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State ofthe Great Lakes 2007
     I     N      S     I     D     E
Assessing Status and Trends oftheGreat Lakes EcosystemIndicator Category Assessments andManagement Challenges:•Contamination•Human Health•Biotic Communities•Invasive Species•Coastal Zones and AquaticHabitats•Resource Utilization•Land Use-Land Cover•Climate ChangeWhat is Being Done toImproveConditionsState ofthe Lakes EcosystemConference
Assessing Status and Trends of the Great LakesEcosystem
In 2006,the overall status ofthe Great Lakes ecosystem was assessed as mixed because some conditions or areas were 
good 
while others were 
 poor 
.The trends ofGreat Lakes ecosystem conditions varied: some conditions were 
improving 
and some were 
worsening 
.
Since 1998,the U.S.Environmental ProtectionAgency and Environment Canada have coordinatedabiennial assessment ofthe ecological health of the Great Lakes ecosystem using a consistent set of environmental and human health indicators.This assessment is in accordance with theGreat Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).Each indicator report is supported by scientific information collected and assessed by Great Lakes experts from Canada and theUnited States,along with a review ofscientific papers and use ofbest professional judgment.Indicators are organized into nine categories:
Contamination,Human Health,BioticCommunities,Invasive Species,Coastal Zones,Aquatic Habitats,Resource Utilization,Land Use-Land Cover,and Climate Change
.Overall assessments and managementchallenges were prepared for each category to the extent that indicator information wasavailable.This
Stateofthe Great Lakes 2007 Highlights 
reportis derived from a moredetailed
Stateofthe Great Lakes 2007 
report.The
2007 Highlights 
report also includesinformation on “What is Being Done to Improve Conditions,”which outlines someexamples ofactions taken by the Great Lakes community in response to environmentalconditions.
Photo credit:Paul Best
Overall Status
This Highlights report is based onenvironmental indicator reports thatwere prepared for the State oftheLakes Ecosystem Conference(SOLEC) in Milwaukee,Wisconsin,1-3 November 2006.Many expertson various components ofthe GreatLakes basin ecosystem contributedto the process.Data sources andcontact information for eachindicator are included in thetechnical report,
State ofthe Great Lakes 2007 
.
ISBN 978-0-662-46106-7Cat.No.En161-3/2007EEPA 905-R-07-002Front Cover Photo Credits:Blue Heron,Don BrenemanSleeping Bear Dunes,Robert de Jonge,courtesy ofMichigan TravelBureauPort Huron Mackinac Race,Michigan Travel BureauMilwaukeeSkyline,Visit Milwaukee10% Post Consumer Waste.Acid Free.
 
1
Highlights
Authors ofthe indicator reports assessed the status ofecosystemcomponents in relation to desired conditions or ecosystemobjectives,ifavailable.Five status categories were used (coded by color in this Highlights report):
GOOD.
The state ofthe ecosystem component ispresently meeting ecosystem objectives or otherwiseis in acceptable condition.
FAIR.
The ecosystem component is currently exhibiting minimally acceptable conditions,but it isnot meeting established ecosystem objectives,criteria,or other characteristics offully acceptable conditions.
POOR.
The ecosystem component is severely negatively impacted and it does not display evenminimally acceptable conditions.
MIXED.
The ecosystem component displays bothgood and degraded features.
UNDETERMINED.
Data are not available or areinsufficient to assess the status ofthe ecosystemcomponent.Four categories were also used to denote current trends oftheecosystem component (coded by shape in this Highlightsreport):
IMPROVING.
Information provided shows theecosystemcomponent to be changing toward moreacceptable conditions.
UNCHANGING.
Information provided shows theecosystem component to be neither getting better norworse.
DETERIORATING.
Information provided shows theecosystem component to be departing fromacceptable conditions.
UNDETERMINED.
Data arenot available to assessthe ecosystem component over time,so no trend canbe identified.
Indicator Category Assessments andManagement Challenges
CONTAMINATION
The transfer ofnatural and human-made substances  from air,sediments,groundwater,wastewater,and runofffrom non-point sources is constantly changing the chemical composition ofthe Great Lakes.Over the last 30  years,concentrations of some chemicals or chemical groups have declined significantly.There is a marked reduction in the levels oftoxic chemicals in air,water,biota,and sediments.Many remaining problems are associated with local regions such as Areas ofConcern.However,concentrations ofseveral other chemicals that have been recently detected in Great Lakes have been identified as chemicals of emerging concern.
Levels ofmostcontaminants in
herring gull eggs
continue todecrease in all the GreatLakes colonies monitored,althoughconcentrationlevels vary from good inLake Superior,to mixed inLakeMichigan,LakeErieand LakeHuron,to poorin LakeOntario.While thefrequency ofgross effects ofcontamination on wildlife hassubsided,many subtle (mostly physiological and genetic) effectsthat were not measured in earlier years ofsampling remain inherring gulls.Concentrations offlame-retardant polybrominateddiphenylethers (PBDEs) are increasing in herring gull eggs.Concentrations ofmost
organic contaminants
in the
offshore waters
ofthe Great Lakes are low and are declining,indicatingprogress in the reduction ofpersistent toxic chemicals.Indirectinputs ofin-use organochlorine pesticides are most likely thecurrent source ofentry to the Great Lakes.Continuing sourcesofentryofmany organic contaminants to the Great Lakesinclude indirect inputs such as atmospheric deposition,agricultural land runoff,and resuspension ofcontaminatedsediments.Overall,
mercury 
concentrations in offshore watersare well below water quality guidelines.Mercury concentrationsin waters near major urban areas and harbors,however,exceedwaterquality criteria for protection ofwildlife.The spatialdistribution of 
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
reflects the major source from the burning offossil fuels.Concentrations ofPAHs are therefore higher in the lower lakes,whereusageis greater.For many indicators,ecosystem objectives,endpoints,or benchmarks have not been established.For these indicators,complete assessments aredifficult to determine.
ContaminationContaminants in Waterbirds
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