Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) for the Great Lakes - Lake Ontario 2008

The Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative (CSMI) was created as the result of a need to coordinate science in support of management of the Great Lakes. The process includes enhanced monitoring and research field activities which are conducted in one lake per year, tied to the needs of the Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) committees. Lake-specific activities in the other four years are: sample analysis, data interpretation, reporting, LaMP data needs compilation, CSMI monitoring and research workplan development and vetting through the LaMP, and planning and logistics for the next field year. Through planning efforts in 2006, Lake Ontario LaMP committees determined that data were needed on: status of the lower food web as a detection for ecological change; extent of decoupling of nearshore to offshore movement of materials, specifically nutrients and pollutants; lake-wide lake trout assessment as an indication of progress towards restoration; and development of whole system ecological models that would assist fishery managers when dealing with multiple stressors such as invasives. CSMI helped in the coordination of a number of these monitoring and research efforts, the results of which are reported in this issue. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Association for Great Lakes Research.