Summary: Perhaps the best way to solve the problem of linking ecosystem science and management is to recognize the social dimensions of ecosystem science. There were enough pachyderms parading around the Florida Keys Science Conference, last October, to fill center ring at the Ringling Brothers Circus. They were all over the place.

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This blog post discusses the seminar given by Don Weller of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), at the IAN Seminar Series on October 28, 2010. The variable proportion of nitrate removed by riparian buffers in the different physiographic regions was noted in the discussion. Also noted was the relative constancy of the absolute amount of nitrate removed by riparian buffers (~10 mg/L) in all physiographic regions.

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Tim Carruthers and I have just completed two site visits to the War in the Pacific National Historical Park (WAPA) on Guam and the American Memorial Park (AMME) on Saipan. The IAN science communication workshops went really well and the parks' managers and staff were very excited and engaged in forging two new products, a park brochure for WAPA and a poster for AMME, both featuring the natural and cultural resources of the parks.

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This blog post discusses the seminar given by Margaret Palmer of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, at the IAN Seminar Series on September 30, 2010. This seminar was presented by Dr. Margaret Palmer, but both Drs. Palmer and Wainger participated in the discussion following the seminar. The issue that measuring the effectiveness of restoration projects is fundamentally different than tracking ecosystem health through monitoring efforts was discussed.

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Dr. Dick Zimmerman, my colleague at Old Dominion University, informed me today that Randy Alberte had passed away as a result of a long bout with cancer. Randy was my PhD advisor at The University of Chicago and Randy provided me the unique opportunity to pursue my interests in photosynthesis, marine biology and science in a wonderful laboratory at a great university conducting my research in one of my favorite places on the planet, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

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Chesapeake Bay and Maryland Sea Grant has had the good fortune to have Jack Greer writing, facilitating and building consensus for the past 31 years. Jack has elegantly written numerous intelligent, thoughtful and insightful articles on Chesapeake Bay issues, with personal knowledge gathered by frequently poking around the Bay on his sailboat. He is widely respected as a scholarly, approachable and kind man.

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This blog post discusses the seminar given by Bob Wood of the Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, at the IAN Seminar Series on August 26, 2010. There was a lively discussion following Bob Wood's seminar. The observation was made that several of Bob's slides were 'Tufte' approved, in that they contained a large amount of content, with little 'chart-junk'. The talk was characterized as being both data-rich and idea-rich.

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This blog post discusses the seminar given by Bill Dennison of the Integration and Application Network, at the IAN Seminar Series on July 27, 2010. The use of smart phones by citizen scientists to access the eco-hub portal was discussed and the issue of a) lack of coverage and b) limited availability to some citizen scientists was raised. While technological advances will continue to make both of these issues less profound, they are important considerations.

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This blog post discusses the seminar given by Walter Boynton of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, at the IAN Seminar Series on July 29, 2010. Walter Boynton at the IAN Seminar Series. The discussion focused on the bioavailability of nitrogen in its different forms. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen forms (e.g., nitrate and ammonium) were contrasted with dissolved organic nitrogen and particulate nitrogen.

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Last week, Tim Caruthers and I traveled to Colonial National Park to continue work started last fall on a condition assessment for the park. While walking on the Tobacco Road trail in Yorktown, which ends at the York River, we spotted a pod of bottlenose dolphins frolicking in the river. Yorktown Tobacco Road Trail … At first I thought that the disturbance was a really big skate or group of skates, until we saw dorsal fins pierce the water.

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