Upper Rio Grande Report Card released

The Upper Rio Grande Report Card was released at the Randall Davey Audubon Center & Sanctuary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Alexandra Fries, Katie May Laumann, and Nathan Miller attended and presented at the release event along with partners from Audubon Southwest, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and World Wildlife Fund. The Rio Grande scored 54%, a C. The report card evaluated 28 indicators of health in four categories: Water Quality & Quantity, Management & Governance, Society & Culture, and Landscapes & Ecology. The overall health of the basin is in moderate condition and there is not enough water to sustain the needs of all users while also maintaining a healthy river ecosystem. To view the report card and for more information please visit: www.riograndereportcard.org.


Welcome, Conor!

Conor is a new Project Manager with IAN in Annapolis, Maryland. He got his B.S. in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation from the University of Florida, his M.S. in Biology from Marshall University in WV, and his Ph.D. in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from Purdue University in IN. Since 2016, he has been an Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Tusculum University in TN. He was a postdoctoral fellow from 2013-2016 working as a lead data analyst of stream conservation in the Western Lake Erie watershed. Conor joins IAN’s team to help produce report cards for the Clinton, Detroit, Huron, River Raisin, and Rouge Rivers and will work with Dr. Katie May Laumann on the NPS Strategic Strategy Tool.


Maryland Coastal Bays State of the Bays Report now available!

On November 14th, the Maryland Coastal Bays Program and UMCES released the 5-year State of the Bays Report at the Marlin Club in Ocean City, Maryland. This year’s report, “Building Resilience in the Maryland Coastal Bays,” highlighted the threats and changes expected in the coastal bays and the actions currently being taken, or that need to be taken, in order to address these changes. This collaborative document sends the message that while some change cannot be avoided, there are actions that can be taken to maintain the health of important ecosystems. This report was released in conjunction with the 2021 Maryland Coastal Bays Report Card.


COAST Card Annual Meeting

On December 6th, the COAST Card Project held their third annual meeting. This virtual meeting brought together over 25 scientists from the United States, Norway, Japan, India, and the Philippines to discuss the project’s accomplishments over the last year and to set goals for 2023. Partners across the globe engaged in stakeholder engagement, marine spatial planning sessions, and hosted listening sessions in their communities. In the coming year, partners will continue to engage with the public and publish peer-reviewed papers, as well as begin in-person site visits to international study sites. Follow the link below to see the discussion board from the meeting and watch video updates on all the COAST Card project has accomplished throughout 2022.