Changes in Maryland's climate system will likely have far-reaching impacts, most notably those associated with rising sea level, increasing temperatures, and changes in precipitation patterns. Acknowledging the increasing likelihood and magnitude of these impacts and their associated risks is necessary to protect both natural and man-made environments for years to come.

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Agriculture is the largest commercial industry in Maryland, employing about 350,000 people, on almost 13,000 farms covering two million acres. With increasing impacts of climate change, water management will become a larger concern, rising temperatures, carbon dioxide, and ozone will increase stress on nearly all crop and livestock species, and pests and diseases, such as soybean rust will likely plague farmers in the future.

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Native to the Gulf of Mexico, Karenia brevis is a toxic dinoflagellate that blooms almost annually off the west coast of Florida. K. brevis blooms are not a new phenomenon on the west Florida shelf, and ships' logs suggest bloom-related events (fish kills) dating back to the 1500s. Coastal regions of Florida have experienced some of the most rapid population growth and development in the United States.

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As global temperatures and sea levels continue to rise, some organisms may thrive on Assateague Island while others may be replaced by more tolerant species. As storms intensify, the rate at which this Mid-Atlantic barrier island will experience overwash and rollover will increase. Ultimately, very different landscapes may change the access and experience that visitors enjoy today at Assateague Island National Seashore.

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Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are slices of the sea and coastline set aside because of their ecological importance. Creating an MPA requires a holistic approach that includes and integrates ecological, biological, social, and economic considerations. This approach cannot be successful without proper legislation, a functional institutional framework, financial resources, and active engagement of stakeholders.

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Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are slices of the sea and coastline set aside because of their ecological importance. Creating an MPA requires a holistic approach that includes and integrates ecological, biological, social, and economic considerations. This approach cannot be successful without proper legislation, a functional institutional framework, financial resources, and active engagement of stakeholders.

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Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are slices of the sea and coastline set aside because of their ecological importance. Creating an MPA requires a holistic approach that includes and integrates ecological, biological, social, and economic considerations. This approach cannot be successful without proper legislation, a functional institutional framework, financial resources, and active engagement of stakeholders.

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The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund was created in 2007 in an effort to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to these bays. The Trust Fund has focused its financial resources on the implementation of effective non-point source pollution control projects using best management practices (BMPs) in high priority watersheds. Examples of projects supported by the Trust Fund include stream channel restorations, stormwater retrofits, and cover crops.

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The burden of global, regional, and project reporting has been a longstanding concern of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), particularly on Smaller Island States (SIS). This newsletter uses an environmental case study to showcase how a simple, targeted, and strategic monitoring and reporting framework can facilitate streamlined reporting by allowing data and information to be used for multiple reporting requirements.

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The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund was created in 2007 in an effort to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to these bays. The Trust Fund has focused its financial resources on the implementation of effective non-point (i.e., diffuse) source pollution control projects in high priority watersheds. This newsletter details examples of projects supported by the Trust Fund including stream channel restorations, stormwater retrofits, and cover crops.

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