. Towards Linking Wind-Driven Physical Processes with Nearshore Aquatic Biology in Lakes.

Chaired by: Agnes Blukacz-Richards and Mathew Wells

Agnes Blukacz-Richards, Environment Canada 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON M3H 5T4 Canada; Phone: (416)-739-4122; Fax: (416) 739-4404; E-mail: Agnes.Richards@ec.gc.ca.

Mathew Wells, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4; Phone: (416) 208 4879; E-mail: wells@utsc.utoronto.ca.

The focus will be on linking, across various spatial and temporal scales, physical processes such as wind-driven water movement with nearshore biology in lakes. Wind-drives physical processes such as internal waves, eddies, and small-scale turbulence and these processes can affect biological processes such as predator-prey spatial overlap. A better understanding of all these processes can help to provide a framework of possible management options for nearshore habitat in lakes.

Session 5. Mysids in the Great Lakes

Chaired by: Brent Boscarino and Maureen Walsh

Brent Boscarino, 900 Shackelton Point Road, Cornell Biological Field Station, Bridgeport, NY 13030 USA; Phone: (315)633-9243, Ext. 44; Fax: (315)633-2358; E-mail: btb32@cornell.edu.

Maureen Walsh, USGS Lake Ontario Biological Station, 17 Lake Street, Oswego, NY 13126 USA; Phone: (315)343-3951, Ext. 12; Fax: (315)342-8065; E-mail: mwalsh@usgs.gov.

We welcome all papers investigating the ecological role, behavior, genetics, physiology, and population dynamics of both the recently established exotic mysid, Hemimysis anomala, and the native mysid, Mysis diluviana (formerly M. relicta) in the Laurentian Great Lakes. The session will provide a forum to compare and contrast the two species, synthesize current research, and address future research priorities.

Session 6. Causes and Consequences of Continued Diporeia Declines

Chaired by: Tomas Hook, Thomas Nalepa and Maria Sepulveda

Tomas Hook, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907; Phone: (765) 496-6799; E-mail: thook@purdue.edu.

Thomas Nalepa, NOAA, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI 48108; Phone: (734) 741-2285; E-mail: thomas.nalepa@noaa.gov.

Maria Sepulveda, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907; Phone: (765) 496 3428; E-mail: mssepulv@purdue.edu.

The amphipod, Diporeia spp., has historically constituted a large component of offshore benthic communities throughout the Great Lakes and has represented an important link between benthic pathways and fish production. However, coincident with invasion and expansion of dreissenid mussels, Diporeia have declined precipitously and are now completely absent from many regions of the Great Lakes. Several studies have now documented the consequences of these declines on fish diets, condition and growth. However, despite numerous continued investigations the precise mechanisms underlying Diporeia declines remain enigmatic. We invite presentations on investigations of mechanisms of Diporeia declines, descriptions of Diporeia biology and ecology, and studies documenting the consequences of Diporeia declines.

Session 7. Phytoplankton Ecology, Nutrient Cycles and Management Issues

Chaired by: Curtis Clevinger, Robert Heath, Susan Watson and Steve Wilhelm

Curtis Clevinger, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, 44242 USA; Phone: (330) 672-3613; Fax: (330) 672 3713; E-mail: clevincc@gmail.com.

Robert Heath, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, 44242 USA; Phone: (330) 672-3613; Fax: (330) 672 3713; E-mail: rheath@kent.edu.

Susan Watson, Environment Canada, National Water Research Institute, Burlington, L7R 4A6; Phone: 905-336-4759; E-mail: Sue.Watson@ec.gc.ca.

Steve Wilhelm, Dept. Microbiology, University of Tennesse, Knoxville, TN 37996-0845 U.S.A.; Phone: (865)974-0665; E-mail: wilhelm@utk.edu.

This session will focus on phytoplankton dynamics, controlling factors, and specific problems associated with excessive or undesirable algal growth. Topics with management implications include, but are not limited to, taste and odor problems, cyanobacterial blooms, and algal contributions to seasonal hypoxia. The session aims to bring together research on these and other problems with fundamental studies of the population and community processes that lead to the manifestation of water quality problems.

Session 8. Coastal Fish and Food Webs in the Great Lakes

Chaired by: Mark Ridgway

Mark Ridgway, Aquatic Research Section, OMNR, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada; Phone: (705) 755-1550; E-mail: mark.ridgway@ontario.ca.

Coastal ecosystems in the Great Lakes include wetlands, river/lake ecotones, large embayments and nearshore habitat along the open coast. Fish and food webs in this zone are subject to change including water level fluctuations, aquatic invasive species, habitat loss and alteration and shoreline development to name a few. While no single definition is available to describe the depth limits of coastal areas in the Great Lakes, dynamic interactions between pelagic and nearshore environments provide a theoretical and empirical basis for linking the ecology of these two fundamental elements for any of the Great Lakes. The purpose of this session is to bring together researchers working in Great Lakes coastal ecosystems through a focus on aquatic food webs, limnology and habitat.

Session 9. Fish Communities, Habitat Coupling and Energy Transfer in Great Lakes Ecosystems

Chaired by: Owen Gorman and Thomas Hrabik

Owen Gorman, USGS, 2800 Lake Shore Drive East, Ashland, WI 54806 USA; Phone: 715-682-6163; Fax: 715-682-6511; E-mail: otgorman@usgs.gov.

Thomas Hrabik, University of Minnesota - Duluth, 207 Swenson Science Bldg, 1035 Kirby Dr., Duluth, MN 55812 USA; Phone: 218-726-7626; Fax: 218-726-8142; E-mail: thrabik@d.umn.edu.

This session explores the current knowledge of habitat coupling and energy transfer within fish communities in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Ontogenetic changes, seasonal migrations, and diel movements in habitat associations by fishes act to couple disjunct habitats and promote energy transfer within Great Lakes’ ecosystems. Habitat shifts associated with ontogentic changes and seasonal migrations connect inshore-nearshore zones to offshore areas and effect energy transfers and energy utilization pathways. Diel vertical migrations in offshore waters couple benthos and pelagia. Diel movement up and down nearshore banks couple inshore and nearshore habitat zones. A more complete understanding of these couplings and energy transfers would identify the major sources of energy production and energy sinks within each lake and would allow for an assessment of the effects invasive species are having on energy transfer dynamics. Lake Superior can be presented as a model of a more natural Great Lake ecosystem and the lower lakes can serve as examples of disturbed systems with radically different fish communities and patterns of energy flow. We anticipate that the “benthification” of the lower lakes by invasive dreissenid mussels, reduction in native fishes, and predominance of introduced fishes have changed habitat coupling relationships and energy production and utilization from that occurring in Lake Superior. The session will end with a discussion among presenters with audience input that addresses the stability of the Lake Superior ecosystem and what can be done to enhance a more natural energy flow matrix in the lower lakes. This would very much touch on the whole subject of restoration of fish communities and ecosystems in the lower Lakes.

Session 10. Great Lakes Aquatic Health and Environments - Past, Present, and Future

Chaired by: Scudder Mackey and Tom MacDougall

Scudder Mackey, 37045 N Ganster Road, University of Windsor/Habitat Solutions NA, Beach Park,, IL 60087-3162 United States; Phone: (847) 360-9820; Fax: (847) 625-0925; E-mail: scudder@sdmackey.com.

Tom MacDougall, Box 429, 1 Passmore Ave, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Port Dover, ON N0A 1N0 Canada; Phone: (519) 583-1344; Fax: (519) 583-1547; E-mail: tom.macdougall@mnr.gov.on.ca.

This session will focus on changes in Great Lakes aquatic health and environment. Through time, physical, chemical, and biological stressors have significantly altered the structure and habitats of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The introduction of invasive species and pathogens directly threaten the aquatic health and habitats of the Great Lakes. Increased sedimentation and contaminant and nutrient loadings have resulted in changes in water quality, turbidity, and productivity. Climate variability may affect lake levels, flow regimes, and nearshore coastal processes. These changes will affect wetland plant diversity and structure, change fish access to nearshore and coastal spawning habitats, and will alter historical spawning habitats in the Great Lakes. This session will document past, present, and future physical, chemical, and biological stressors and changes on aquatic health and environment, and explore innovative ways to monitor, protect, rehabilitate, and restore Great Lakes aquatic health and environments in the future.

Session 11. Trophic transfer of contaminants and nutrients, and risks and benefits of Great Lakes fish consumption

Chaired by: John Poulopoulos, Donna Mergler and Susan Schantz

John Poulopoulos, School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6; Phone: (613) 533-6000; E-mail: 5jp37@queensu.ca.

Donna Mergler, Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie, Sante, Societe et Environnement (CINBIOSE), Universite du Quebec a Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8; Phone: 514-987-3000, Ext. 3355; E-mail: mergler.donna@uqam.ca.

Susan Schantz, Dept of Vetrinary Biosciences, Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802 U.S.A.; Phone: (217) 333-6230; E-mail: schantz@illinois.edu.

This session will explore the implications and the complexities associated with health benefits and risks of consuming Great Lakes fish. Amongst the issues of concern is assessing fish consumption amongst the variety of communities in the Great Lakes area, the present uncertainties about the risks and benefits, and the consequences of multiple uncertainties on the communities involved.

Session 12. Movements of Great Lakes Fishes: Uncertainties, Opportunities, and Implications

Chaired by: Rob McLaughlin

Rob McLaughlin, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Canada; Phone: (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53620; E-mail: rlmclaug@uoguelph.ca.

This session will consider the current scientific understanding and management implications surrounding the broad-scale movements made by Great Lakes fishes. Most Great Lakes fishes exhibit some form of migration or extensive movement. Increasingly, these movements are being recognized as a valuable form of biodiversity with important implications for conservation and management. The series of talks will highlight scientific advances, uncertainties, and management implications emerging from recent investigations of the movements of Great Lakes fishes, as well as the scientific advances that could be achieved through the application of ideas and tracking technologies being developed and employed outside of the Great Lakes basin.

Session 13. Wildlife on the Great Lakes: Lake-specific to Basin-wide Issues

Chaired by: Chip Weseloh and Craig Hebert

Chip Weseloh, Canadian Wildlife Service, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, ON M3H 5T4 Canada; Phone: (416) 739-5846; E-mail: Chip.Weseloh@ec.gc.ca.

Craig Hebert, Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Center, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Canada; Phone: (613) 998-6693; E-mail: Craig.Hebert@ec.gc.ca.

Wildlife are at the centre of many important Great Lakes issues. While some of these issues affect wildlife across the Great Lakes basin, many are more lake-specific. This session will provide a lake-by-lake assessment of wildlife issues while also inviting papers examining wildlife-related topics at a basin-wide scale. Topics include, but are not limited to, double-crested cormorant management, ecosystem change and food availability, and impacts of disease on bird populations.

Session 14. Fate and Effects of Currently Used Pesticides

Chaired by: John Struger and Ed Sverko

John Struger, Environment Canada, Box 5050, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: (905) 336-4966; Fax: (905)336-4609; E-mail: john.struger@ec.gc.ca.

Ed Sverko, Environment Canada, Box 5050, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: (905)336-4423; Fax: (905)336-4609; E-mail: ed.sverko@ec.gc.ca.

Focus in this session is on the fate and effects of currently used pesticides in water, wildlife and air within the Great Lakes basin

Session 15. Contaminants of Concern : Legacy to New / Past to Present

Chaired by: Sean Backus and Bernard Crimmins

Sean Backus, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: 905-336-4646; E-mail: sean.backus@ec.gc.ca.

Bernard Crimmins, Department, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 11981 USA; Phone: (1123) 456-7890; E-mail: bcrimmin@clarkson.edu.

Contaminants of Concern continue to be found with increasing frequency in the Great Lake’s ecosystem. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are of particular concern because of their toxicity, their tendency to accumulate in human and animal tissue, and their persistence in the environment. Legacy contaminants such as organochlorine pesticides are no longer used in agriculture in the US but because of their persistence in the environment and their extensive use in the past in both agricultural and urban settings continue to be detected in air, precipitation, soil, sediment, and biota. PCBs and PAHs continue to be a source of concern as restoration of historic sites is undertaken. There is a growing body of science on the environmental occurrence, distribution, and mobility of emerged classes of contaminants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), widely used in fire retardants and perfluorinated compounds, (PFCs), fluorine-containing chemicals used to make materials stain resistant. Recent awareness that many of the products and chemicals designed to offer improvements in industry, agriculture, medical treatment, and day-to-day life are causing contamination of air, water, and land resources continues to lead to studies on new chemicals. Chemicals such as organosiloxanes, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, current use pesticides, replacement flame retardants, and nanoparticles continue to stimulate new science in the Great Lakes Basin. This session will focus on legacy, emerged and new contaminants in the Great Lakes with a link on past present and future work and the common lessons learned. The session will help to inform on a path forward on an integrated approach to toxics in the Great Lakes that is effective and efficient for ecosystem recovery and protection.

Session 16. Chemical contaminants and evironmental forensics in the Great Lakes Basin.

Chaired by: Chris Marvin, Matthew Robson, Tom Harner and Liisa Jauntunen

Chris Marvin, Environment Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: (905) 319-6919; E-mail: chris.marvin@ec.gc.ca.

Matthew Robson, Geography Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S2E5 Canada; Phone: (416) 946-8016; Fax: (416) 946 5992; E-mail: matthewrobson@hotmail.com.

Tom Harner, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, M2N 2B3 Cananda; Phone: (416) 739-4837; E-mail: tom.harner@ec.gc.ca.

Liisa Jauntunen, Process Research Section, Environment Canada, Downsview, M3H 5T4 Canada; Phone: (705) 458-3318; E-mail: Liisa.Jantunen@ec.gc.ca.

Chemical pollutants, ranging from metals and legacy persistent organic pollutants (PCBs, mercury, PAHs) to chemicals of emerging concern (flame retardants, perfluorochemicals, endocrine disrupting substances), continue to enter and impact the Great Lakes environment. Presentations are encouraged to include the occurrence, impacts and fate processes of such chemicals in air, water, sediment and biota within the Great Lakes Basin, including urban areas, airsheds, coastal areas and lakes.

Session 17. Trophic Transfer of Contaminants in Aquatic Ecosystems

Chaired by:

The accumulation of contaminants in aquatic foods webs presents a health hazard to top predators and humans who consume fish. Accumulation of contaminants in food webs is controlled by geochemical and biological drivers, the importance of which continues to be debated. Moreover, these drivers are likely to be modified by climate change, food web disruption by invasive species and changes in nutrient loading. This session welcomes papers that cover geochemical and biological controls and bioavailability of contaminants and their accumulation in food webs. Papers highlighting the relative importance of geochemical and biological drivers of contaminant accumulation and transfer, anticipated effects of food web disruptions and climate change are also welcome.

Session 18. Environmental Forensics in the Great Lakes: Tracking Contaminants from Emergence to Source.

Chaired by:

This session will feature a broad spectrum of environmental forensic techniques used to identify sources and movement of both inorganic and organic pollutants in the Great Lakes region. This would includes techniques such as enantiomeric analysis, stable isotope analysis and chemometric analysis.

Session 19. Legacy and Emerging Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Great Lakes Air

Chaired by:

Investigations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Great Lakes environment has broadened in recent years to include many classes of emerging, priority pollutants. These new chemicals sometimes differ considerably from their predecessors and present new challenges for sampling, analysis and fate modeling. This session will consider new efforts on legacy POPs and emerging chemicals in the Great lakes atmosphere.

Session 20. Aquatic Invasive Species: Solutions for the Future?

Chaired by: Lyubov Burlakova, Christopher Pennuto and Alexander Karatayev

Lyubov Burlakova, Great Lakes Center, Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 USA; Phone: (716) 878-4504; Fax: (716) 878-6644; E-mail: burlakle@buffalostate.edu.

Christopher Pennuto, Great Lakes Center, Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 USA; Phone: (716) 878-4501; Fax: (716) 878-6644; E-mail: pennutcm@buffalostate.edu.

Alexander Karatayev, Great Lakes Center, Buffalo State Collenge, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 USA; Phone: (716) 878-5423; Fax: (716) 878-6644; E-mail: karataay@buffalostate.edu.

Researchers around the world have documented negative, positive, and/or neutral effects from the arrival of invasive species into new habitats. What can resource managers do with this information? How can we effectively use research accumulated in the USA and other countries to predict future invaders, and to control the ones we have? Understanding invasion biology or the mechanisms facilitating invasions may offer insights into best control strategies. Alternatively, once invaders become established how do we best cope with altered ecosystems or ecosystem processes that result? This session will explore the range of mechanisms affecting successful invasions and tools to both assess future impacts and manage invaded ecosystems.

Session 21. Gaining and Applying Insights from Long-term Ecological Research on Lake Simcoe

Chaired by: David Evans, Rebecca North, Michael Rennie and Joelle Young

David Evans, Aquatic Research and Development Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada; Phone: (705) 755-2256; Fax: (705) 755-1559; E-mail: david.evans@ontario.ca.

Rebecca North, Department of Chemistry, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada; Phone: (705) 748-1011, Ext. 7243; Fax: (705) 748-1029; E-mail: rebeccanorth@trentu.ca.

Michael Rennie, Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, DNA Building, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada; Phone: (705) 755-2287; Fax: (705) 755-1559; E-mail: michaelrennie@trentu.ca.

Joelle Young, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON M9P 3V6 Canada; Phone: (416) 327-4864; Fax: (416) 327-6519; E-mail: joelle.young@ontario.ca.

The largest inland lake in southern Ontario, Lake Simcoe, has an ecologically diverse catchment that has been affected by human activities since the early 20th century. High phosphorus inputs led to hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen depletion and deleterious effects on aquatic biota. While nutrient control measures have achieved reductions, phosphorus loads remain above target levels. A major challenge exists in understanding interactions among these and other concurrent stressors affecting the lake, including species invasions and climate change. This session builds on a 2009 Lake Simcoe Synthesis Workshop and will highlight temporal ecological trends, the coupling of physical and biological processes within the lake, and the functional linkages that connect the lake and its watershed. This session will also show how current modelling efforts can build upon this historical perspective.

Session 22. Great Lakes in Regional and Global Biogeochemical Cycles

Chaired by: James Cotner, Harvey Bootsma and Galen McKinley

James Cotner, 100 Ecology/1987 Upper Buford Circle, Dept. Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Saint Paul, MN 55108 United States; Phone: (612) 625-1706; Fax: (612) 624-6777; E-mail: cotne002@umn.edu.

Harvey Bootsma, Great Lakes Water Institute, 600 E. Greenfield Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53204; Phone: (414) 382-1700; Fax: (414) 382-1705; E-mail: hbootsma@uwm.edu.

Galen McKinley, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Center for Climatic Research, 1225 W. Dayton St., Madison, MN 53706 United States; Phone: (608) 262-4817; Fax: (608) 262-0166; E-mail: galen@aos.wisc.edu.

The great lakes of the world have been examined extensively as indicators past climate dynamics and processes. Less is known about how these systems function in the regional and global biogeochemical cycles. The goal of this session is to synthesize what we know about the role of large lakes in mediating carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorus cycling. We are interested in contributions that focus both on internal cycling processes and dynamics and that address the role of large lakes in altering carbon, oxygen and nutrient dynamics at the watershed, regional and global scales. In the spirit of the theme of this meeting, we also encourage contributions that address how these processes have changed through time and/or how management into the future will change the biogeochemical role of large lake ecosystems.

Session 23. The Lakes They Are A-Changin’: Long-Term Trends of Great Lakes Water Quality

Chaired by: Steven Chapra and David Dolan

Steven Chapra, Tufts University, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Medford, MA 02155 USA; Phone: (617) 627-3654; Fax: (617) 627-3994; E-mail: steven.chapra@tufts.edu.

David Dolan, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Natural and Applied Sciences (Math), Green Bay, WI 54311 USA; Phone: (920) 465-2986; Fax: (920) 465-2376; E-mail: doland@uwgb.edu.

In the late 1960s, extensive and systematic data collection efforts began for the Great Lakes. Over the intervening period, the Lakes experienced many changes, including load reductions, invasive species, climate change, etc. The purpose of this session is to presents papers that utilize these long-term observations to characterize and understand changes in loads and concentrations of major ions, nutrients, contaminants and biota in the Great Lakes.

Session 24. Nitrogen Cycle Dynamics in the Great Lakes

Chaired by:

Recent research and events have demonstrated a need for an increased understanding of nitrogen cyle dynamics in freshwater lakes. This session will address recent advances in our knowledge of the impacts of nitrogen cycle processes and changes in these processes on the functioning of the ecosystems in the Great Lakes.

Session 25. Lake Winnipeg: Causes and Effects of Eutrophication

Chaired by: Greg McCullough and Hedy Kling

Greg McCullough, Centre for Earth Observations Science, 482 Wallace Bldg., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6 Canada; Phone: 204 474 9980; E-mail: gmccullo@cc.umanitoba.ca.

Hedy Kling, 31 Laval Drive, WInnipeg, MB R3T 2X8 Canada; Phone: 204 261 1471; E-mail: hKling@mts.net.

Papers in this session will highlight our current understanding of eutrophication in Lake Winnipeg and processes in the watershed that have forced increased productivity in the lake. The goal of session organizers is to draw together scientists from both the lake and watershed to enhance mutual knowledge of causes and effects relating to eutrophication of the lake, and that will help to guide future research and solutions. We invite papers ranging from presentation of research results to discussions of management implications.

Session 26. Prioritizing Restoration and Protection Efforts in the Great Lakes Region

Chaired by: Michael Murray, Peter McIntyre and J. David Allan

Michael Murray, National Wildlife Federation, 213 W. Liberty St., Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 US; Phone: (734) 887-7110; Fax: (734) 887-7199; E-mail: murray@nwf.org.

Peter McIntyre, School Nat. Res. Envrion., U. Michigan, 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1041 USA; Phone: (734) 936-2448; E-mail: pbmcinty@umich.edu.

J. David Allan, School Nat. Res. Envrion., U. Michigan, 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1041 USA; Phone: (734) 764-6533; E-mail: dallan@umich.edu.

Given increasing policy attention to restoration in the Great Lakes, and the availability of new funding (in particular on the U.S. side), there is a pressing need in both the U.S. and Canada to identify restoration and protection priorities. Prioritization is a non-trivial process due to the wide variety of stresses and impairments, the diversity of ecosystem targets and objectives, incomplete or out-of-date data, an incomplete understanding of stress-response mechanisms, and varying response times to intervention. At the same time, numerous efforts have been developed with either a prioritization focus or an approach that can aid in prioritizing efforts both inside and beyond the Great Lakes region. Examples include the ongoing development and use of environmental indicators, the use of field data and statistical approaches to define stress gradients and relate them to the condition of communities (e.g. wetlands), ranking systems and other program components involved in agricultural incentive programs, risk assessment/modeling efforts that identify potential threats from aquatic invasive species, and the use of expert panels to recommend priorities. This session will include presentations on these approaches to prioritizing restoration and protection options, and will conclude with a panel discussion on opportunities to advance prioritization efforts in the Great Lakes.

Session 27. Recent Science, Monitoring, and Modeling in Lake Erie

Chaired by: Joseph DePinto, Jan Ciborowski and Jeff Reutter

Joseph DePinto, LimnoTech, 501 Avis Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA; Phone: (734) 332-1200, Ext. 193; E-mail: jdepinto@Limno.com.

Jan Ciborowski, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4; Phone: (519) 253-3000, Ext. 2725; E-mail: cibor@uwindsor.ca.

Jeff Reutter, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43212 USA; Phone: (614) 292-8949; E-mail: reutter.1@osu.edu.

2009 was an intensive research, monitoring, and modeling year for Lake Erie in association with the Coordinated Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) that has been developed by the U.S. EPA and Environment Canada. The purpose of this session will be to present the initial analysis and interpretation of that work in order to increase our understanding of relationships between the many natural and anthropogenic stressors being imposed on the lake’s ecosystem and the suite of problematic responses (hazardous and nuisance algal blooms, hypoxia, botulism) that have been observed in both the nearshore and offshore waters of the lake. We invite presentations focusing on the physical, chemical, and biological research, monitoring, and modeling that has been conducted on the Lake Erie watershed, tributaries, nearshore and offshore waters and sediments over the past year.

Session 28. Coastal Zone of Lake Ontario: Present Day Conditions and Dynamics

Chaired by: Todd Howell and Joseph Makarewicz

Todd Howell, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON M9P 3V6 Canada; Phone: (416) 236-6225; Fax: (416) 235-6235; E-mail: todd.howell@ontario.ca.

Joseph Makarewicz, 125 Lennon Hall, Brockport, 14420-2914; Phone: (585) 395-5747; E-mail: jmakarew@brockport.edu.

The lands draining to the shores of Lake Ontario are widely developed as urban and agricultural lands. The many resource values, are concentrated at the shoreline. The intensity of the human interaction with the lake rivals the forcing by ecological and physical processes within the lake upon on the nearshore. The features of discharge at the mouths of rivers is a critical element in the connection between the land and the lake and contributes to a complex spatial and temporal mosaic of conditions in the nearshore. The ecological characteristics of the nearshore lakebed has changed dramatically in the past two decades following the colonization of the Great Lakes by dreissenid mussels. Excessive and recurrent growth of the green algae Cladophora and other benthic algae thought to be in part linked to habitat changes following dreissenid mussel establishment are problematic over the open coastline in diverse areas. Nutrient enrichment issues continue in more embayed areas and basins historically known for eutrophication problems. Understanding material and pollutants exchanges over watershed-nearshore-offshore boundaries remains challenging. This session will explore monitoring and research topics addressing the delivery and dynamics of nutrients and other watershed-derived materials in the nearshore waters of Lake Ontario as well as the biological and anthropocentric implications of present day environmental conditions. Comparable work from other Great Lakes is welcome.

Session 29. Integration of Ecological and Hydrologic Approaches to the Restoration of Great Lakes Urban Rivers

Chaired by: Ken Dion, Don Haley and Alex Brunton

Ken Dion, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, 5 Shoreham Drive, Downsview, ON M3N 1S4; Phone: (416) 661 6600; E-mail: KDion@trca.on.ca.

Don Haley, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, 5 Shoreham Drive, Downsview, ON M3N 1S4 Canada; Phone: (416) 661 6600; E-mail: DHaley@trca.on.ca.

Alex Brunton, W.F. Baird & Associates, 627 Lyons Lane Suite 200, Oakville, ON L6J 5Z7; Phone: (905) 845 5385; E-mail: abrunton@baird.com.

Renaturalization of Great Lakes urban rivers requires consideration of the complex interplay between watershed, lake and river hydrologic and ecological processes in disturbed physical systems. These processes include: flooding; sediment transport, erosion and sedimentation; geomorphology; water quality; wetland dynamics; ice and debris; vegetation and fisheries biology. Interaction of these processes is a challenge to scientists and practicioners undertaking projects in river outlets and channels upstream, especially with respect to long-term stability and management impications of restored systems. This session encourages submissions addressing these issues, and in particular in resolving their differing needs in urban river restoration projects around the Great Lakes.

Session 30. Historical Sedimentation in Great Lakes Watersheds – Causes, Quantification and Consequences

Chaired by: Jim Selegean and Faith Fitzpatrick

Jim Selegean, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 477 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48226 usa; Phone: (313)226-6791; E-mail: james.p.selegean@usace.army.mil.

Faith Fitzpatrick, USGS - Wisconsin Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562 usa; Phone: (608) 821-3818; E-mail: fafitzpa@usgs.gov.

Watershed sources of sediment have been and continue to cause impairments for many tributaries, nearshore areas and harbors of the Great Lakes. Contributions to this session will explore changes in historical sediment yield, delivery and accumulation rates for watersheds in the Great Lakes. Natural and anthropogenic causes and consequences of excessive sedimentation will be discussed. Methods may include numerical model simulations of past and future scenarios, reservoir sedimentation surveys, analysis of fluvial stratigraphy, sediment fingerprinting, geomorphic assessments, and sediment budgets. Papers may span multiple temporal and spatial scales, with special focus on studies that link change in sediment yield/delivery/deposition to an anthropogenic, climatic or other disturbance.

Session 31. Changing Water’s Edge: Nearshore-Coastal Ecosystem Response to Loading of Inorganic Nutrients and Organic Matter

Chaired by: Bopi Biddanda and Tom Johengen

Bopi Biddanda, Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University, 740 W Shoreline Dr., Muskegon, MI 49417 USA; Phone: 616 331 3978; Fax: 616 331 3864; E-mail: biddandb@gvsu.edu.

Tom Johengen, Cooperative Institute for Limnology & Ecosystems Research, University of Michigan, 4840 South State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA; Phone: (734) 741-2203; Fax: (734) 741 2055; E-mail: johengen@umich.edu.

Biogeochemical and ecological processes in the coastal waters of the Great Lakes have been radically altered over the past decade with the expansion of dreissenid mussels throughout much of the nearshore environment. These changes are further expressed in the biological oligotrophication of offshore waters and benthic enrichment of nearshore waters in poorly understood ways. Knowledge vital to understanding and forecasting ecosystem change in response to changing trends in inorganic nutrient and organic matter loading and food web disruptions is lacking. There is an emerging need for re-evaluating the role of autochthonous and allochthonous sources of nutrients and carbon, activity of autotrophs and heterotrophs, nature of benthic-pelagic coupling, emergence of harmful algal blooms (such as Microcystis), excessive growth of benthic macro algae (such as Cladophora) that leads to beach fouling, and changing trophic interactions resulting from invasive dreissenid mussels, that influence the carbon and nutrient balance of the lakes, as well as, its water quality. This session welcomes findings at all levels of response in lakes (species, communities and ecosystem) to natural and/or anthropogenic loading of inorganic nutrients and organic matter.

Session 32. Groundwater in the Great Lakes: Source, Magnitude, Composition, Reactivity and Ecosystem Response.

Chaired by: Steve Ruberg, Bopaiah Biddanda and Yevgeniy Kontar

Steve Ruberg, 4840 S State Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48108; Phone: 734 741 2271; E-mail: steve.ruberg@noaa.gov.

Bopaiah Biddanda, Annis Water Resources Institute, 740 W. Shoreline Dr., Muskegon, MI 49441 US; Phone: 616 331 3978; E-mail: biddandb@gvsu.edu.

Yevgeniy Kontar, Illinois State Geological Survey, 615 E Peabody Dr, Champaign, IL 61820 US; Phone: 217 265 5438; E-mail: kontar@isgs.illinois.edu.

Nearly one and a half-century ago, Henry David Thoreau (1854) correctly captured the essence of a lake with his observation that the lake is the “Earth’s eye”. Freshwater represents a major and reactive pathway for the global biogeochemical cycling of elements, and the influence of groundwater inflow on coastal ecosystems can be huge. Whereas, available estimates suggest that groundwater flow (direct and indirect) contributes about half of the water flowing from the watershed into the Great Lakes, there is a significant lack of data for the Great Lakes basin as a whole. Quantification of groundwater seepage and associated chemical loading, and evaluation of how it is impacting lake levels, water quality and food webs could provide critical information needed for modeling and forecasting ecosystem response and spread of invasive species, not to mention more informed management of ~19% of Earth’s surface water resource during the current period of rapidly changing hydrological cycle. It is not clear if Thoreau had groundwater in mind when he envisioned “lakes as Earth’s eyes, looking into which one could see the surrounding landscape reflected within”. This session hopes to shed light on this otherwise invisible groundwater pathway and evaluate its potentially influential role within the Great Lakes’s ecosystems.

Session 33. Changes on the Land: What Does it Mean for Water Quality in the Great Lakes Basin

Chaired by: Pamela Joosse

Pamela Joosse, 1 Stone Rd W, OMAFRA, Guelph, ON N1G 4Y2 Canada; Phone: (519)826-3853; Fax: (519)826-3259; E-mail: pamela.joosse@ontario.ca.

The changing dynamics of the Great Lakes and indicators of their health are well discussed at IAGLR and other environment gatherings (SOLEC). But the changing dynamics of the agricultural landscape and management of it, and what implications these have for interpretation or predictions of water quality and environmental health are not as widely presented or understood. This session will look at the changing agricultural landscape and its management at different scales and the implications for water quality in the Great Lakes Basin.

Session 34. Source Water Protection on the Great Lakes

Chaired by: Martin Keller, Jennifer Read and Fiona Duckett

Martin Keller, Great Lakes Project & Planning Advisor, Source Protection Programs Branch, Drinking Water Management Division, Ministry of the Environment, 2 St. Clair Ave. West, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M4V 1L5 Canada; Phone: (416) 314-0909; Fax: (416) 327-6926; E-mail: martin.keller@ontario.ca.

Jennifer Read, Executive Director, Great Lakes Observing System, 229 Nickels Arcade, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 U.S.; Phone: (734) 332-6101; E-mail: jread@glos.us.

Fiona Duckett, Baird & Associates, 627 Lyons Lane, Suite 200, Oakville, ON L6J 5Z7 Canada; Phone: (905) 845-5385, Ext. 426; Fax: (905) 845-0698; E-mail: duckett@baird.com.

The Great Lakes are the source of drinking water for tens of millions of people in Canada and the U.S. Initiatives by governments on both sides of the border have resulted in the development of source water protection programs for municipal intakes. Source water protection planning requires consideration of the hydrodynamic currents which may transport contaminants to the intake, scenario modeling of specific contaminants, risk analysis, identification of threats and issues, monitoring, watershed loading analysis, understanding pathogenic risks and toxicity related to issues such as blue-green algae. This session invites submissions addressing these issues.

Session 35. Education & Outreach: Applying Science to Problem Solving

Chaired by: Rochelle Sturtevant and Frank Lichtkoppler

Rochelle Sturtevant, 4840 South State Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA; Phone: (734) 741-2287; E-mail: Rochelle.Sturtevant@noaa.gov.

Frank Lichtkoppler, 99 East Erie Street, Painesville, OH 44077 USA; Phone: (440) 350-2267; Fax: (440) 350-5928; E-mail: flichtkoppler@lakecountyohio.gov.

Without up-to-date information citizens can not make informed decisions concerning the sustained uses of Great Lakes resources and the conservation and protection of those resources. To have maximum impact, advances in science must be shared with decision makers, legislators, clientel groups and citizens in terms they can understand. We encourage the submission of case studies, applied research and examples of the successful transfer of science based information and technology to citizens, legislators and clientele groups. Papers that provide information on how you conducted successful extension and outreach programs are welcome.

Session 38. Renovating Great Lakes Governance for Sustainability

Chaired by: Gail Krantzberg and Jon MacDonagh-Dumler

Gail Krantzberg, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton, ON L8S4K1; Phone: (905) 525-9140, Ext. 22153; E-mail: krantz@mcmaster.ca.

Jon MacDonagh-Dumler, Institute of Water Research, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48823-5243; Phone: (517) 353-3742, Ext. 0217; Fax: (517) 353-1812; E-mail: macdon47@msu.edu.

There is an emerging consensus that the current binational governance regime lacks coherence and leadership. There has been considerable research on participatory water resource management processes but less attention as to how to create fundamental change in binational approaches to transboundary environmental management in a pragmatic, legitimate, and inclusive manner. This session will identify roles and relationships critical for a sustainable Great Lakes basin ecosystem. This session will inform the renegotiation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Session 39. Collaborative Frameworks for Water Resources Management

Chaired by:

Management practices for large lakes have often been developed and implemented by technical experts using predictive models and control systems. The recent trend in management practice has given increasing importance to stakeholder involvement. This has led to innovations in collaborative governance which is considered to be more appropriate for integrated and adaptive management regimes that attempt to cope with complex social-ecological systems. The scope of this session will include stakeholders functioning at different scales temporally and geographically and who are connected in flexible networks where they can develop the capacity and trust needed for collaboration. Also, multiparty collaboration processes, from formal legal structures and contracts to informal voluntary agreements, will illustrate how networks or “communities of practice” are influenced by the governance institutions in which they occur. Through exploring the dynamics of these collaborative processes lessons will be drawn for how to promote collective action in managing common pool resources such as large lakes.

Session 40. Linking Science-Policy-Action: Using Science to Guide Decision Making and Influence Behaviours.

Chaired by: Karl Schaefer and Matthew Pearson

Karl Schaefer, 867 Lakeshore Rd, PO Box 5050, Burlington, L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: (905) 336-4884; E-mail: karl.schaefer@ec.gc.ca.

Matthew Pearson, B.M. Ross & Associates Limited, 62 North Street, Goderich, ON N7A 2T4 Canada; Phone: (519) 524-2641; Fax: (519) 524=4403; E-mail: mpearson@bmross.net.

This session would focus on programs being used along the eastern Lake Huron Shoreline to foster sustainable behaviours. In particular a case study of a mandatory septic reinspection program in the Township of Huron Kinloss that is using "community based social marketing" as a means to link the quality of the lake to the actions of the lakeshore residents. This is a combined stewardship program and data gathering exercise that will provide long term benefits for resource understanding and protection. A related speaker for this session would discuss the 10 year history of the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation and their contributions to research and stewardship along the coastline.

Session 42. Building a Collaborative Science Strategy for the Great Lakes Basin

Chaired by: Jonathan Staples and Emily Higginson

Jonathan Staples, Water Resources Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5 Canada; Phone: (705) 755-1219; E-mail: jonathan.staples@ontario.ca.

Emily Higginson, Great Lakes and Water Policy Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Toronto, ON M3W 1E6 Canada; Phone: (705) 755-5900; E-mail: emily.higginson@ontario.ca.

On December 13, 2005 the eight Great Lakes states and two provinces signed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement. The agreement bans diversions from the Great Lakes Basin with limited exceptions, requires a strengthening of water conservation throughout the basin, and seeks to build the information and science that is needed to support sound water management decisions. This session will focus on implementing the information and science commitments as they are outlined in Article 302 of the Agreement, and in particular on initiatives related to cumulative impacts of water use.

Session 43. Remote Sensing, Visualization, and Spatial Data Applications for the Great Lakes

Chaired by: George Leshkevich, Robert Shuchman and Jennifer Read

George Leshkevich, NOAA/Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 South State Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA; Phone: (734) 741-2265; Fax: (734) 741-2055; E-mail: george.leshkevich@noaa.gov.

Robert Shuchman, Michigan Tech Research Institute, 3600 Green Court, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 USA; Phone: (734) 913-6860; Fax: (734) 913-6880; E-mail: shuchman@mtu.edu.

Jennifer Read, Great Lakes Observing System, 229 Nickels Arcade, Ann Arbor, 48104; Phone: (734)-332-6101; Fax: (734)-332-6120; E-mail: jread@glos.us.

Contributions are invited on all aspects of remote sensing (including data collection, data analysis/interpretation, data applications, etc.) in the Great Lakes or other large lakes from satellite, airborne, ship, or other platforms. Presentations highlighting the role of remote sensing in interdisciplinary studies are encouraged, as are presentations describing the utilization of new or innovative sensors (such as scatterometer, hyperspectral, or acoustic) or techniques (such as data fusion and data visualization) for research or operational use.

Session 44. Quantitative Models to Inform Management of Natural Resources

Chaired by: Aaron Berger, Brian Langseth and Matt Catalano

Aaron Berger, 13 Natural Resources, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 United States; Phone: (517) 355-0126; Fax: (517) 355-0138; E-mail: bergeraa@msu.edu.

Brian Langseth, 13 Natural Resources, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 United States; Phone: (517) 355-0126; E-mail: langset2@msu.edu.

Matt Catalano, 153 Giltner Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 United States; Phone: (517) 355-0126; E-mail: mcatalan@msu.edu.

Quantitative models are mathematical representations of a system and are increasingly being used to represent ecosystems or ecosystem components with the goal of informing resource management decisions. These models generally aim to provide a simplified, yet useful, frame of reality that captures key processes of interest such as responses to management actions, dynamics of biological invasions, drivers of environmental change, or ecological phenomena. This session seeks to explore how quantitative models are being used to learn from past management and research experience and apply these lessons to forecasting possible consequences of future management strategies for Great Lakes ecosystems.

Session 45. Evaluation of the Current State of Ecological Modeling and Future Perspectives

Chaired by: George Arhonditsis and Craig Stow

George Arhonditsis, 1265 Military Trail, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4 Canada; Phone: 4162084858; E-mail: georgea@utsc.utoronto.ca.

Craig Stow, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI 48108-9719 USA; Phone: 734-741-2268; E-mail: craig.stow@noaa.gov.

Ecological models have been an indispensable tool for addressing pressing environmental issues in the Great Lakes area, e.g., elucidation of the interplay between plankton dynamics and atmospheric CO2 levels, examination of alternative management strategies for eutrophication control. Despite the significance and considerable attention, a recent evaluation of the current state of aquatic biogeochemical modeling across the range of temporal and spatial scales typically utilized has provided controversial quantitative and qualitative information. The performance of existing mechanistic aquatic biogeochemical models declines as we move from physical-chemical to biological components of planktonic systems, while considerable methodological inconsistency exists regarding the steps followed during the development of the models; i.e., conventional modeling procedures, such as sensitivity analysis, validation, or even assessment of goodness-of-fit are not applied to the majority of the published modeling studies. This session aims to provide insights into the current state of the field, and also highlight the major challenges and future directions of research. Special emphasis will be placed on studies that address topics, such as novel uncertainty analysis techniques, Bayesian inference methods (including Bayesian networks), development of new model formulations and proper representation of plankton functional types, emerging techniques of data assimilation and model optimization, effective integration of physics with biology, and strategies to improve the contribution of complex models to ecological theories. We encourage contributions from both mathematical and statistical ecosystem modelers.

Session 46. Ecological and Biochemical Tracers: Profiling the Flow of Materials in Food Webs

Chaired by: Michael Arts and Ken Drouillard

Michael Arts, Environment Canada, National Water Research Institute, Burlington, L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: (905) 336-6460; E-mail: Michael.Arts@ec.gc.ca.

Ken Drouillard, Great Lakes Institute for Envrionmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, N9B 3P4 Canada; Phone: (519) 253-3000, Ext. 4744; E-mail: kgd@uwindsor.ca.

Understanding the complex dynamics within aquatic food web requires a multifaceted research approach that includes the targeted use of both traditional metrics (e.g. gut contents, behavioral observations) along with more recent metrics (e.g. biochemical/ecological tracers). Three commonly used biochemical/ecological tracers include; contaminants, fatty acids and stable isotopes. The use of biochemical tracers to understand energy and nutrient flow offers several advantages including; temporal and/or spatial integration, the ability to set thresholds, specificity, and the ability to provide correlations with other indices/metrics (e.g. condition factors). This session will focus on studies which emphasize the use of biochemical/ecological tracers as a tool to understand the effects of anthropogenic perturbations on the Laurentian Great Lakes.

Session 47. Challenges with Geomatics Databases for Modeling in Great Lakes Watersheds

Chaired by: Stewart Sweeney

Stewart Sweeney, 1 Stone Road West, Guelph, ON N1G 2Y4 Canada; Phone: (519) 826-4478; Fax: (519) 826-3109; E-mail: stewart.sweeney@ontario.ca.

Environmental modelling and the interpretation of water quality and ecosystem monitoring results require detailed understanding of conditions and activities in watersheds. These efforts throughout the Great Lakes basin require the development and maintenance of high-quality geomatics databases with information specific to each of the tributary watersheds (aproximately 6,000 quaternary level ones)at a range of spatial and temporal scales. This season's main focus in to highlight advances and successes in watershed knowledge management through innovations in geomatics database development.

Session 49. Lessons from the Past, Solutions for the Future: Great Lakes Areas of Concern

Chaired by: Patrick Lawrence and Gail Krantzberg

Patrick Lawrence, University of Toledo, Dept of Geography & Planning, Toledo, 43606 USA; Phone: (419) 530-4128; Fax: (419) 530-7919; E-mail: patrick.lawrence@utoledo.edu.

Gail Krantzberg, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8 Canada; Phone: (905) 525-9140, Ext. 22153; E-mail: krantz@mcmaster.ca.

This session will focus on the experience and lessons learned from the planning and management of the Great Lakes Area of Concern with an eye towards how the past can drive and inform the future efforts to address the Beneficial Use Impairments and resolve water quality concerns at the AOCs.

Session 50. Ecosystem Health and Recovery of the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario: Past, Present and Future

Chaired by: Mohiuddin Munawar, Charles Minns and Marten Koops

Mohiuddin Munawar, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, ON L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: 905-336-4867; E-mail: mohi.munawar@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Charles Minns, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, 867 Lakeshore RD, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6; Phone: (416) 927-8671; E-mail: ken@minns.ca.

Marten Koops, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, ON L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: (905) 336-4559; E-mail: marten.koops@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Bay of Quinte research represents the longest, multi-agency and continuing project in the Great Lakes, since 1972. Originally it was designed to assess the impact of nutrient levels on aquatic communities, before and after the implemenation of P control. Later on other emerging stressors such as exotics and climate change were included in the program. This symposium will bring together Bay of Quinte scientists to review the past, present and future status of the Bay’s ecosystem, based on the past 30+ years of experience.

Session 51. Hamilton Harbour: Science as a Tool for Achieving Future Goals in the AOC

Chaired by: Tanya Labencki

Tanya Labencki, 125 Resources Road, Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch, Toronto, ON M9P 3V6 Canada; Phone: (416) 235-6247; Fax: (416) 235-6235; E-mail: tanya.labencki@ontario.ca.

This session is intended to focus on Hamilton Harbour, an AOC with a strong science background. Studies on water and sediment quality, as well as the the biological communities defined the problems and were used in setting many of the RAP goals. Similar studies continue on the Harbour today to tell the story on how far Hamilton Harbour has come, and further, what gaps remain to be closed to ultimately delist the Hamilton Harbour AOC.

Session 52. The Toronto & Region AOC: Measuring Progress and Moving Forward

Chaired by: Susan Doka, Willaim Snodgrass and Stephanie Hawkins

Susan Doka, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Box 5050, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: (905) 336-4498; E-mail: susan.doka@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Willaim Snodgrass, 18th Floor, Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Toronto, ON M5V 3C6 Canada; Phone: (416) 392-9746; E-mail: wsnodgr@toronto.ca.

Stephanie Hawkins, 5 Shoreham Drive, Downsview, ON M3N 1S4 Canada; Phone: (416) 661-6600, Ext. 5576; E-mail: shawkins@trca.on.ca.

The Toronto and Region Area of Concern (AOC) is a large, rapidly urbanizing region in which the sources of, solutions to, and successful mitigation of aquatic stressors may not be readily apparent. As a result, a mix of conventional and novel approaches to environmental management and measurement have been developed and applied to this area. The Toronto and Region session will discuss the challenges of measuring restoration progress in the face of continued urbanization, provide a synthesis of the most recent monitoring and modeling results, and outline the scientific foundation for delisting and revitalizing Toronto's waterfront and watersheds.

Session 60. Henry Regier Tribute Session

Chaired by: Mohi Munawar

Mohi Munawar, Great Lakes Laboratory, CCIW, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6 Canada; Phone: (905) 336-4867; E-mail: mohi.munawar@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.