IAN and EcoCheck Communication Products (Publications) - Integration and Application Network

Shifting Sands: Environmental and cultural change in Maryland's Coastal Bays (book)

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Referring to both the dynamic nature of the barrier islands forming the coastal lagoons of Maryland's Atlantic Ocean coastline and also the changing cultural landscape, Shifting Sands is a richly illustrated, multi-authored introduction to Assawoman Bay, Isle of Wight Bay, St. Martin River, Sinepuxent Bay, Newport Bay, and Chincoteague Bay. This book leads the reader on a voyage of discovery, providing a user-friendly guide to the history, setting, context, and ecology of these waterways nestled behind Assateague, Fenwick, and Chincoteague Islands. Photographs, conceptual diagrams, maps, and graphs are used to showcase the key features of and major threats to these magnificent bays, watersheds, and islands, with recommendations for how to preserve them for future generations.

Oceanography: An Observer's Guide (book)

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

While engaged in professional oceanographic research and teaching, Marshall, like the postman who goes for a hike on Sundays, spent much of his free time cruising in his 30-foot auxiliary sloop. Underway he realized that, with the equipment readily available on vessels, whether large or small, interested observers could learn a great deal about their surroundings. This prompted him, in his retirement, to write Oceanography: An Observer's Guide. It was Professor Marshall's hope that this book would enrich the experience of all who travel on the high seas.

2008 Coastal Bays report card (newsletter)

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2008 Coastal Bays' health. Prepared annually, the report card rates six reporting regions of the Coastal Bays, using six indicators combined into a single overarching index of health. Health is defined as progress towards established scientifically derived ecological thresholds or goals. The overall health of Coastal Bays was moderate in 2008, obtaining a grade of C+. The report card website enables you to explore the report card in more detail via the regions and indicators.

Development of water transparency criteria for Florida seagrasses (newsletter)

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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 transparency 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. A workshop of experts was convened by DEP to determine what factors affect light in seagrass beds, and what transparency criteria have already been established for individual systems. This newsletter summarizes that workshop and discusses how DEP will use this knowledge to set transparency criteria for seagrasses in Florida.

South Caucasus region transboundary report card (newsletter)

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The central Kura River basin is a large river basin in the mountainous South Caucasus region of Eurasia. It contains important water resources for three countries-Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan-and has a combined population of some 17 million people. There are many threats to these shared water resources, including nutrient inputs, heavy metal pollution, and sediment erosion. Successful management of these shared resources is critical to the social, economic, and ecological prosperity of the region. This newsletter details the first attempt at an integrated water quality report card for the central Kura River basin.

2008 Chesapeake Bay Report Card (newsletter)

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed annual assessment of 2008 Chesapeake Bay habitat health. This is the third year that the report card has been released. This report card rates 15 reporting regions of the Bay using six indicators that are combined into a single overarching index of habitat health. The overall health of Chesapeake Bay was poor in 2008, obtaining a grade of C-. Health of the 15 individual reporting regions varied, ranging from B- (moderate-good) to F (very poor). For further details, visit the Report Card website.

New Stream Health Indicator Being Developed (newsletter)

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Chesapeake Bay Program and its partners developed an improved stream health indicator that provides a regional assessment of benthic (bottom-dwelling) macroinvertebrate community health. Benthic data collected in different ways by various natural resource agencies were incorporated into a Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity that rates stream health across the entire 64,000 square miles of watershed that drain into Chesapeake Bay. Overall, the analysis showed that out of 3,291 sampling sites in the watershed, 1,632 of the sites had very poor or poor conditions and 1,056 sites had good or excellent conditions. For further information, visit the Stream Health Indicator website.

2008 Severn River report card (newsletter)

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This newsletter introduces the first Severn River ecosystem health report card. The report card summarizes 2008 water quality results, which are based on data collected by the Severn Riverkeeper Program. This report card helps to clarify the Severn's health, and provides instructions on what individuals can do to improve its condition.

2008 Chester River report card (newsletter)

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This newsletter describes the second annual Chester River report card. The Chester River Estuary received an overall grade of D and the Chester River creeks received an overall grade of C+. In addition to the grades, the newsletter includes information on increased monitoring, provides a comparison of a healthy and unhealthy Chester River, and suggests actions that citizens can take to improve the health of the Chester River.

2008 Patuxent River Report Card (newsletter)

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This newsletter is the second annual Patuxent River ecosystem health report card. The report card provides grades for the three tidal regions of the Patuxent River estuary. The grades are based on the frequency that the river is able to meet six ecological targets. The results show the river is generally in poor condition despite a small improvement in the health in 2008 (compared to 2007). A narrative description of the non-tidal portion of the river based on the Patuxent Riverkeeper citizen water quality monitoring program is also provided.

Enclosed Experimental Ecosystems and Scale: Tools for Understanding and Managing Coastal Ecosystems (book)

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The environmental challenges now facing humanity are particularly acute in the coastal zone. Research in this region and in other aquatic ecosystems is complicated by interactions that occur over broad scales of time, space, and ecological complexity. Enclosed experimental ecosystems have become critical research tools because they provide a degree of control not achievable through field experiments. Yet to date, techniques for systematically extrapolating results to larger, more open, more biodiverse, and more heterogeneous ecosystems in nature have not been well developed. This book is designed to provide a comprehensive and practical guide and reference for improving the design and interpretation of research conducted in experimental ecosystems.

Northern Great Plains Network: Using conceptual diagrams to aid communication (newsletter)

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Conceptual diagrams are effective tools in identifying resource condition trends and for communicating inventory and monitoring data back to national park management and the general public. This newsletter presents the project results from an IAN collaboration with four National Park Service (NPS) Northern Great Plains Network (NGPN) park units and the NGPN Inventory & Monitoring (I&M) Program. The diagrams detail the parks' current collective knowledge and highlight key resources and threats in and around these parks.

Report card for the Mesoamerican reef (report)

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This report describes the health of the Mesoamerican Reef by identifying key indicators and calculating an Integrated Reef Health Index. Additionally, it evaluates the human footprint and social well-being of the local community. Finally, it provides recommendations for government, NGOs, private, and research sectors for future work.

2008 Chesapeake Bay Summer Review (report)

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Several large river flow events during winter and spring were forecast to result in worse than average dissolved oxygen and harmful algal bloom conditions this summer. However, observed summer conditions were not as bad as predicted with dissolved oxygen levels being close to the long-term average and Potomac River harmful algal blooms (Microcystis) were relatively small and of shorter duration. These better than predicted levels may in part be attributed to the relatively dry summer. Despite the average mainstem Bay dissolved oxygen levels, harmful algal blooms and fish kills were reported in many of the Bays tributaries. Here we summarize summer conditions and offer some explanations as to why they may have occurred.

Oyster δ15N as a bioindicator of waste nitrogen and degraded water quality in a sub-estuary of Chesapeake Bay (poster)

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Once nitrogen from wastewater treatment plants and septic systems enters aquatic ecosystems, it is difficult to distinguish it from other sources contributing to degradation. The Monie Bay sub-estuary of Chesapeake Bay, just south of Wicomico River, is situated within the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland) National Estuarine Research Reserve. Monie Bay receives freshwater inputs from three creeks varying in watershed size and land use: residential septic systems (Monie Creek), crop fertilizer (Little Monie Creek), and wetlands/forest (Little Creek). Differences in oyster δ¹⁵N were used to identify different waste nitrogen sources.

Integration and Application Network (poster)

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This poster outlines the Integration and Application Network; who we are, our mission, where we work, and what we provide. We are a collection of highly trained, highly motivated scientists and communicators interested in solving, not just studying environmental problems. The Integration and Application Network (IAN) is an initiative of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, but links with other academic institutions, resource management agencies, and non‒governmental organizations. We are based in Maryland, but work globally and provide a range of science communication tools, products, training, and environmental syntheses.

Research to improve management of Atlantic menhaden in Chesapeake Bay (newsletter)

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

From both an economic and ecological standpoint, Atlantic menhaden are one of the most important fish species in Chesapeake Bay. Concerns over localized depletion and a need for improved understanding of the ecological role of menhaden in Chesapeake Bay led the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to identify research needed to improve menhaden fisheries management. This newsletter provides the status of some of the resulting projects.

Global Warming Is Here (poster)

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In 2007, Governor O'Malley asked a scientific team, chaired by UMCES President Dr. Donald F. Boesch, to assess the impacts of climate change in Maryland. The key points from this assessment are summarized in this poster created by IAN staff.

Maryland at Risk: Sea-level rise adaptation & response (newsletter)

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Action is needed now to stem not only the drivers of climate change but also to prepare for the inevitable consequences. With over 3,000 miles of coastline, Maryland is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Historic tide-gauge records reveal that sea levels along Maryland's extensive coastline have risen approximately one foot over the past one hundred years. This relative sea level rise is due to a combination of global sea-level rise and localized land subsidence. As our climate changes, sea levels are expected to continue to rise and the rate of sea level rise is expected to increase, potentially twice as fast in the 21st century as the 20th century. Thus, sea level rise in Maryland could be another one foot by 2050 and as much as three feet by 2100. Low lying regions in Maryland will be placed further at risk due to innudation and flooding.

Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Maryland's Vulnerability to Climate Change Phase 1: Sea-level rise and coastal storms (report)

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This is Chapter 5 of the Climate Action Plan, Governor Martin O'Malley's appointed Maryland Commission on Climate Change report. It makes recommendations to state lawmakers and policy makers to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise and storm by taking action and committing resources to protect Maryland's future economic well-being, environmental heritage, and public safety.

River Journeys (book)

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This richly illustrated book provides personal accounts derived from interviews with Riverprize recipients over the past 10 years.

Global Warming and the Free State. Comprehensive Assessment of Climate Change Impacts in Maryland. (report)

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This is Chapter 2 of the Climate Action Plan, Governor Martin O'Malley's appointed Maryland Commission on Climate Change report on the impacts and recommended actions to protect Maryland's property and people from the effects of climate change.

Upstream land use affects water quality in Maryland's Coastal Bays (newsletter)

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Coastal lagoon ecosystems across the Delmarva Peninsula are rapidly evolving due to changing land use patterns and shifts towards intensive agriculture, particularly poultry production, and intensive rural-residential development. These changes in the coastal lagoon seascape are especially evident in the northern Coastal Bays watershed of St. Martin River. This region is intensely developed in areas such as the Ocean Pines canal community, is composed of a high percentage of crop agriculture, and contains a number of poultry feeding operations. Water quality degradation continues to be an important issue in the watershed. This newsletter examines how upstream land use affects water quality.

Conceptual Diagrams: tools for effective science communication (presentation)

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This presentation is part of a mini-workshop conducted at the Society for Technical Communication's Technical Communication Summit on June 4, 2008.

Environmental report cards: A tool for better management, monitoring, and research (poster)

Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Environmental report cards are an important tool for integrating assessments of ecosystem health and for communicating scientific understanding to decision makers and the general public. Environmental report cards rely on a suite of environmental indicators (= performance measures, vital signs, reference values) and thresholds (= goals, criteria, standards). The process of combining indicators is an important aspect of ecosystem health assessments and can be accomplished by a variety of mechanisms and influence the results. The specificity of reporting regions can influence the impact of the report cards. Geographically explicit report cards can create a powerful human motivator-peer pressure. Report cards can engender a healthy competition between communities and community leaders to achieve better report card grades. The credibility of the environmental report cards needs to be established by a transparent process in which the data, indices, maps and conceptual foundation are explicit. Report cards can provide timely, synthesized information to a broad audience.

2007 Patuxent River Report Card (newsletter)

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This newsletter introduces the first Patuxent River ecosystem health report card. This report card provides grades for three regions within the Patuxent River estuary (i.e., the tidal portion of the river). The report card grades are based on the progress of six indicators towards ecological targets. The report card shows that the Patuxent River estuary is mostly in poor condition and that substantially more effort is needed to see measurable improvements. This report card was produced in collaboration with the Patuxent Riverkeeper who recently started a citizen water quality monitoring program with the aim of using this information to assess the health of the region's creeks and estuary. Next year this data will be used to provide a more comprehensive report card.

2007 Chester River Report Card (newsletter)

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This newsletter introduces the first Chester River ecosystem health report card. This report card summarizes the 2007 water quality of two major parts of the Chester River ecosystem: the estuary (tidal regions) and the creeks (non-tidal) flowing into the estuary. Creek water quality is based on data collected by the Chester River Association and their Chester Tester volunteers. Health of the estuarine regions is based on data collected by the Chesapeake Bay Program partners. This report card helps clarify how healthy the region's waterways are, and what you can do to help improve the ecological condition of the Chester River.

Chesapeake Bay 2007: Land Use and the Chesapeake Bay Report Card (newsletter)

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The report card aims to inform citizens on the progress Chesapeake Bay is making toward becoming a healthy ecosystem. This year's report card shows that the health of the Bay improved slightly in 2007 when compared to 2006. While the overall health of the Bay and most regions of the Bay improved, the health of some regions of the Bay declined. This newsletter also explores some of the long-term changes in report card scores, making a connection between the scores and influencing factors such as land use and nutrient loads.

Chesapeake Bay Health Report Card: 2007 (newsletter)

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed annual assessment of 2007 Chesapeake Bay habitat health. This is the second year that the report card has been released. This report card rates 15 reporting regions of the Bay using six indicators that are combined into a single overarching index of habitat health. Habitat health is defined as progress of the six indicators towards established scientifically derived ecological thresholds or goals. A low score therefore means that the region rarely meets the ecological threshold levels. A high score means that the region often meets the threshold levels. For further details, visit the Report Card website.

Fine scale patterns of water quality in three regions of Marylands Coastal Bays: assessing nitrogen source in relation to land use. (report)

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Intensive sampling of the Maryland Coastal Bays in May and July of 2007 served to further assess spatial patterns in nutrients, responses of biological indicators, seasons, land use, and nutrient cycling. Trends indicated degraded water quality, high tubidity, increasing total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, high natural isotope abundance (δ¹⁵N), and low dissolved oxygen. The abundance of crop agriculture and development of the St. Martin River watershed indicates terrestrial sources of poor water quality, especially in upstream reaches, but no such land use connection has been reported for the region of Johnsons Bay. The difference between these two coastal bays may be their flushing and nutrient cycling abilities, in conjunction with adjacent land use.