Research on Great Lakes Algal Communities: Problems from the Past,Lessons for the Future

Review of research on algal communities in the Laurentian Great Lakes shows significant progress in delineating this component of the biota and understanding the factors which regulate its composition and distribution. Unaddressed or poorly addressed problems remain in certain fundamental research areas and future progress will depend largely on how quickly and thoroughly these problems are reduced. It is clear that there is no useful distinction between basic and applied research in this area and best progress will be achieved through a balanced approach.