Raleigh Hood asked Bob “JJ” Orth, Jon Lefcheck, Cassie Gurbisz and me to conduct a panel presentation and discussion at the 2018 Chesapeake Research and Modeling Symposium. This conference, sponsored by the Chesapeake Research Consortium, NOAA and the National Science Foundation, was held in Annapolis on 12-14 June 2018. Larry Sanford was the panel moderator and JJ, Jon, Cassie and I jointly presented the results of our Submerged Aquatic Vegetation synthesis (SAV SYN) team.

Read more

I briefly summarized the workshop by highlighting the components of scale that were discussed in relation to island drought: spatial scale, temporal scale and complexity scale. In terms of spatial scale, we had discussions of global influences on island drought: El Niño/Southern Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation and Sahara dust storms.

Read more

We recently completed a series of eight ecological drought workshops in partnership with US Geological Survey (USGS) colleagues. These workshops were held in the following regions: Alaska, Hawaii, Northwest US, Southwest US, North Central US, South Central US, Northeast US, and Southeast US. In the Southeast workshop held in Raleigh, NC, Brent Murry who is based in Puerto Rico, highlighted the unique vulnerability of islands to drought.

Read more

Modeling of Climate Change Consequences for Phase III Watershed Implementation Plans … June 14, 2018 … The consequences of global climate change are already evident in the Chesapeake Bay and watershed, at least in terms of warmer water temperatures and sea-level rise, and will influence virtually every aspect of the structure and function of the ecosystem in the coming decades.

Read more

The Brisbane skyline, as seen from our hotel balcony. Image credit: James Currie … I recently had the opportunity to travel with Dr. Bill Dennison to Brisbane, Australia. We planned to conduct a variety of interviews with scientists, stakeholders, and policymakers on the Healthy Waterways Project. It was to be my first time ‘down under,’ and I was excited to glimpse the southern hemisphere. When we arrived, the first thing that struck me was the heat.

Read more

The Great Lakes are a naturally interconnected group of basins that hold 90% of freshwater in North America. Keeping that water healthy is key to having waters for swimming, beaches for relaxing, and scenic vistas for the surrounding communities. Healthy fish stocks attract tourists to the area and support First Nations communities.

Read more

I recently had the opportunity to attend the International Science of Team Science Conference in Galveston, Texas, from May 21-23. This conference was unique in that it convened researchers and practitioners from all professions and academic backgrounds who share the goals of "understanding and enhancing the processes and outcomes of collaborative, team-based research." As an interdisciplinary scholar who is interested in collaborative learning and science engagement…

Read more

The Spotlight on National Park Resources is a biennial meeting between the National Park Service (NPS) Natural Resources and Cultural Resources sectors of the National Capital Region (NCR). The intent of this meeting is to build bridges between the two (often very separate) departments of NPS by highlighting various projects and accomplishments of each and sharing how this information can inform resource management.

Read more

Science communication professionals at IAN regularly assume the roles of teachers when we develop semester-long courses, create science communication products intended to inform and engage diverse audiences, and facilitate collaborative workshops on a variety of topics all over the world.

Read more

Brianne Walsh and I traveled to Boston, MA to teach “Killer graphics and compelling narratives” at Northeastern University to an audience ranging from undergraduate and graduate students, to very experienced scientists. While most of the 36 participants were scientists, there were also representatives from the policy, communications, and journalism sectors as well.

Read more