Chesapeake Bay health remains steady in 2013
Despite a year of above-average rainfall and record heat, the overall health of Chesapeake Bay held steady in 2013. Overall, the Chesapeake scored a C, nearly the same score as the previous year, which was up from a D+ and C- in previous years. The heavy rainfall in 2013 contributed to murkier water conditions, in addition to a higher amount of chlorophyll. Total nitrogen scores are improving over time, while aquatic grasses rebounded from lower scores assessed in 2012. The report card rates 15 reporting regions of the Bay using seven indicators that are combined into a single overarching index of health. This year's report card also introduces a Climate Change Resilience Index to measure the resilience of Chesapeake Bay to the impacts of climate change. Resiliency is the ability of an ecosystem to withstand change in its environment. The Climate Change Resilience Index links several climate change impacts to key indicators in the Bay.
Lower Mississippi River Basin report card workshop newsletter
The Lower Mississippi River Basin report card workshop newsletter was published in May. Potential indicators for an assessment of management goals for the Mississippi River were determined at a workshop for the Lower Mississippi River Basin in March. This is the third in a series of newsletters that will document progress toward completing the report card through stakeholder meetings in all six sub-basins of the Mississippi River. The final list of indicators will be determined by several factors, including data availability and how well they represent achievement of management goals. Results from each sub-basin will be refined and integrated into a report card for the entire Mississippi River Basin.
Identifying nitrogen sources in the Choptank River
IAN recently completed a project with the Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy sourcing nitrogen inputs to the Choptank River watershed, including the Tuckahoe River watershed (a sub-watershed of the Choptank River). The Choptank River, on Maryland's eastern shore, has been shown to score poorly in terms of water quality and biotic integrity, with evidence that nutrient inputs (particularly nitrogen) are primarily responsible for it's degraded water quality. This study aimed to distinguish the distribution of these various sources of nitrogen using a combination of tissue nitrogen content (%N) and nitrogen stable isotope composition (δ15N) of aquatic plants and water samples. This approach can assist environmental managers to better understand sources of nitrogen in a watershed, and results from this study form a baseline for assessment of the effectiveness of best management practices targeting nutrient reductions in the Choptank River watershed.
IAN welcomes Larissa Johnson
Larissa has dedicated her life to working with and for communities; helping people create sustainable, walk-able, bike-able, healthy neighborhoods that cultivate hale and hearty children and invigorate the communities' livelihood. Prior to receiving her MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, she worked predominately in the field of nutrition, physical activity, and chronic disease prevention and what she gleaned through her work is that the environment is at the center of literally everything we do in life. Without clean air to breathe – how do we stay healthy and combat preventative illnesses? Without clean water – how do we grow nutritious, locally produced food? And without green spaces – how do we learn to play and enjoy the outdoors again the way it was intended? She is a huge proponent of working smarter, not harder and believes that the only way to accomplish big things with limited funds and limited time is through partnerships. As a leader within the Climate Movement in Maryland, she is working to cultivate meaningful relationships that will benefit Marylanders from the mountains to the coast and across political and socioeconomic subgroups. As the Coordinator for the Climate Change Communications and Outreach Program, Larissa helps bring the resources and knowledge from IAN's communicating science effectively courses to Marylanders.