Jack Dingledine provided a presentation on the status of the endangered Great Lakes piping plover population and the emerging threat of Type E botulism.  In 2007, four piping plover were found dead which tested positive for the disease.  Type E botulism in Lake Michigan is a growing threat to numerous species of fish and birds, and appears linked to the invasive zebra mussel and round goby, which now inhabit much of the lake basin.  Numerous audience members were updated by the presentations on this and many other topics. The Conference Program is available at: www. miseagrant.umich.edu/SOLM2007/index.html.

Bob Kavetsky followed up at this Conference on his presentation at the previous biennial Green Bay Conference in 2005 by focusing his interactions with past and prospective Coastal Program-Great Lakes partners, who were well represented at Traverse City.  With its non-regulatory partnership approach, the Coastal Program-Great Lakes has played a key role in funding well over 100 projects in its first seven years, which were associated with coastal habitats of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, the Detroit River, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.