To effectively manage and protect ocean life and the people who depend on it, we need coordinated, comparable observations of ocean biodiversity. Seagrass cover and composition is an essential ocean variable (EOV) of the Global Ocean Observing System because seagrasses are the foundation of coastal ecosystems worldwide, and support diverse marine life and ecosystem services.

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This report is in response to Senate Bill 830 (2022) that instructed the University of Maryland Center … for Environmental Science (UMCES) to evaluate the following topics in collaboration with Smithsonian … Environmental Research Center, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, appropriate State and federal … agencies, and industry and other stakeholders:

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Freshwater streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are home to numerous aquatic organisms (like fish, amphibians, mussels, and insects) and provide drinking water and recreational opportunities to people living in or visiting the watershed. Land-use changes, such as urban development and increased activities in certain agricultural sectors, have degraded water quality and altered conditions in these streams, thereby affecting their health and function.

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As water-quality challenges intensify, the widely used Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) method offers an adaptable and practical framework for global water-quality science and management.

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Efforts to constrain the negative environmental impacts of excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are costly and challenging, due in part to inconsistent reporting of nutrient sources at temporal and spatial scales relevant for local decision making.

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The aim of this report card is to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2024 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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Published in 2025, the 2024 Severn River Report Card summarizes data collected in the summer of 2024. Overall health of the Severn River scored a 76% (C), compared ot a 77% (C+) in 2023. The report card also expresses gratitude to the Severn River Association's volunteer program, whose tireless efforts make the report card possible.

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The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy produced its first-ever report card in 2025. Since 1995, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy has worked to protect, preserve, and restore wildlife habitat through community science, advocacy, education, and habitat restoration. Our programs engage residents of all ages in meaningful experiences that inspire action and stewardship for Loudoun County, Virginia’s natural resources.

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Informe de calificaciones de los arroyos de Loudoun 2025: Una publicación de Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy … Desde 1995, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy se dedica a proteger, preservar y restaurar el hábitat de la vida silvestre mediante la ciencia comunitaria, la educación, la defensa ambiental y la restauración de ecosistemas.

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Vegetated buffer strips (VBS) are widely used to mitigate agricultural non-point source pollution yet reported retention efficiencies vary considerably across different landscapes. We synthesized 409 observations extracted from 91 peer-reviewed publications to evaluate critical determinants of VBS retention efficiency for agricultural runoff, focusing specifically on total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total suspended solids (TSS).

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