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

Assateague Island National Seashore Natural Resource Condition Assessment - Executive Summary (Report)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:31:16 -0500

This is a 12-page Executive Summary of the Assateague Island National Seashore Natural Resource Condition Assessment.

Monocacy National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment Resource Brief (Brochure)

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:11:31 -0500

This Resource Brief describes the results from the Monocacy National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment.

Monocacy National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment - Executive Summary (Report)

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:09:23 -0500

This is a 12-page Executive Summary of the Monocacy National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment.

Manassas National Battlefield Park Natural Resource Condition Assessment Resource Brief (Brochure)

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:01:24 -0500

This Resource Brief describes the results from the Manassas National Battlefield Park Natural Resource Condition Assessment.

Manassas National Battlefield Park Natural Resource Condition Assessment - Executive Summary (Report)

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:56:18 -0500

This is a 12-page Executive Summary of the Manassas National Battlefield Park Natural Resource Condition Assessment.

Antietam National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment Resource Brief (Brochure)

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:48:08 -0500

This Resource Brief describes the results from the Antietam National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment.

Antietam National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment - Executive Summary (Report)

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:38:45 -0500

This is a 12-page Executive Summary of the Antietam National Battlefield Natural Resource Condition Assessment.

South East Queensland Floods 2011 (Newsletter)

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:12:30 -0500

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 kilometres 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, corals with signs of stress such as bleaching.

Brisbane 2011: Living with floods and dancing with dugongs (Presentation)

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:18:17 -0500

In this seminar, Bill talks about how Queensland floods offer an important and unique societal learning moment. With the 2011 floods, there was an opportunity to get the community to focus on where they're living and how they're coping. He identifies various case studies that provide global lessons about flood responses. Bill details conservation icons and charismatic ecosystems, and how we have to move towards creating charismatic ecosystems. He finishes by touching upon developing sustainable models for the future, and a grand vision.

Bacteria sampling and data analysis protocol addendum for Mid-Atlantic tidal tributary indicators (Report)

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:03:55 -0500

This document provides guidelines for the successful production of tidal ecosystem health report cards. Specifically, this document serves as an addendum to the Sampling and data analysis protocols for Mid-Atlantic tidal tributary indicators which develops a clear and consistent protocol for the identification, collection, and analysis of the indicator of bacteria. This document is intended for use in tidal areas only, as the ecosystem health indicator and thresholds discussed are pertinent only to tidal ecosystems.

Innovations in environmental synthesis, reporting and governance (Presentation)

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:31:57 -0500

This presentation describes a range of innovations in environmental synthesis, reporting and governance. Sythesis examples are the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, the Annapolis Synthesis Center, and Ensync. Innovations in reporting detail IAN's approach to science communication (compared with science writing) and the use of conceptual diagrams, a global symbol language and video seminars, as well as environmental report cards and the media coverage they garner. Governance examples include "CompStat", "CitiStat" and "StateStat".

Partnering with watershed organizations to produce tributary-specific report cards (Presentation)

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:03:59 -0500

This presentation discusses the Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition and the indicator protocol that the group produced. The tidal indicator protocol helps watershed organizations (volunteer monitoring groups) produce report cards specific to their areas.

Assessing the ecological and human health status of Baltimore's Inner Harbor (Poster)

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:54:10 -0500

Baltimore's Inner Harbor and its watershed is a highly urbanized area in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. This study assessed water quality and biotic parameters as ecological health indicators. Bacteria and trash were assessed as human health indicators. Most water quality indicators were either poor (D) or very poor (F) in the Inner Harbor. Bacteria and trash levels in the Inner Harbor were rated as poor (D). Middle Branch region: Bacteria levels were rated as fair but no water quality data available. The watershed health was better, with water quality indicators and bacteria scoring from good (B-) to poor (D). This study is a component of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore's Healthy Harbor Initiative, which includes a set of goals and implementation actions to make the Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2020.

Application of a new monitoring and analysis protocol to assess the health of Baltimore's Inner Harbor (Poster)

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:43:54 -0500

The Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition (MTAC) was formed to foster collaboration among watershed organizations and to fully develop the potential of region-specific environmental report cards. A protocol document that describes the standardization of monitoring procedures and data analysis for six core indicators was developed in 2009 and is currently being used by several watershed organizations. Concurrent with development of the protocol, the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore partnered with EcoCheck on a baseline conditions assessment of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Baltimore's Inner Harbor and its watershed are highly urbanized areas in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Using the steps established in the MTAC protocol, the ecological health of Baltimore's Inner Harbor was assessed. The study found most water quality indicators to be either poor or very poor in the Inner Harbor. Lack of basic water quality data was a major hindrance to accurately assessing Inner Harbor ecological health.

Assessing the ecological and human health status of Baltimore's Inner Harbor (Presentation)

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:30:45 -0500

This presentation discusses the ecological and human health status of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Ecological indicators in the Inner Harbor scored poorly or very poorly. Human health indicators (bacteria and trash) scored poorly. This project is part of a larger project to make Baltimore's Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2020.

State of Baltimore Harbor's Ecological and Human Health: 2010 (Report)

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:42:36 -0500

This baseline condition assessment was produced by EcoCheck (NOAA-UMCES Partnership) for the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, Inc. This report assesses the current ecosystem health status of Baltimore's Inner Harbor-future health can be assessed through annual Harbor ecosystem health report cards. An introduction to Baltimore Harbor's geophysical conditions, methods to evaluate individual indicators, and results of data analysis are all presented, along with suggestions for future monitoring and research needs.

Baltimore Harbor's Ecological and Human Health: 2010 (Report card)

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:42:17 -0500

To help lead private citizens, government, and businesses toward a healthy Baltimore Harbor, the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore needed to know the current health of the Harbor and its watershed. Using six ecological indicators and three human indicators, the current health of Baltimore's Harbor was established. This newsletter provides the overall results of the full report.

Seagrass Calendar 2012 (Brochure)

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:08:43 -0500

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.

A vision for the Gulf of Mexico Report Card (Newsletter)

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:04:19 -0500

The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, has partnered with IAN and Harwell Gentile & Associates, LC, to develop a vision for a report card on the health of the Gulf of Mexico. The report card will be a graphical representation of the environmental condition of the Gulf that is scientifically based, widely accessible, and readily understandable by policy-makers, stakeholders, scientists, and, most importantly, the general public. The vision document uses birds and seagrass ecosystems as prototypes for two components of the report card. The Report Card prototype was unveiled on December 7 at the Gulf of Mexico Summit in Houston, TX. Next steps include engaging the science community to divide the Gulf into manageable components based on habitats, geographical and/or political boundaries, and develop metrics to assess each component.

2011 Sassafras River Report Card (Report card)

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:48:09 -0500

The 2011 Sassafras River Report Card describes the health of the Sassafras River in the upper eastern area of the Chesapeake Bay. It evaluates six tidal indicators and six non-tidal indicators. The Lower Estuary scored a B, the Upper Estuary a C, and the Creeks (non-tidal) a C.

Healthy Darwin Harbour: Pathways and Partnerships (Newsletter)

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:10:33 -0500

Darwin Harbour is globally significant as a tropical, macrotidal, monsoonal harbour that is generally in very good condition. There are major development proposals for Darwin Harbour, including significant plans for population growth, industrial expansion and resource processing infrastructure, and consequent increases in shipping and dredging. These developments pose risks for the natural, cultural, aesthetic and recreational values of the Harbour, which need to be managed. This newsletter introduces research and monitoring partnerships and priorities that will be developed over coming months to establish a strategic, long-term, integrated monitoring and research program for the benefit of Darwin Harbour and its stakeholders.

Lessons learned from the Natural Resource Condition Assessment program (Poster)

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:40:42 -0400

This poster presents a five-step process to achieving environmental reporting in the context of the National Park Service's Natural Resource Condition Assessments.

Gulf of Mexico Report Card Initiative (Report)

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:39:00 -0400

The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, along with its partners Harwell Gentile & Associates, LC, and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, proposes to develop a comprehensive framework for a Report Card on the health of the Gulf of Mexico. Our vision is to develop a graphical representation of the environmental condition of the Gulf that will be scientifically based, widely accessible, and readily understandable by policy-makers, stakeholders, scientists, and, most importantly, the general public. This report details a five-step process model for developing an environmental report card, using the Chesapeake Bay Report Card as an example.

The role of the coastal ocean in the disturbed and undisturbed nutrient and carbon cycles: A management perspective (Report)

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:23:21 -0400

This report was published by the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) project with the support of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). It provides new assessment tools for coastal management programs and discusses the key science outputs of the project. Science communicators at IAN worked with authors and designers to create nine figures for the 40-page report. These figures describe themes ranging from the features of coastal zones to terrestrial nutrient inputs.

Hurricane Isabel in Perspective: Proceedings of a Conference (Book)

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:07:44 -0400

The Hurricane Isabel in Perspective: Proceedings of a Conference volume documents the proceedings of a conference convened 15-17 November, 2004. The Hurricane Isabel in Perspective conference was organized as a venue for the lessons learned from Hurricane Isabel, which visited the Chesapeake Bay region in September 2003. Planners, scientists, emergency responders, and academics alike agreed that the numerous lessons learned from Hurricane Isabel will greatly assist our society's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the next major storm event. The presentation of these lessons forms the contents of this proceedings volume.

A New Framework for Planning the Future of Coastal Louisiana after the Hurricanes of 2005 (Report)

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:06:33 -0400

This report was prepared by a working group of scientists & engineers as a rapid response to the national imperative to develop & execute a strategy for reducing hurricane risks in New Orleans & along the Louisiana coast, while sustaining the wetland-dominated landscapes that surround those population centers.

Great Barrier Reef Report Card Summary - 2009 Baseline (Report card)

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:44:38 -0400

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest and best-known coral reef ecosystem in the world. This first report card provides an estimate of the status of the key indicators for the period preceding 2009. It is based on historical data and trends and takes into account the influence of a variable climate from year to year. This serves as a baseline that will be used as a point of comparison to measure progress towards Reef Plan goals and targets. This report card presents results up to 2009 and therefore does not include the effects of Cyclone Yasi and the more recent flood events which will be presented in subsequent reports. For additional details on the GBR report card, see the regional summaries and technical report documents. Also, see the Reef Plan Report Card website.

Great Barrier Reef Report Card Regional Summaries - 2009 Baseline (Report card)

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:44:25 -0400

This document contains report card summaries for the Cape York, Wet Tropics, Burdekin, Mackay-Whitsunday, Fitzroy, and Burnett-Mary regions. Each section details the region profile, and key findings, as well as summarizing the report card results for land practices, catchment indicators and loads, and the marine parameters; water quality, seagrass, and corals. It also describes positive actions in the regions to improve ecosystem health. For additional details on the GBR report card, see the report card summary and technical report documents. Also, see the Reef Plan Report Card website.

Great Barrier Reef Technical Report Card - 2009 Baseline (Report card)

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:44:09 -0400

The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is renowned internationally for its ecological importance and beauty. However, despite it being one of the best managed coral reefs in the world there is a very real risk of damage to the reef from climate change. This technical document details all aspects of the report card process. It includes sections on management, methods, and detailed results for all regions. Also available are the Great Barrier Reef-wide summary and regional summaries documents. Also, see the Reef Plan Report Card website.

2010 Nanticoke River Report Card (Report card)

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:35:47 -0400

The 2nd annual Nanticoke River report card scores five indicators, using data collected by state agencies and Nanticoke Creekwatchers volunteers. It summarizes ecosystem health of both the tidal river and non-tidal creek areas within the Nanticoke watershed, as well as the Fishing Bay watershed. The report card also provides information to help local residents make healthier choices for the Nanticoke.