The goal of this project was to describe the health of the Mesoamerican Reef by identifying key indicators and calculating an Integrated Reef Health Index. Additionally, to evaluate the human footprint and social well-being of the local community. Finally, to provide recommendations for government, NGOs, private, and research sectors for future work.

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A global assessment of seagrass gains and losses will be used to develop ecological forecasts. Includes constructing a global database of seagrass distributional changes, testing the perception that a contemporary crisis in seagrass ecosystems is occurring due to coastal human population pressures.

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As one of the largest Federal landholders in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Department of Defense's efforts towards the Chesapeake’s restoration and protection have exemplified the positive effects of interagency cooperation. This report provides a synthesis of the role the Department of Defense (DoD) has played in the Bay restoration effort.

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To assess the eutrophic conditions for 141 U.S. estuaries based on data and information provided by scientists and experts from around the country. IAN developed an interactive website to collect data and produce automated summaries of eutrophication status as well as print ready graphics for the final report. Report production was a collaborative effort between Suzanne Bricker (NOAA NCCOS), EcoCheck (NOAA-UMCES Partnership) and IAN.

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In collaboration with SeaWeb, IAN staff designed and produced the interactive board game "TRADE-OFF!" that explores stakeholder perspectives in ecosystem-based management. In the game, players assume stakeholders' roles and negotiate the placement of different human activities in a natural environment.

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Maryland's Coastal Bays, the shallow lagoons nestled behind Ocean City and Assateague, comprise a complex ecosystem. These estuarine bays, at the interface between fresh and saltwater, provide habitat for a wide range of aquatic life. But like many coastal systems, they face threats from intense development, nutrients, sediments, and other stresses associated with human activities.

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LOICZ is a core project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) and the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP).

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