The Department of the Interior Climate Science Centers (CSCs) and their managing organization, the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center at the U.S. Geological Survey, have chosen the emerging climate science field of Ecological Drought as a research focus area. This newsletter highlights the outcomes of a two-day workshop held in Amherst, Massachusetts, as part of a series of meetings at each of the nation’s eight CSCs.

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The aim of this report card is to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2015 Coastal Bays health. Coastal Bays health is defined as the progress of four water quality indicators (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen) and two biotic indicators (seagrass, hard clams) toward scientifically derived ecological thresholds or goals.

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This booklet provides an overview of the current science and management issues in the Maryland Coastal Bays and their watersheds in 2016. Previous assessments include the 2004 State of the Maryland Coastal Bays and the 2009 book, Shifting Sands: Environmental and cultural change in Maryland’s Coastal Bays .

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This booklet provides an overview of the current science and management issues in the Maryland Coastal Bays in 2016. The full report (which can be found here) includes two ‘booklets’ in one publication—one intended for those interested in the bay perspective, and the other for those interested in the land perspective. The two documents culminate in a summary centerfold which focuses on both watershed and bay issues.

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This booklet provides an overview of the current science and management issues in the Maryland Coastal Bays in 2016. The full report (which can be found here) includes two ‘booklets’ in one publication—one intended for those interested in the bay perspective, and the other for those interested in the land perspective. The two documents culminate in a summary centerfold which focuses on both watershed and bay issues.

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Assessment of natural resource condition within Shenandoah National Park was carried out using the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program Vital Signs ecological monitoring framework. The park was categorized into six reporting areas based on two altitudes and three major geology types underlying Shenandoah National Park. Thirty-one metrics were analyzed for 14 indicators grouped into four categories:

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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 construct 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 companion document to the report card contains information about the report card development process including workshops, data sources for all indicators, summary of analysis methods, and scoring details and results.

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This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of the Arauca River, a sub-basin in the Orinoco River Basin. In 2016, the overall grade for the Arauca River is a 51%, a C. This means the Arauca is in moderate health. For further details, visit the report card website at orinocoriver.ecoreportcard.org.

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This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of the Atabapo River, a sub-basin in the Orinoco River Basin. In 2016, the overall grade for the Atabapo River is a 72%, a B. This means the Atabapo is in moderately good health. For further details, visit the report card website at orinocoriver.ecoreportcard.org.

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