This newsletter details the importance of developing a scientifically rigorous, spatially explicit ecosystem health report card on Chesapeake Bay and its watershed to facilitate coordination and feedback between monitoring, management and research. A pilot study was conducted in July 2003 on the Patuxent and Choptank Rivers using a novel stable isotope technique (see "Assessing Nutrient Sources" newsletter below) together with more traditional water quality monitoring techniques.

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This newsletter describes the historical distributions of both native and introduced Phragmites. It details the invasion of the introduced type in North America (determined through genetic analysis), and morphological differences between the native and introduced types, as well as some commonly used control methods and their associated problems. Phragmites is thought to be one of the most widespread plants on earth.

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This newsletter discusses the effects of sea level rise, land subsidence and ground water extraction on the flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Isabel.

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This newsletter details the use of symbols as a visual language. Symbols are useful for depicting unequivocal messages that transcend cultures, languages and times. The use of symbols to contruct conceptual diagrams ('thought drawings') can be an effective tool for science communication and problem solving. Conceptual diagrams help to clarify thinking and provide a communication interface between scientists and non-scientists.

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This IAN newsletter explores the assessment of nutrient sources using stable isotope signatures of various marine organisms. This technique was developed in Moreton Bay, Australia for mapping sewage plumes, and was also used to determine the extent of aquaculture effluent (shrimp ponds) and to distinguish agricultural runoff (sugar cane) from other sources. The stable isotope ratio of nitrogen in organisms can be used to determine the influence of different nitrogen sources.

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This newsletter is a summary of the history, mission and accomplishments of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). This summary has been prepared to provide a sense of where we have come from, what we are doing and where we are going. It also serves to identify the collaborative role UMCES plays within the University System and the State of Maryland.

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This science newsletter focuses on the role of the Integration and Application Network (IAN) in achieving healthy Chesapeake waterways. This is the first in a series of IAN newsletters on topical issues and is directed towards the scientific and technical audience. This newsletter identifies IAN's vision for Healthy Chesapeake Waterways and includes an overview of environmental problem solving, through transfer of data into information into knowledge and ultimately into problem solving.

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