Coastal environments face unique challenges that profoundly affect human well-being. Stressors such as pollution, rising temperatures, flooding, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and emerging contaminants threaten ecosystems and disproportionately impact vulnerable communities. This report presents the findings from the Fall 2024 Coastal Environment and Community Health course, by graduate students in the Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Science program at the University System of Maryland.

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Seasonal hypoxia (dissolved oxygen [DO] levels ≤ 2 mg/l) poses a severe threat to coastal ecosystems globally, including the largest estuary in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay. This V-shaped drowned river valley features shallow flanks, where the deepest waters experience persistently low DO levels typically initiated during the spring and ending in late summer or early autumn. Reports on low DO conditions in the Chesapeake Bay date back over a century.

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This booklet explores the rich cultural heritage and economic significance of Baltimore Harbor, a cornerstone of Maryland's and the U.S.'s economic vitality. Historically shaped by its waterfront, Baltimore faces environmental challenges stemming from its industrial past and ongoing issues like wastewater contamination and climate change impacts.

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Many coastal ecosystems have suffered from cultural eutrophication and dead zones. In the Chesapeake Bay, water quality degradation is manifested in low dissolved oxygen, poor water clarity, and decreased submerged aquatic vegetation acreage.

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Many estuaries, including Chesapeake Bay, have suffered from undesirable conditions of algae blooms, poor water clarity, and low dissolved oxygen (DO). To better understand the status and trends of DO criteria attainment deficit (AD), we conducted a comprehensive assessment using monitoring data in the period of 1985–2022 and focused on the comparison of trends among 13 tidal systems.

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This 24-page strategic plan highlights IAN's impact so far, along with the mission, vision, and values by which IAN conducts itself. This document details IAN's objectives for the next five years.

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From 2022-2023, the COAST Card project held a series of listening sessions to stimulate community engagement throughout the Potomac Watershed. This poster summarizes the results of the activities at those listening sessions.

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The aim of this report card is to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2022 Coastal Bays health. Coastal Bays health is defined as the progress of four water quality indicators (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen) and two biotic indicators (seagrass, hard clams) toward scientifically derived ecological thresholds or goals.

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Evaluating the real-world impacts of proposed restoration strategies is a complex process. Typically, restoration is pursued to achieve a number of primary and secondary objectives as most coastal and deltaic areas support a variety of functions and activities with substantial social and economic values. In this analysis, we demonstrate the importance of considering the broad implications of planning and implementing restoration projects.

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This document describes the methods and development process for the Southeast Michigan Report Card, and the five associated watershed report cards: the Clinton River Report Card, Detroit River Report Card, Huron River Report Card, River Raisin Report Card, and Rouge River Report Card.

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