A special conference to take the pulse of Lake Huron gets under way today at the CAW Centre in Port Elgin.
The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation hosting the event that will deal with such issues as climate change, invasive species, loss of habitat and degradation of coastal eco systems.
Geoff Peach is the Coastal Resources Manager for the Centre and says Ontario’s outspoken Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller will deliver the key note address.
Peach says this is the fifth biennial conference and should be of interest to anyone who is interested in the future of the Lake Huron Environment.
He says while the quality of the water in Lake Huron is quite good, the areas of concern are along the immediate shoreline where signs of stress already are begriming to appear.
Peach says some of those signs are the formation of algae fouling beaches, invasive plant species taking over sand dunes and increased farming and cottage development along the shoreline.
He says the Lake Huron shore line consists of eco systems that are not renewable resources, and once they are damaged or destroyed, they are gone forever.
Peach says people have a duty to protect and preserve these features along the coast and this one day conference should help people understand these features a little better.
