So, where are we headed with SOLEC in the future? In order to provide consistency and completeness of information about the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem, the indicators should provide the basis for monitoring programs and the focus for research. Currently, data are not available for all 80 indicators. Some require data analysis and synthesis from other Great Lakes stakeholders, such as municipalities, private sector or volunteer organizations. Still others will require further development through research before they can be used as routine reporting tools.

Can we drink the water? Can we swim in the water? Can we eat the fish? As momentum and capacity continues to build in the development of indicators over the next ten years, SOLEC will answer these questions with more certainty.

 

As more and more indicators become available, we will greatly improve the resolution of our assessment of the Great Lakes. It will likely take several more conferences before we have all the indicators fully implemented. Each conference also gives us an opportunity to more closely look at issues related to special themes. In 2002, for example, we are proposing a theme of “Biological Integrity” in which we could look at non-native species, rare and endangered species, loss of biodiversity, and other matters. In 2004, we can adopt the theme of chemical integrity, and in 2006 we can look at physical integrity.

In the “off years,” between conferences, we will be conducting scoping workshops for upcoming SOLEC themes. These multi-stakeholder workshops can help to focus issues, assemble data, and identify potential solutions that can then be further developed and discussed at the SOLEC conferences.