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The Integration and Application Network is conducting a 3-day course in communicating science effectively. The course is being held in Cambridge, Maryland, 1-3 May, 2012. The hands-on approach means that participants come away from the course with the technical skills to effectively communicate scientific information in a variety of communication products. Further details and online registration are available on the course website.
Your photo could be the face of the 2011 Chesapeake Bay Report Card.
The 1st Annual Chesapeake Bay Report Card Photo Contest 
Do you have great photos from around the Bay? We want to see them! Your photo could be on the cover of the 2011 Chesapeake Bay Report Card and become the icon of 2011 Bay health. Last year was memorable for the weather, the lack of sea nettles, and, of course, your experiences on and around the Bay. Take a few minutes to look back on what you enjoyed last year and share those memories with us. Submit your photos from 2011 weather events, water quality monitoring, or that monster fish that you caught, by March 15th and you could win $250, your photo on the cover of the report card, inclusion in the 2013 IAN calendar, and have your framed photo hang in the UMCES Annapolis Office.
Do you have great photos from around the Bay? We want to see them! Your photo could be on the cover of the 2011 Chesapeake Bay Report Card and become the icon of 2011 Bay health. Last year was memorable for the weather, the lack of sea nettles, and, of course, your experiences on and around the Bay. Take a few minutes to look back on what you enjoyed last year and share those memories with us. Submit your photos from 2011 weather events, water quality monitoring, or that monster fish that you caught, by March 15th and you could win $250, your photo on the cover of the report card, inclusion in the 2013 IAN calendar, and have your framed photo hang in the UMCES Annapolis Office.
South East Queensland Floods 2011 newsletter #4.
South East Queensland Floods 2011 newsletter #4
During the January 2011 flood, millions of tonnes of soil were washed from the upper catchments into the Brisbane River by fast-flowing flood waters. The soil formed a brown plume which extended from the river mouth into Moreton Bay. As the flow of the water slowed, fine soil particles (mud) settled within the Brisbane Estuary and Moreton Bay. As a result, many kilometers of the once-sandy bottom of the Bay are now covered by a thick mud layer loaded with nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. This newsletter explores the short- and long-term impacts of the mud and nutrients on aquatic habitats and the animals and plants living within them. The impacts include mud smothering the bottom of Moreton Bay, excess nutrients and nuisance algae blooms, and corals with signs of stress such as bleaching.
During the January 2011 flood, millions of tonnes of soil were washed from the upper catchments into the Brisbane River by fast-flowing flood waters. The soil formed a brown plume which extended from the river mouth into Moreton Bay. As the flow of the water slowed, fine soil particles (mud) settled within the Brisbane Estuary and Moreton Bay. As a result, many kilometers of the once-sandy bottom of the Bay are now covered by a thick mud layer loaded with nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. This newsletter explores the short- and long-term impacts of the mud and nutrients on aquatic habitats and the animals and plants living within them. The impacts include mud smothering the bottom of Moreton Bay, excess nutrients and nuisance algae blooms, and corals with signs of stress such as bleaching.
Conceptual diagrams for (a) flower location within seagrass canopies, (b) likelihood of pollen dispersal distance, (c) dispersal distance for positively and negatively buoyant seeds or propagules, and (d) mechanisms of secondary seed dispersal for tropical and temperate seagrass habitats.
The Central Role of Dispersal in the Maintenance and Persistence of Seagrass Populations
Global seagrass losses parallel significant declines in corals and mangroves over the past 50 years. These combined declines have resulted in accelerated global losses to ecosystem services in coastal waters. Seagrass meadows can be extensive and long-lived. This article explores the role that sexual reproduction, pollen, and seed dispersal play in maintaining species distributions, genetic diversity, and connectivity among populations. It also addresses the relationship between long-distance dispersal, genetic connectivity, and the maintenance of genetic diversity that may enhance resilience to stresses associated with seagrass loss. This re-evaluation of seagrass dispersal and recruitment has altered the perception of the importance of long-distance dispersal and has revealed extensive dispersal at scales much larger than was previously thought possible.
Global seagrass losses parallel significant declines in corals and mangroves over the past 50 years. These combined declines have resulted in accelerated global losses to ecosystem services in coastal waters. Seagrass meadows can be extensive and long-lived. This article explores the role that sexual reproduction, pollen, and seed dispersal play in maintaining species distributions, genetic diversity, and connectivity among populations. It also addresses the relationship between long-distance dispersal, genetic connectivity, and the maintenance of genetic diversity that may enhance resilience to stresses associated with seagrass loss. This re-evaluation of seagrass dispersal and recruitment has altered the perception of the importance of long-distance dispersal and has revealed extensive dispersal at scales much larger than was previously thought possible.
Bacteria sampling and data analysis protocol addendum for Mid-Atlantic tidal tributary indicators.
Bacteria sampling and data analysis protocol
This document develops a clear and consistent protocol for the identification, collection, and analysis of the indicator of bacteria. Specifically, this document serves as an addendum to the Sampling and data analysis protocols for Mid-Atlantic tidal tributary indicators which provides guidelines for the successful production of tidal ecosystem health report cards. The bacteria protocol was written and reviewed by the MTAC group and Ecocheck. This document is intended for use in tidal areas only, as the ecosystem health indicator and thresholds discussed are pertinent only to tidal ecosystems.
This document develops a clear and consistent protocol for the identification, collection, and analysis of the indicator of bacteria. Specifically, this document serves as an addendum to the Sampling and data analysis protocols for Mid-Atlantic tidal tributary indicators which provides guidelines for the successful production of tidal ecosystem health report cards. The bacteria protocol was written and reviewed by the MTAC group and Ecocheck. This document is intended for use in tidal areas only, as the ecosystem health indicator and thresholds discussed are pertinent only to tidal ecosystems.
Happy New Year from IAN
From everyone at the Integration & Application Network, we'd like to wish you a happy and productive year ahead. We have a new logo for 2012 and look forward to providing a wide variety of new products and services in the coming year.
The 2010 Baltimore Harbor report card.
Baltimore Harbor Assessment
The Integration & Application Network worked with the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore (WPB) to assess the current health status of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Using six ecological indicators and three human health indicators, the current health of Baltimore's Harbor was evaluated and reported in a baseline report card. An extensive technical report was produced that included additional tidal indicators and watershed (non-tidal) indicators. This project is part of the WPB's larger plan to make the Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2020. The report card will be updated annually.
The Integration & Application Network worked with the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore (WPB) to assess the current health status of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Using six ecological indicators and three human health indicators, the current health of Baltimore's Harbor was evaluated and reported in a baseline report card. An extensive technical report was produced that included additional tidal indicators and watershed (non-tidal) indicators. This project is part of the WPB's larger plan to make the Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2020. The report card will be updated annually.
2012 Seagrass Calendar.
Seagrass Calendar 2012
Produced in association with the World Seagrass Association, this 2012 calendar features a different seagrass genus every month. Along with fantastic photos from around the globe, the calendar contains detailed illustrations from the IAN symbol libraries.
Produced in association with the World Seagrass Association, this 2012 calendar features a different seagrass genus every month. Along with fantastic photos from around the globe, the calendar contains detailed illustrations from the IAN symbol libraries.
The twenty most downloaded symbols from the IAN symbol libraries.
100 million symbols downloaded
Since their first public release in 2003, more than 100 million symbols from the IAN symbol libraries have been downloaded by users from 235 countries. Particulary popular has been the new SVG and PNG (raster) versions, facilitating more users with a variety of software packages to utilize the symbols. In the last 18 months since the release of the online conceptual diagram creator, 11,000 symbols have been used by 1,300 people to create diagrams without the need for specialized vector graphics software.
Since their first public release in 2003, more than 100 million symbols from the IAN symbol libraries have been downloaded by users from 235 countries. Particulary popular has been the new SVG and PNG (raster) versions, facilitating more users with a variety of software packages to utilize the symbols. In the last 18 months since the release of the online conceptual diagram creator, 11,000 symbols have been used by 1,300 people to create diagrams without the need for specialized vector graphics software.
Liza overlooking Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan; Danny at his graduation ceremony.
Welcome to Liza Hernandez and Daniel Levey
Liza Hernandez has joined UMCES and IAN as the Tidal Monitoring Analyst at the Chesapeake Bay Program Office. Liza received her Master's in Marine Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary. Previously, Liza worked as a NOAA trustee on vessels conducting research on the Gulf of Mexico. She looks forward to working closely with colleagues to develop the upcoming Chesapeake Bay report card, to provide assistant to the modeling team at the Bay Program, and to work towards the vision and mission of the Tidal Monitoring & Analysis Workgroup, of which she serves as the coordinator. In her spare time she enjoys the outdoors, going to the beach, traveling and learning, spending time with her dog, Lucy, and photography. Daniel Levey has joined IAN as a Science Communication Intern. He recently graduated high school and plans to attend Catholic University in the fall of 2012. Daniel has been assisting on a number of projects, including the IAN image and symbol libraries, the IAN Barrier Island /Sea-level Rise module, and seminar series videos. In his free time, Daniel enjoys making music and playing sports.
Liza Hernandez has joined UMCES and IAN as the Tidal Monitoring Analyst at the Chesapeake Bay Program Office. Liza received her Master's in Marine Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary. Previously, Liza worked as a NOAA trustee on vessels conducting research on the Gulf of Mexico. She looks forward to working closely with colleagues to develop the upcoming Chesapeake Bay report card, to provide assistant to the modeling team at the Bay Program, and to work towards the vision and mission of the Tidal Monitoring & Analysis Workgroup, of which she serves as the coordinator. In her spare time she enjoys the outdoors, going to the beach, traveling and learning, spending time with her dog, Lucy, and photography. Daniel Levey has joined IAN as a Science Communication Intern. He recently graduated high school and plans to attend Catholic University in the fall of 2012. Daniel has been assisting on a number of projects, including the IAN image and symbol libraries, the IAN Barrier Island /Sea-level Rise module, and seminar series videos. In his free time, Daniel enjoys making music and playing sports.
The Integration & Application Network is an initiative of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
Further information: www.ian.umces.edu
Further information: www.ian.umces.edu
