Publications about Chesapeake Bay

IAN is committed to producing practical, user-centered communications that foster a better understanding of science and enable readers to pursue new opportunities in research, education, and environmental problem-solving. Our publications synthesize scientific findings using effective science communication techniques.

Your Land, Your Water: Using Research to Guide Conservation Practices on Local Farms in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (Page 1)

Your Land, Your Water: Using Research to Guide Conservation Practices on Local Farms in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Webber JS, Clune JW, Soroka AM, and Hyer KE ·
19 December 2023

Agricultural lands are an important part of the economy and heritage of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and are a focus of conservation activities. Streams and rivers around farms provide communities with drinking water and recreational opportunities, but these local benefits can be impaired by elevated nutrient and sediment concentrations.

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Effects of point and nonpoint source controls on total phosphorus load trends across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA (Page 1)

Effects of point and nonpoint source controls on total phosphorus load trends across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA

Zhang Q, Bostic JT, Sabo RD ·
2024

Reduction of total phosphorus (TP) loads has long been a management focus of Chesapeake Bay restoration, but riverine monitoring stations have shown mixed temporal trends. To better understand the regional patterns and drivers of TP trends across the Bay watershed, we compiled and analyzed TP load data from 90 Non-Tidal Network stations using clustering and random forest (RF) approaches.

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Socio-ecological analysis of the eutrophication in Chesapeake Bay, USA (Page 1)

Socio-ecological analysis of the eutrophication in Chesapeake Bay, USA

Ollivier MEL, Newton A, Kelsey RH ·
2023

This study is a social-ecological analysis of eutrophication in the Chesapeake Bay, United States of America (USA). It uses an expanded DPSIR framework (Drivers/Pressures/State/ Impacts/Responses) methodology to analyze the issue. In addition, a typology of the social actors and stakeholders in the socio-economic part of the system is identified.

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2022 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card (Page 1)

2022 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card

Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen, Alexandra Fries, Joe Edgerton, Bill Dennison, Sidney Anderson, Lili Badri, Veronica Lucchese, Katie May Laumann, Heath Kelsey ·
6 June 2023

This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed. Since 2016, UMCES has engaged stakeholders throughout the watershed to transform the report card into an evaluation of the Chesapeake Watershed health. Watershed health includes traditional ecological indicators, but also economic and societal indicators. This is the fourth year the watershed has been scored, and one new ecological indicator has been added.

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Rise of Ruppia in Chesapeake Bay: Climate change–driven turnover of foundation species creates new threats and management opportunities (Page 1)

Rise of Ruppia in Chesapeake Bay: Climate change–driven turnover of foundation species creates new threats and management opportunities

Hensela MJS, Patricka CJ, Ortha RJ, Wilcoxa DJ, Dennison WC, Gurbiszc C , Hannamd MP, Landrye JB, Moorea KA, Murphyf RR , Testag JM, Wellerh DE, Lefchecki JS ·
2023

Global change has converted many structurally complex and ecologically and eco- nomically valuable coastlines to bare substrate. In the structural habitats that remain, climate-tolerant and opportunistic species are increasing in response to environmental extremes and variability. The shifting of dominant foundation species identity with climate change poses a unique conservation challenge because species vary in their responses to environmental stressors and to management.

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STAC Rising Water Temperatures Report Summary (Page 1)

STAC Rising Water Temperatures Report Summary

Batiuk R ·
24 March 2023

The Chesapeake Bay Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) and IAN have partnered to synthesize the contents of their latest publication on Rising Watershed and Bay Water Temperatures— Ecological Implications and Management Responses into a report summary outlining key management and research recommendations, the causes and effects of rising water temperatures, and actions for moving forward. This document also builds on the previous STAC Rising Water Temperatures Workshop newsletter.

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Agricultural best management practices can improve water quality and conditions for fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (Page 1)

Agricultural best management practices can improve water quality and conditions for fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen, Bill Dennison, Lili Badri ·
3 January 2023

This publication serves as a summary of Gordon et al. (2022) and was prepared in collaboration between the USGS and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Integration and Application Network. The summary touches on key findings of the study along with management implications and applications. Please feel free to download the summary here or check it out on the USGS website:

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