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The following article is from an archived newsletter. See our Shared Waters newsletter.

Taking the Pulse of the Great Lakes: New Information on Ecosystem Indicators

The north shore of Lake Superior.

The Great Lakes ecosystem is complex --- human behavior, chemical pollutants, and native and invasive species are all interconnected. 

Measures are needed to take the pulse of the system, the same way a doctor takes the blood pressure of a patient. These measures are called indicators.

The IJC assesses progress made toward the objectives of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and issues reports on Great Lakes water quality. As an independent and binational organization, our third-party assessment is intended to help guide environmental management decision-making and supply the public with important information regarding this dynamic and fragile ecosystem.  

From 2011 to 2013, IJC worked with dozens of scientific experts from Canada and the U.S. to select and analyze 16 indicators to describe the status of the chemical, physical and biological health of the Great Lakes. 

In May 2013, IJC published its findings in a 16th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality, which describes the current condition of the Lakes and tracks changes over the past 25 years. 

To further improve its assessment and reporting responsibilities, the Commission made it a priority as part of its 2012-2015 work plan to develop a set of indicators that clearly link to the objectives of the Agreement and measure progress made by government programs. IJC released a brochure in 2013 that describes the priority work in this area.   

The north shore of Lake Superior. Credit: Justin Meissen.The north shore of Lake Superior. Credit: Justin Meissen.

Priority Work Through 2015

For a comprehensive assessment, three types of indicators are needed: for the ecosystem, human health, and program effectiveness.

The IJC started out by focusing on the ecosystem indicators. Members of IJC’s former Great Lakes Science Advisory Board and Water Quality Board formed a workgroup to identify a suite of indicators and measures for tracking progress toward the ecosystem objectives of the Agreement. 

The workgroup met in September 2012 and identified experts to draft indicator descriptions. In October 2013, the IJC released a Technical Report and a companion summary document.

Since that time, the IJC has been working with scientific experts to develop more details about each of the ecosystem indicators. This information is being provided to the U.S. and Canadian governments to help them develop plans for collecting and analyzing the appropriate data needed for each indicator.

IJC is now releasing a new Great Lakes ecosystem report which can be downloaded here. You’ll find a news release here.

The Commission will consider how to use the ecosystem indicators for reporting on progress, raising awareness and encouraging action. We welcome any comments that will help to inform these next steps by July 3, 2014, via the Assessment of Indicators website.

A cedar grove near the water in Minnesota. Credit: Justin Meissen.
A cedar grove near the water in Minnesota. Credit: Justin Meissen.
 

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