The Great Lakes Information Network: the region's Internet information service.

Abstract

Communication is the cornerstone of ecosystem protection and sustainable development efforts in the binational Great Lakes region of North America. Great Lakes environmental protection, remediation, and pollution prevention efforts bring together individuals from across the public sector, business and industry, citizens groups, and academia. The region is now working to enhance communications between these groups and the rest of the world, through the Internet-based Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN). Diverse regional data, information, and human resources located at key agencies and organizations are accessible via GLIN. These online resources span environmental quality, human health effects and other research, resource management, transportation, demographic, and economic data, as well as other resources in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. Federal, state, provincial, and regional agencies and a range of citizen, business, and research organizations are cooperating with the lead agency, the Great Lakes Commission, in developing GLIN into the region's shared Internet resource. GLIN resources are accessible to users of ubiquitous Internet research tools including World Wide Web and Gopher. Statistical information on usage and the region's response to ongoing efforts to build the GLIN system and solicit contributions of data and information indicate that we can continue to build GLIN into a truly regional resource which enhances communication among researchers, policy makers, students, and the general public.