September is National Preparedness Month, an initiative aimed at educating Americans about readiness for emergency and disaster situations that can happen anytime and anywhere. Knowing when a disaster is likely to occur and understanding that changes in climate may exacerbate the frequency and intensity of severe weather are critical for navigating a variety of circumstances.

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The 2nd International Coastal Resilience Symposium was hosted by the National Coastal Resilience Laboratory (LANRESC) in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, from September 2-5, 2025. This symposium brought together over 200 researchers, managers, and practitioners to share their work and make connections with colleagues working to create more resilient coastal ecosystems and communities.

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I was lucky enough to be invited to a meeting at Thinkers Lodge in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, in August this year, as part of their continuing commitment to support meetings that address science and societal issues. Our goal for this meeting was to discuss international responses to climate change in coastal communities. Fifteen scientists, practitioners, managers, and indigenous representatives from Australia, Canada, Mexico, the Mi'kmaw Nation, USA, and the West Indies were invited to share their perspectives on coastal climate adaptation. Over three days of meetings, we identified key issues, challenges, and ways forward. We also convened a local meeting to share our discussions with the Pugwash community and to solicit their valuable insights.

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Living in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, water is a constant topic of conversation. The health of our waterways is important to the health and happiness of communities, whether you live on the Eastern Shore or in the Appalachians. Clean water impacts everyone. People, plants, and animals all rely on having clean and reliable sources of water. Aquatic food webs—underwater plants, insect larvae, and fishes of all sizes—cannot function if the water is polluted.

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As the largest estuary in the United States, Chesapeake Bay is a highly productive habitat that garners much interest for study.1 Whether focused on human dimensions, the ecosystem, or wildlife, academics study the watershed for the benefit of the people and hundreds of plant and animal species that live within it.

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The Delmarva Peninsula is the peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This area is named after the three states that occupy it: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. This area is well known for the amount of farmland and agriculture that takes place. The Delmarva Land and Litter Collaborative (DLLC) is a group of stakeholders from the Delmarva Peninsula.

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The Chesapeake Bay and its watershed are more than beautiful landscapes. They are the backbone of local economies, habitat for rare and fascinating species, and the home of complex systems between humans, wildlife, and policy. Intensifying climate change and urban development increase stressors negatively impacting this rich ecosystem and the people who rely on it. In 1998, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) produced its first annual “State of the Bay” report card.

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The second annual Scientists Serving Communities workshop brought together UMD researchers with expertise in climate adaptation and resilience and connected them with regional stakeholders and community members who will use the information to strengthen their communities. This approach to science actively deconstructs the “ivory tower syndrome” that is often present in academia and encapsulates IAN's work on scientific application and community engagement.

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Conservation efforts have become highlighted with the incoming changes of ecological issues such as climate change. The emphasis on conservation efforts are mainly directed at governmental bodies that are able to enact legislative change. However, this focus minimizes a very powerful force that is derived from the general public. Governmental bodies take precedence largely due to their dominant positions of societal power and financial resources to enact change.

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When disaster strikes—whether it’s a natural hazard like a flood, wildfire, or pandemic, or a man-made crisis like an industrial accident—communities are forced to respond, react, and adapt. However, not all communities are equally equipped to handle these challenges.

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