The conferences are intended to provide a forum for exchange of information on the ecological condition of the Great Lakes and surrounding lands. Other conferences and fora are expected to meet the need for exchange of research results and for large gatherings of the general public. Held in even numbered years, the conferences are the focal point of a process of gathering information from a wide variety of sources and engaging a variety of organizations in bringing it together. In the year following each conference the Governments have prepared a report on the state of the Lakes based in large part upon the conference process.
Human health is considered to be part of the living system.
Evaluation and redirection of programs are addressed through other means. The first conference, held in 1994, addressed the entire system with particular emphasis on aquatic community health, human health, aquatic habitat, toxic contaminants and nutrients in the water, and the changing Great Lakes economy. The 1996 conference focused on the nearshore lands and waters of the system where biological productivity is greatest and humans have had maximum impact. Emphasis was placed on nearshore waters, coastal wetlands, land by the Lakes, the impact of changing land use, and information availability and management. For each conference an integration paper was prepared for participants, bringing all the topics together.