The Pacific Island Network (PACN) of the National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring program is currently in the process of implementing vital signs monitoring within 11 PACN parks. As a basis to monitoring, effective communication is essential.

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This year's drought led to lower than normal nutrient and sediment discharge into the Bay during the summer. With fewer sediments and nutrients entering the Bay, the health of the Bay may have been expected to improve, however, this was not the case for water clarity, harmful algal blooms, and fish kills. While dissolved oxygen in the mainstem was still poor this summer, the volume of oxygen depleted water was relatively small compared to the past 22 years.

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Habitat consists of the physical, chemical, and biological components that are necessary for the survival and growth of organisms in an ecosystem. In an estuary, habitat provides food and shelter for invertebrates, shellfish, and fish. Habitat is an integral part of an ecosystem, and assessing habitats is important in determining ecosystem health.

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This is a three part series on the Asian oyster Environmental Impact Statement. It has been proposed to introduce the Asian oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis) into Chesapeake Bay as one potential solution to the loss of the historic oyster fishery, and the ecological functions that oysters perform for Chesapeake Bay.

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The Republic of Palau, an island nation in the tropical western Pacific Ocean, harbors diverse mangrove, seagrass, and coral communities. Palau is at a crossroads due to improved access to, and development of, its largest island, Babeldaob. This is leading to increased sediment runoff, particularly in the Ngerikiil River/Airai Bay watershed, the most developed region of Babeldaob Island.

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This newsletter describes forecasts of Chesapeake Bay 2007 summer ecological conditions. Forecasts of three important Bay health indicators are provided–dissolved oxygen (DO), harmful algal blooms (HABs), and changes in aquatic grass distribution.

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This newsletter describes why dissolved oxygen is an important indicator of ecosystem health. It focuses on dissolved oxygen in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries and describes the factors that affect dissolved oxygen. Additionally, the management decisions and actions that are being taken to reduce the amount of low dissolved oxygen in the Bay are described.

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Morro Bay, on the central California coast, was the site of a workshop to develop a conceptual framework for an ecosystem-based management initiative. IAN staff worked with Morro Bay scientists, resource managers, and stakeholders to develop conceptual diagrams for Morro Bay, offshore Estero Bay and the Morro Bay watershed. These diagrams examined key features, threats, and management objectives of the Morro Bay ecosystem.

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The Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program has subdivided the 270 National Park units with significant natural resources into 32 Networks. All of the parks within a Network share similar natural resource challenges. The purpose of these Networks is to conduct long-term resource monitoring. The National Capital Region Netwok (NCRN) consists of 11 parks within Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

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Ecosystem health report cards are an effective means of tracking and reporting the health of a waterway at both local and regional scales. A report card is being developed within the Chesapeake Bay science and management community in order to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed annual assessment of Chesapeake Bay habitat health. This newsletter summarizes the methods and data used to calculate the report card scores for 2006.

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