Great Lakes Surveillance Framework Watch List Methodology

Abstract: Risk-based prioritization for early detection monitoring is of utmost importance to prevent and mitigate invasive species impacts and is especially needed for large ecosystems where management resources are not sufficient to survey all locations susceptible to invasion.

Through the Aquatic Invasive Species Annex of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the United States and Canada have committed to “… contribute to the achievement of the General and Specific Objectives of this Agreement. Through this Annex the Parties shall establish a binational strategy to prevent the introduction of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), to control or reduce the spread of existing AIS, and to eradicate, where feasible, existing AIS within the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem.”

The Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species coordinates education, research, management and policy efforts to prevent new AIS from entering the basin and to control and mitigate those AIS populations already established. The Great Lakes Panel is one of six regional panels that report to the federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, which coordinates AIS efforts on a federal level. 

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force works to stop the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. Since its inception, the Task Force has coordinated state and provincial efforts to combat AIS through strategic regional action. 

The United States and Canada adopted phosphorus load reduction targets to combat Lake Erie algal blooms. 

A one-pager describing Blue Accounting’s aquatic invasive species surveillance tool.

Ohio outlines actions to reduce phosphorus in Lake Erie.

Michigan outlines actions to reduce phosphorus loading to Lake Erie.