IAN is committed to producing practical, user-centered communications that foster a better understanding of science and enable readers to pursue new opportunities in research, education, and environmental problem-solving. Our publications synthesize scientific findings using effective science communication techniques.

Texas Coast Ecosystem Health Report Card 2019 (Page 1)

Texas Coast Ecosystem Health Report Card 2019

Jamie Currie, Heath Kelsey, Emily Nastase ·
29 May 2019

IAN staff and HRI scientists collaborated in a series of workshops in 2016 and 2018 to produce the 2019 Texas Coast Ecosystem Health Report Card. This report card uses 13 biotic and 2 abiotic indicators to determine the overall condition of the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The coastline scored a B- (80%) overall, indicating moderately good ecosystem health. The report card breaks its indicators into five different categories: water quality, fisheries, birds, oysters and seagrasses.

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2018 Chesapeake Bay & Watershed Report Card (Page 1)

2018 Chesapeake Bay & Watershed Report Card

Alexandra Fries, Caroline Donovan, Dylan Taillie, Heath Kelsey, Sky Swanson, Bill Dennison ·
21 May 2019

This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. In 2018, the report card includes five water quality indicators and two biotic indicators. In 2018, the overall grade for Chesapeake Bay is a 46%, a C. This means the Bay is in moderate health. Despite the decrease in score from 2017, overall bay health is still significantly improving over time. Long term trends of each reporting region health and a fisheries index are also presented.

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2012-2017 Everglades Report Card (Page 1)

2012-2017 Everglades Report Card

Alexandra Fries, Emily Nastase, Bill Nuttle, Caroline Donovan, Heath Kelsey ·
23 April 2019

This is the first Everglades report card. It is a RECOVER product that provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of health of the Florida Everglades using data from May 1, 2012 – April 30, 2017. The Everglades Report Card, a complement to the 2019 System Status Report, assesses and synthesizes ecological data to evaluate overall ecosystem condition using performance-driven metrics compared against a goal or ecologically-relevant threshold.

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Tuul River Basin Report Card 2019 (Page 1)

Tuul River Basin Report Card 2019

Simon Costanzo, Dylan Taillie ·
22 March 2019

The Tuul River Basin Report Card—the first of its kind in Mongolia—assesses the basin's health through social, environmental and economic values that can be tracked over time in response to management actions and/or external pressures. The Tuul River Basin has been evaluated in this assessment as “moderate” health or ‘C’, meaning urgent management interventions are required to maintain the health of the river.

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2017 Maryland Coastal Bays Report Card (Page 1)

2017 Coastal Bays Report Card

Alexandra Fries, Emily Nastase ·
20 September 2018

The aim of this report card is to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2017 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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Yucatán State Report Card 2017 (Page 1)

Yucatán State Report Card 2017

Ize I, Guerra A, Zugazagoitia A, Kelsey H, Hawkey J, ·
2 August 2018

The first Yucatán Coast Report Card was released in April 2018, by the Laboratorio Nacional de Resiliencia Costera (LANRESC), in Sisal, Yucatán Mexico. The report card illustrates the unique connections of groundwater to important coastal resources and values through porous rock and a system of underground waterways. The report card scores indicators for biodiversity, habitat, and water resources.

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2017 Chesapeake Bay Report Card (Page 1)

2017 Chesapeake Bay Report Card

Dylan Taillie, Alexandra Fries, Jamie Currie, Bill Dennison, Heath Kelsey, Jason Howard, Emily Nastase ·
15 June 2018

In past report card years, specific regions throughout Chesapeake Bay have shown improving trends, but this is the first year that the overall Chesapeake Bay is showing significant improvement. Overall Chesapeake Bay Health Scores have been variable in the past. However, since 2015, Chesapeake Bay Health Scores have consistently been in the high C range (53, 54, 54). These consecutive high scores have contributed to an overall positive trajectory for the first time.

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