2011 Chesapeake Bay Report Card

Chesapeake Bay Report Card 2011This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. The overall health of Chesapeake Bay, determined using water quality and biotic indicators, declined slightly in 2011. The overall grade of D+ was a decrease for the second year in a row, down from a C- in 2010. Only two reporting regions, the Patapsco and Back Rivers, and the Lower Western Shore (MD), had improved grades in 2011. The highest-ranked region for the second year in a row was the Upper Bay, with a grade of C. For further details, visit the Report Card website.

Assessing Progress: Implementing the Recommendations of the National Oil Spill Commission

Assessing Progress report thumbnailWith the specter of the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill still fresh and the nation's increasing demand for domestic oil production, this report has been released by Oil Spill Commission Action, former members of President Obama's National Oil Spill Commission. The report assesses the progress by the Administration, Congress, and the oil industry to implement the Commission's recommendations to prevent and respond to oil spills, and to ensure responsible offshore drilling, especially in areas such as Alaska that present special challenges and risks.

Barrier Islands and Sea-level Rise education module

Photo and diagram of a breachBarrier islands are made of sand or sediment and lay parallel to the coastline. As the continuing effects of climate change alter these unique environments, communicating these impacts becomes increasingly important to the management of national parks and the visitors that come to enjoy them. This education module focuses on Assateague Island National Seashore and how this mid-Atlantic barrier island and its plants and animals might change under the influence of sea-level rise. Funded by the National Park Service and in collaboration with park staff, MD DNR climate scientists, and many science teachers across the US, IAN has created a variety of interactive online teaching tools and resources for middle school classrooms as well as the general public.

Welcome to Richard Tian

Tian and daughterDr. Richard Tian has joined IAN through our partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Program. He is engaged in our modeling effort related to restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. Richard moved with his wife and daughter from Massachusetts, where he worked with the University of Massachusetts and Harvard University. He has experience in coupled physico-biological and water quality model development and application. He was the lead scientist in developing the generalized biological model (GBM) coupled with both Harvard Ocean Prediction System (HOPS) and Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM). He looks forward to working with the IAN group and striving toward best management practice and restoration.