Bails, J., A. Beeton, J. Bulkley, M. DePhilip, J. Gannon, M. Murray, H. Regier and D. Scavia
The major cause of ecosystem breakdown is the severe damage that has been done to the Great Lakes’ self-regulating mechanisms. In the past, healthy nearshore communities and tributaries helped reduce the impact of many stresses on or entering the lakes. Over time, the combined effects of a whole suite of stresses from a variety of human-induced sources have overwhelmed the ecosystem’s self-regulating mechanisms. This diagnosis suggests that it is appropriate and necessary to address multiple sources of stress in order to reverse the trend toward widespread ecosystem breakdown. The following is a list of Great Lakes management objectives based on this diagnosis.
Great Lakes Interagency Task Force