Commentary: Climate change adaptive management in the Great Lakes

Climatologists have estimated how the increase of carbon dioxide emissions will affect the climate in the Great Lakes basin. Models show that at twice the pre-industrial carbon dioxide level, the climate of the basin will be warmer by 2–4°C and slightly damper than at present. Experts predict that this could have serious implications for the ecosystems and economies of the region. Climate change poses new challenges to decision-makers as they work to restore and maintain biodiversity, create comprehensive strategies for conservation and evaluate future risk to these resources. Adaptive management has served as a tool to meet these challenges although implementation has been uneven. This commentary examines trends and projections for climate change in the Great Lakes, the adaptive management strategies and programs in place to address these changes and the challenges these programs face to address the impacts of changing climate patterns on our freshwater resources.