State of the Great Lakes 2011 Highlights

This State of the Great Lakes 2011 Highlights report is a synopsis of the environmental indicator reports prepared for SOLEC 2011 held in Erie, Pennsylvania, October 26-27, 2011. The indicators assess water quality (chemical integrity), species that depend on the lakes (biological integrity), and surrounding landscapes and natural processes (physical integrity). This report provides both a snapshot of current conditions in the "What the Indicators Tell Us" sections and explains the priority issues from a broader management viewpoint in the "Putting the Indicators into Context" and "Signals" sections of the report. Water quality status is fair and the trend is deteriorating.