Communication among managers, the public, and scientists is the key to successful ecosystem management; however, the varied perspectives and interests of these groups can make such communication difficult. One way to achieve effective communication is to develop a common knowledge base by combining syntheses of key scientific results with information-rich visual elements.

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SINCE ITS INCEPTION, the National Park Service (NPS) has been charged with preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the United States for future generations. It is only recently, however, that the NPS has fully embraced the need to understand and describe the ecology of parks. The infusion of an ecological perspective into the natural resource management of the national parks is what separates today's park management from much of that which preceded it (Sellars 1997).

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Knowing the condition of natural resources in national parks is fundamental to the National Park Service's (NPS) mission to maintain park resources "unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Most parks are open systems vulnerable to threats such as air and water pollution and invasive species, which originate outside of the park's boundaries.

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This is the eighth in a series of Pew Center reports examining the potential impacts of climate change on the U.S. environment. It details the likely impacts of climate change over the next century on U.S. coastal and marine ecosystems, including estuaries, coral reefs, and the open ocean. Coordinator: Dr Victor Kennedy … • Temperature changes in coastal and marine ecosystems will influence organism metabolism and alter ecological processes such as productivity and species interactions.

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Marine Pollution in the United States: Significant Accomplishments, Future Challenges has been prepared by UMCES' faculty experts for use by the Pew Oceans Commission in evaluating national oceans policy regarding environmental quality and marine resources. The Pew Oceans Commission is an independent group of distinguished Americans conducting a national dialogue on the policies needed to restore and protect living marine resources in U.S. waters.

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This report was prepared for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change to provide an overview of the potential effects of climate change on natural terrestrial ecosystems and their component species. Published in December 2000, it is the fifth in a series of reports examining the potential impacts of climate change on the U.S. environment. Coordinator:

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This report, released by the Coastal Ocean Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of the U.S. National Assessment on global climate change, details the potential impacts of climate change on coastal and marine resources of the United States. Coordinator: Dr. Donald F. Boesch.

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In response to the complex challenges of understanding and managing the effects of human activities on coastal ecosystems, the research establishment has produced a plethora of reports and implemented a bewildering array of government-sponsored research and monitoring programs that are not cost-effective on regional or national scales.

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