INTRODUCTION

The Science Advisory Board (SAB/board) led the following activities in support of Commission 1997-99 priorities, and in keeping with its mandate: Annex 2 on Remedial Action Plans and Lakewide Management Plans for Critical Pollutants; Review of Progress of Governments in the Control and Management of Persistent Toxic Substances; and Review and Evaluation of Nonpoint Sources. In addition, the board provided support to: Indicators Implementation Task Force; Contaminated Sediments; and Endocrine Disruptors.

In addition, the board identified a number of emerging issues during the biennial period in keeping with its terms of reference under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (Agreement) to develop ". . . scientific knowledge pertinent to the identification, evaluation and resolution of current and anticipated problems related to Great Lakes water quality."

Several highlights of the board's work over this biennial period are worthy of emphasis. In the human health area, the findings of neurodevelopmental deficits in infants of mothers who ate Great Lakes fish, and the finding of reproductive deficits in exposed populations, continue to support the need for restoration of water quality not only through pollution prevention but more particularly through remedial actions as called for in the Agreement. The board held public meetings to assess the status of progress in the Areas of Concern, and a meeting to Assess Scientific Issues in Relation to Lakewide Management Plans, held in February 1999. During these meetings, it became evident that science, policy and communication were disconnected, with the result that planning priorities are not supporting Agreement requirements in some instances. The participants recognized the need for scientists to communicate research findings better, and for managers to fully take into account the policy and program implications of the most current scientific findings. In particular, there are profound implications for public health at current levels of contaminants in the Great Lakes, and therefore a need to consider these implications in the development of Lakewide Management Plans.

Additional highlights of the board's biennial report included the nonpoint source workshop sponsored as a special session at the Great Lakes Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Conference held in Toledo, Ohio in September 1998. Despite the success of managing phosphorous, and new technologies and practices of land stewardship, it is clear that greater efforts are needed to fulfill obligations under Annex 13 (Pollution From Non-Point Sources) of the Agreement.

The identification of emerging issues continues to be an important part of the board's mandate and in this report, four such issues are discussed:

• the relevance of the traditional ecological knowledge of native people, and a role for native governments under the Agreement;
• the need for a coupled Great Lakes observation and modeling system to support management and decision-making challenges in the 21^st century;
• results from a basin-wide survey on emerging issues; and
• the emerging risk from increasing nitrogen levels in the lower lakes.

Finally, the board would like to acknowledge the efforts of all of the non-board contributors to this report, many of whom participated as invited experts at board public meetings, industry tours, workshops, and workgroup meetings. They include: William Beamish, Tracey Beauregard, William Booty, Steven Bradbury, Dan Brant, Werner Braun, Roger Brook, Ellen Carpenter, Milton Clark, Mark Cohen, Fraser Craig, Ken Cullis, Joe DePinto, David DeVault, Trevor Dickinson, Jane Dustin, Tom Easterly, Jim Elliott, Frederick Fleischer, Toby Frevert, Roger Gauthier, Ralph Grundel, Heraline Hicks, Raymond Hoff, Paul Horvatin, Michael Hunter, Dean Jacobs, Peter Johnson, David Kallander, William Karazov, Wilfried Karmous, Joan Karnauskas, Robert Kent, Renate Kimbrough, Tim Kubiak, Paul Labus, Amanda Laumeyer, Joseph LeBeau, Terry Logan, Orie Loucks, Stephen Lozano, Frederick Luckey, Don Marles, Ann McCammon Soltis, Barbara McElgunn, Rick Menozzi, Ken Mentzel, Dave Miraldo, Donna Myers, Scott Painter, Noel Pavlovic, Dave Pfeifer, Bowden Quinn, Henry Regier, Mark Reshkin, Michele Riband, Deborah Rice, Jeff Ridal, William Riley, Larry Schleen, Greg Searle, Thomas Schueler, Greg Sherbin, Adam Socha, Douglas Spry, Rod Stewart, Michael Stewart, Paul Stewart, Scott Stoner, Deborah Swackhammer, Dave Tomlinson, Garry Traynan, Thomas Tseng, Jack Vallentyne, Chris van Netten, Donald Waller, Glenn Warren, Chip Weseloh, Richard Whitman, Janice Whitney, Paul Williams, Al Wright, and Bob Yrojola.