This newsletter describes some of the monitoring data and the response from the Chesapeake Bay community to the high rainfall event that moved through the Bay watershed from June 24 to June 28, 2006. In some areas of the watershed, up to 15 inches of rain fell and much of the area received 5 inches or more. The Chesapeake Bay Program quickly organized an effort to monitor and analyze dissolved oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll a and aquatic grass in the Bay.

This newsletter is based on the findings of the Conceptual Ecological Model Focus Group—March 2006 and provides a number of key conclusions and recommendations. The natural & human landscapes of coastal Louisiana are characterized by complex relationships among water, sediment & ecosystems. The sustainability of these landscapes is dependent upon critical processes that support the integrity of ecosystem features.

This newsletter describes the methods used and the predictions for the 2006 summer ecological conditions in Chesapeake Bay. The forecast focuses on three important elements of the Bay's health-dissolved oxygen (DO), harmful algal blooms (HABs) and changes in bay grass distribution.

EcoCheck is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. This newsletter conveys their goals and approach towards improving Chesapeake Bay health. The types of projects on which EcoCheck works are also described in the newsletter.

This newsletter is the product of the Conceptual Ecological Model workshop, held in Louisiana in November, 2005. Coastal Louisiana is home to the nation’s largest port complex in both tonnage and infrastructure, and produces or transports nearly one-third of the nation’s oil and gas supply.

This edition of Chesapeake Update provides an overview of water quality and aquatic grass conditions over the summer of 2005. An explanation as to why these conditions occurred is provided–largely a combination of a wet spring followed by a dry, calm and relatively warm summer. The observed conditions are compared to those forecast to occur before the summer, and explanations for any differences is provided.

Chesapeake Bay has historically supported extensive bay grass (underwater grasses) meadows (>75,000 ha). However, water quality degradation from increased sediment and nutrient inputs has reduced the areal coverage and depth penetration of bay grasses, with one third of historical distributions remaining (21,648 ha; 1985-2004 mean). Chesapeake Bay underwater grasses are comprised of a variety of freshwater, brackish, and marine species.

This newsletter is the product of the May 2005 Vital Signs workshop, with participants from each of the 11 National Parks within the NCRN. The National Park Service (NPS) is implementing a series of programs designed to provide a stronger scientific basis for management actions. The Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) program was initiated in 1990 to help fulfill this mission.

This newsletter summarizes the main findings of an ecological forecast aimed at predicting changes in aquatic grass area within Chesapeake Bay for the current growing season. This forecast is part of a new initiative of the Chesapeake Bay Program to forecast a range of ecological conditions for the coming summer.

This newsletter summarizes the main findings and methods of a new initiative to forecast ecological conditions of Chesapeake Bay for the coming summer. This year’s forecast focuses on three important elements of the Bay’s health—dissolved oxygen (DO) in the Bay’s mainstem, harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Potomac River, and changes in submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) distribution.