Operational Considerations for a Great Lakes Early Warning System

Session: Building an Early Warning System for the Great Lakes

Lucinda Johnson, University of Minnesota Duluth, [email protected]
Michael Twiss, Clarkson University, Dept. of Biology & Great Rivers Center, [email protected]
Lizhu Wang, International Joint Commission, [email protected]
Matthew Child, International Joint Commission, [email protected]

Abstract

The International Joint Commission’s Great Lakes Science Advisory Board has finalized the report “Towards an Early Warning System for the Great Lakes”, which relies on background review and expert input to present a preliminary list of threats and stressors, and a preferred organizational approach for an early warning system. This talk will summarize examples of different data types and analytical approaches that can be used to operationalize an early warning system. Different classes of threats (e.g., novel chemicals, invasive species, climate change, hypoxia, etc.) require different data types, sampling intensities, and analytical approaches. Further, different threats and stressors, such as chemical spills versus a new invasive species, will require a different response strategy. We will discuss potential operational considerations, along with other ideas for transmitting data and information about threats and stressors to the Great Lakes community via regularly scheduled symposia (e.g., at IAGLR annual meetings), or through other established channels. Insights gained through this talk and session will be used by the Science Advisory Board to develop its advice and recommendations for operationalizing a Great Lakes early warning system.