Appendix A Cruise Topics

Inter-relationships of Topics Covered on Cruises

Click for Graphic

I. SCIENCE

  1. Physical and chemical water characteristics and their significance
    • Temperature
    • Dissolved oxygen and percent saturation
    • Specific conductance
    • Turbidity
    • pH
    • Color
    • Light penetration
  2. Biology
    • Organisms of the bottom sediments (benthos)
    • Plankton (floating organisms)
    • Fishes
    • Food chains and food webs
    • Exotic species
  3. Earth Science/Geology
    • Origins of the Great Lakes
    • Change in the Great Lakes basins
    • Fate of the Great Lakes
    • Bottom sediments
  4. Watersheds and their significance
    • Land use
    • Point and Nonpoint sources of pollutants
    • Stormwater
    • Air pollution
    • Pollution prevention
  5. Daily, seasonal, and long-term changes in lakes and streams
    • Natural change (eutrophication)
    • Water levels & erosion
    • Accelerated change due to human impact (cultural eutrophication)
    • Global warming
  6. Lake Michigan sand dunes and dune mining
    • Origins of dunes
    • Environmental significance of dunes
    • Uses of dune sand
    • Protection of dunes
  7. Coal burning power plants
    • Acid precipitation
    • Air pollution
    • Global warming
    • Transportation
    • Energy demand and energy conservation
  8. Great Lakes fisheries
    • Native species
    • Commercial fisheries
    • Recreational fisheries
    • Fishery management
    • Exotic species
  9. The Great Lakes and climate
    • Agriculture
    • Recreation
    • Shipping
  10. Navigation and geography
    • Latitude and longitude
    • Magnetic compass
    • Depth sounding
    • Charting
    • Radar
  11. Technology
    • Computers
    • Analytical instruments
    • Navigation instruments
  12. Quantitative
    • Data analysis
    • Graphing
    • Averaging
  13. Environmental ethics

II. SOCIOECONOMIC TOPICS

  1. Local and regional history
    • Native populations
    • Fur trading
    • Commercial fishing
    • Logging
    • European settlement
    • Agriculture
    • Manufacturing
    • Recreation
    • Commercial and sports fishing
  2. Transportation and shipping
    • Passenger
    • Cargo
    • Limiting factors
  3. Impacts of economic development
    • Transitions - causes and effects
    • From an agrarian to an industrial society
    • From an industrial to a technological society
    • Quality of life and environmental ethics
    • Pollution prevention
    • The sprawling cities
    • Environmental justice
    • Brownfields and their reclamation


Page last modified May 28, 2020