This poster illustrates some results from work on a climate change resilience index for Chesapeake Bay. One aspect analyzed in the index was coastal wetland resilience to sea level rise. Overall, coastal wetlands currently have good resilience but under future sea level rise rates coastal wetlands will have moderate to very poor resilience.

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This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. In 2014, the report card includes five water quality indicators and two biotic indicators. In 2014, the overall grade for Chesapeake Bay is a 50%, a C. This means the Bay is in moderate health. A fisheries index and climate change resilience index as well as trajectories of reporting region health are also presented. For further details, visit the Report Card website.

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To assess historical loads of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and suspended sediment (SS) from the nontidal Chesapeake Bay watershed (NTCBW), we analyzed decadal seasonal trends of flow-normalized loads at the fall-line of nine major rivers that account for >90% of NTCBW flow.

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The annual West & Rhode Rivers report card was released on June 12th, 2015. It presents data and information on six different ecological health indicators. It also gives examples of what the public can do to improve health of the rivers.

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This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. In 2013, the report card includes five water quality indicators and two biotic indicators. In 2013, the overall grade for Chesapeake Bay is a 45%, a C. This means the Bay is in moderate health. Fisheries indicators as well as trajectories of reporting region health are also presented. For further details, visit the Report Card website.

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Over the past several decades, scientists, natural resource managers, and the general public have become increasingly aware of, and concerned for the impaired health of the Chesapeake Bay.

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Over the past several decades, scientists, natural resource managers, and the general public have become increasingly aware of, and concerned for the impaired health of the Chesapeake Bay.

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Anthropogenic nitrogen contributes to water quality degradation, but it is difficult to distinguish sources once they are mixed in coastal ecosystems. Natural abundances of stable nitrogen isotopes (delta N-15) were measured in oyster (Crassostrea virginica) tissues (muscle, gills, and mantle) during summer 2006 to summer 2008 to identify nitrogen sources in Monie Bay (a subestuary of Chesapeake Bay) receiving freshwater inputs from three tributary creeks. The creeks (estimated flushing times:

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Climate change will affect Maryland in a variety of ways. More obvious impacts could include an increased risk for extreme events such as drought, storms, flooding, and forest fires; more heat-related stress; the spread of existing or new vector-born disease; and increased erosion and inundation of low-lying areas along the State’s shoreline and coast. Adaptation, together with mitigation, is necessary to address climate change.

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Maryland citizens are blessed with an abundant supply of water. However, many water systems are already stressed during droughts, and infrastructure damage and water contamination occurs during floods. Future population growth will combine with increasingly variable weather patterns to place more communities at risk of property damage, regulatory liabilities and uncertain access to drinking water.

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