Showing posts with label Biennial Meeting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biennial Meeting. Show all posts

Friday, November 7, 2008

SOLEC 2008 Presentations On-Line

Nov 7: The State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC) 2008 was held October 22–23, 2008, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada [See WIMS 10/17/08]. Emphasis was 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 concentrated on what has changed with respect to the nearshore environments since 1996.

The conference attracted over 300 attendees in Niagara Falls and several hundred on-line viewers who accessed a live video webcast. Conference slides, speaker's notes and video are available for each plenary presentation. EPA notes that playing the video together with the slides or notes allows a more complete experience.

Access the SOLEC 2008 website for links to available information (click here). Access the Binational SOLEC website for additional information (click here).

Friday, October 17, 2008

State Of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference Live Webcast

Oct 17: The State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC) on October 22 - 23, will be video webcast live (Windows Media Player required). The SOLEC conferences are hosted by the U. S. EPA and Environment Canada on behalf of the two Countries every two years in response to the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The conferences are intended to provide a forum for exchange of information on the ecological condition of the Great Lakes and surrounding lands. A major purpose is to reach a large audience of people in the government (at all levels), corporate and not-for-profit sectors who make decisions that affect the lakes.

Held in even numbered years, the conferences are the focal point of a process of gathering information from a wide variety of sources and engaging a variety of organizations in bringing it together. In the year following each conference the Governments have prepared a report on the state of the Lakes based in large part upon the conference process.

Highlights for Wednesday, October 22, "State of the Great Lakes" (starting at 9 AM Eastern time): Contaminants, Biotic Communities and Invasive Species; Coastal Zones and Aquatic Habitats; Human Health, Land Use, Resource Utilization, and Climate Change; Keynote Speaker – Thomas Homer-Dixon; Impacts of Changing Land Use; Nearshore Terrestrial Ecosystems Coastal Wetlands; and Nearshore Waters - biological, physical, chemical features.


Highlights for Thursday, October 23 "Ecosystem Status Reports: Lakes and Connecting Channels" (starting at 7:30 AM Eastern time): Lake Superior – Non-native species; Lake Michigan – Botulism; Lake Huron – Beaches and Recreational Water Quality; St. Clair-Detroit River Connecting Channel - Nutrients and algal blooms; Lake Erie – Nutrients and Harmful Algal Blooms; Niagara River – Contaminants; Lake Ontario – Impacts of Water Levels; and Keynote Speaker Peter Annin – "Great Lakes Water Wars."

Access a detailed agenda and webcast information (
click here). Access the SOLEC website for more information (click here). Access the Binational SOLEC website for additional information (click here).

Monday, May 5, 2008

Next IJC Biennial Meeting October 6-7, 2009, In Windsor, Ontario

May 1: The International Joint Commission's (IJC's) next Biennial Meeting will take place on October 6-7, 2009, in Windsor, Ontario. The meetings will be held at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts. The IJC holds a Biennial Meeting every two years to hear from scientists and the public about issues relating to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and to assist the Commission with preparing its Biennial Report on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. These reports assess the governments’ progress in meeting the goals of the Agreement to restore the physical, biological and chemical integrity of the Great Lakes waters. The upcoming meeting in Windsor will assist the IJC in preparing its 15th Biennial Report.

The IJC was established under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help prevent and resolve disputes by the United States and Canada over the use of the waters they share. Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Commission is charged with making a full report to the federal, state and provincial governments in the Great Lakes basin every two years on progress toward achieving the general and specific objectives of the Agreement.

Access an IJC announcement (click here). Access the IJC website for additional information (click here).