CALL FOR SESSION CHAIRS

The St. Lawrence Seaway - Gateway to the Great Lakes:  
Unlocking 50 years of benefits and impacts.

A conference series highlighting 50 years of the
St. Lawrence Seaway on the International Section of the St. Lawrence River

Location: NAV Canada Training Institute & Conference Centre
Cornwall, Ontario Canada

Dates: May 5-7th,  2009

 The St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, in partnership with the Great Rivers Center at Clarkson University, is pleased to host the 16th Annual International Conference on the St. Lawrence River/Great Lakes Ecosystem. 

The Saint Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959 and has become one of the world’s most economically important waterways.  It is 3,769 km (2,342 mi) long and consists of a system of canals, dams, and locks in the Saint Lawrence River and connecting channels between the Great Lakes.  Over the past 50 years, the Saint Lawrence Seaway has provided both benefits and impacts, including opening up the Great Lakes for seagoing vessels for trade and at the same time providing an avenue of entry of invasive species to the system.  A central feature of the Seaway is the Moses-Saunders dam which provides power generation, water level control and represents a barrier to fish passage.     

Our conference will focus on the issues and challenges associated with the Seaway and its management. Research contributions addressing environmental issues relevant to the St. Lawrence River, including lessons learned from other regulated river ecosystems in Canada and around the world river are welcome.

This is the first call for Special Session Chairs. We invite your participation and value your input in proposing a session from the suggestions below.  Topics are suggestions only, actual sessions will depend on response to this call, including suggestions made by invited chairs.

• Invasive Species – Populations and Ecological Impacts

• Invasive Species – Options for Control

• Seaway Maintenance Issues , i.e. advances in dredging, traffic control, canal structures

• Water and Sediment Quality Issues from Water Regulation and Water Control Structures

• Water Levels in the Great Lake Channels

• Water Level Regulation in the Saint Lawrence River – What Does the Future Hold?

• Fish Populations and Fish diseases

• Seaway Management to Improve Shipping (Transportation of goods ) and Recreational Boating

• Power Generation – Improving Current Practices and Implementing New Technologies

• Shoreline Restoration and Protection

• Measuring and Protecting Ecological Integrity for Regulated Watersheds and Ecosystems

• Balancing Competing Interests: Conservation and Demand Management

• Public Involvement in the Management of Regulated Rivers

General Sessions

Progress on Remedial Action Plans in Areas of Concern: Successes and Challenges

Recent Advances in Contaminant Research in the Saint Lawrence and other Rivers

Impacts of Invasive and Exotic Species

Advances in Source Water Protection Assessments

Research in the Great Lakes/Saint Lawrence River Tributaries

Please contact the Conference Coordinator to identify a session that you would like to Chair or propose an alternative topic. Please submit a title and a brief paragraph describing the proposed session.  Session Chairs will be asked to invite speakers to the session.

Conference Coordinator, Christina Collard, ccollard@riverinstitute.ca

613-936-6620 ext 222

 For more information Please contact
  Christina Collard, Conference Coordinator, ccollard@riverinstitute.ca
613-936-6620 ext 222

Past Conferences