Project Details - All Projects > Contact - Caroline Wicks


Current Projects


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EcoCheck Permanent Link
EcoCheck is a partnership program between NOAA Chesapeake Bay Program Office and the Integration and Application Network (IAN) at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). EcoCheck is located at the Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, on the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay. The purpose of EcoCheck is to enhance and support the science, management and restoration of Chesapeake Bay through the integration of geographically detailed assessments and forecasts. Effective management is essential for improved health of Chesapeake Bay and EcoCheck helps provide the support and knowledge needed for this effort.  Full Details  
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IAN Science Communication Courses Permanent Link
A keystone of the Integration and Application Network is effectively communicating science to a broad audience. This one- to three-day course provides participants with a science communication toolbox for effectively communicating their data. At the close of the course, participants will have learned the principles of effective science communication, used hands-on sessions to create their own products (symbols, conceptual diagrams, presentations, newsletters, posters), and gained experience in relevant software programs. These courses are made up of modules and can be tailored to meet the needs of any interested funding agency.  Full Details  
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Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition Permanent Link
The Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition is a unique and growing group of watershed organizations interested in advancing the use of environmental data from local organizations and citizen scientists for use in report cards and assessments. Using data collected by concerned citizens, IAN has helped to generate multi-year report cards for nine rivers since 2007.  Full Details  
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Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore: Baltimore Harbor Ecosystem Status Permanent Link
EcoCheck has partnered with the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore to assess the baseline conditions of Baltimore's Inner Harbor and its watershed. EcoCheck will evaluate the current status of the Inner Harbor by evaluating water quality, sediments, biota, and other indicators. This baseline conditions assessment will be a starting point for an annual monitoring program that will support an annual report card for the Harbor. The report card will evaluate progress toward the Waterfront Partnership's goal of a fishable, swimmable Harbor by 2020.  Full Details  

Past Projects


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Chesapeake Bay Trust: Tributary Report Card Standardization Permanent Link
This project seeks to establish a framework to coordinate efforts among watershed organizations using or planning to use report cards as outreach tools. This project also seeks to develop clear and consistent guidelines and protocols for the development and implementation of report cards by watershed organizations. Protocols will be developed and training provided for sampling and monitoring methodology, data analysis, and science communication. The overall objective is to allow comparability of results from volunteer-based monitoring programs and report cards, and increase the scientific validity of report cards as outreach tools.  Full Details  
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Conservation International: science communication products Permanent Link
Conservation International is a worldwide non-profit dedicated to preserving and conserving the natural world using an integrated approach of natural and social sciences. IAN partners with Conservation International on producing policy briefs (4-page summary documents), reports, and guidebooks, based on their research findings and lessons learned in many areas around the globe.  Full Details  
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Florida DEP: workshop facilitation and newsletter Permanent Link
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is developing a new transparency standard for marine waters that will protect the seagrass species found throughout the state. The current standard does not sufficiently protect seagrasses, and the new standard will help DEP identify waters in which transparency is too low for healthy seagrass beds. DEP and IAN convened a workshop of experts to determine what factors affect light in seagrass beds, and what transparency criteria have already been established for individual systems. The resulting newsletter summarizes that workshop and discusses how DEP will use this knowledge to set criteria for seagrasses in Florida.  Full Details  
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Mesoamerican Reef Report Card Permanent Link
This goal of this project was to describe the health of the Mesoamerican Reef by identifying key indicators and calculating an Integrated Reef Health Index. Additionally, to evaluate the human footprint and social well-being of the local community. Finally, to provide recommendations for government, NGOs, private, and research sectors for future work.  Full Details  
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NOAA: Ecosystem Research and Coastal Management Permanent Link
Coastal management in the U.S. is in transition toward a stronger, ecosystem-based approach implemented at the regional scale and supported by strong scientific synthesis and prediction. The division of ecosystem components
among different agencies, scientific disciplines, and political boundaries, as well as the complexities of conducting Regional Ecosystem Research (RER) make effective
ecosystem management very challenging. NOAA's Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Science convened a best practices workshop of approximately 50 national
leaders in coastal research, management, and policy to identify the key elements of an effective RER program and policy actions to enhance future RER efforts. The results from this workshop and follow up interviews is summarized in this report.  Full Details  
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NOAA: National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment Permanent Link
To assess the eutrophic conditions for 141 U.S. estuaries based on data and information provided by scientists and experts from around the country. IAN developed an interactive website to collect data and produce automated summaries of eutrophication status as well as print ready graphics for the final report. Report production was a collaborative effort between Suzanne Bricker (NOAA NCCOS), EcoCheck (NOAA-UMCES Partnership) and IAN.  Full Details