This document describes the scoring processes for the 15 indicators used in the 2021 Maryland Coastal Adaptation Report Card.

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This newsletter was created in collaboration with the Chesapeake Bay Science and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) to summarize the rational for the STAC Rising Water Temperatures workshop.

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This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. Since 2016, UMCES has engaged stakeholders throughout the watershed to transform the report card into an evaluation of the Chesapeake Watershed health. Watershed health includes traditional ecosystem indicators, but also social, economic, and cultural indicators. This is the second year the watershed has been scored, and four new indicators have been added.

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The first-ever Lower Kafue River Basin Report Card examines the health of the Kafue River in Zambia. Sixteen indicators in five categories were assessed across seven regions within the basin. The basin received a moderate score of 49, a C, illustrating that some regions of the basin are in better condition than others. This report card includes a detailed summary of the process and indicators as well as proposed management interventions and strategic actions to improve basin and river health.

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About one-third of the total population of the Great Lakes Basin lives within the Lake Erie Watershed. The lake provides drinking water for 11 million residents and is home to one of the largest freshwater commercial and recreational fisheries in the world. The lake and surrounding areas provide many recreational opportunities, such as camping, kayaking, boating, hiking, birding, and fishing, and are vital to the economy of the region.

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This newsletter summarizes outputs from the initial stakeholder workshop to develop the Kwando River Basin Report Card. The workshop took place from 9–11 March in Kasane, Botswana. More than 35 diverse stakeholders from 19 institutions came together at this workshop to conceptualize the river basin, create a shared vision, and discuss indicators for the Kwando River Basin Report Card.

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Effective coral reef conservation cannot be accomplished without an informed and engaged public. This status report is part of an ongoing series of documents to track the status and trends of coral reefs across the U.S. and its territories. The Flower Garden Banks coral reef status report is part of a larger effort to provide the public and decision-makers with information that helps us manage and conserve coral reef ecosystems.

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Early ecosystem health report cards focused on assessing the health of natural ecosystems, producing a “snapshot” of ecosystem health at one point in time. Ecosystem health report cards are used to guide efforts that improve ecosystem health through natural resources manage- ment and stakeholder engagement. Common themes among Report Cards include water quality and quantity and habitat. These indicators are not strictly environmental concerns, though.

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The aim of this report card is to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2018 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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