Of findings and recommendations ; Background ; Great Lakes Basin and the 1978 agreement ; Enrichment ; Toxic contaminants ; Institutional arrangements ; Ecosystem approach and sustainable development -- Great Lakes as a system and its binational accords ; Physical and biological characteristics ; Great Lakes studies, 1912-1951 ; Background to the 1972 agreement ; 1978 agreement -- Ecosystem approach: an integrative theme of the Great Lakes water quality agreement ; Roots of the ecosystem approach ; Emergence of the ecosystem approach ; 1978 Great Lakes water quality agreement and the ecosystem approach ; Definitions and boundaries of the system ; Interdependencies of the subsystems -- Nutrients issues ; Introduction ; Control objectives and current condition of lakes ; Rationale for phosphorus control ; Phosphorus control programs ; Municipal sewage sources ; Industrial and nonpoint sources ; Problems in the nearshore area ; Monitoring and surveillance -- Toxic contaminants issues ; Introduction ; 1978 agreement goals and objectives ; Sources of toxic chemicals in the lakes ; direct industrial and municipal discharges ; Inputs from runoff and waterways ; In-place pollutants ; Groundwater ; Atmospheric deposition ; Significance of toxic chemicals being detected ; Significance for human health ; Significance to ecosystem health ; Progress in remediation ; Actions on specific toxic substances ; Hazardous wastes ; Aquatic ecosystem objectives ; Areas of concern ; Data, modeling, and risk assessment ; Monitoring, surveillance, and the problem of incomplete data ; Transport and fate modeling for toxic chemicals ; Role of tissue and sediment banks ; Toxicity testing and risk assessment ; Toxicity testing for evaluating human health risks ; Limitations of risk assessments ; Toxic chemicals management strategies ; Alternative approaches and principles for management of toxic waste management -- Institutional arrangements under the agreement ; Introduction ; Joint institutions under the agreement ; History and organization ; Existing joint institutions ; Present responsibilities ; Data collection, analysis and distribution ; Advice and recommendations by the joint institutions ; Assistance in the coordination of joint activities ; Investigations ; Public information ; New responsibility- Dispute resolution ; Other binational arrangements in the Great Lakes ; Federal, provincial, and state governments ; Parties ; State and provincial governments -- Ecosystem approach and sustainable development ; Introduction ; Depth and breadth of the problems: regional scope ; Intergenerational equity ; Information base: relationship to efficacy, cost-effectiveness and equity ; Economic significance ; Early warnings and surprises ; Network of Great Lakes ecosystem researchers and managers ; Deepening the understanding of societal components of the basin ; Further exploration of reforms -- References -- Glossary -- Abbreviations -- Appendixes -- Text of the 1978 Great Lakes water quality agreement -- Table: progress on commitments -- Subcontracts -- Biographical sketches of committee members.