To develop the native eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, as a biological indicator of nitrogen source, linkages between stable nitrogen isotopes in its tissues and land use adjacent to deployment stations were assessed. As part of a National Estuarine Research Reserve System Graduate Research Fellowship, this study focused on the Monie Bay component of Chesapeake Bay, MD Research Reserve, which includes Monie Bay and three similar tributary creeks which vary in their surrounding land use.

This report provides an assessment of eutrophic conditions for 141 U.S. estuaries. The report was based on data and information provided by scientists and experts from around the country. Results from the assessment show that two-thirds of the estuaries evaluated exhibited moderate to high levels of eutrophication. Report production was a collaborative effort between Suzanne Bricker (NOAA NCCOS), EcoCheck (NOAA-UMCES Partnership) and IAN. More information is available from the NEEA website.

This technical document provides a detailed of the methodology employed in generating the Bay Habitat Health Index used in the Chesapeake Bay Report Card.

Resource managers in South Florida recognize that they need to address threats to natural resources by taking action to restore and sustain ecosystems. The attention and resources formerly directed toward basic ecosystem research in South Florida are increasingly directed toward broader goals of a region-wide restoration effort.

This report was published by the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) project with the support of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). It provides new assessment tools for coastal management programs and discusses the key science outputs of the project. Science communicators at IAN worked with authors and designers to create nine figures for the 40-page report.

Monitoring water quality and determining nutrient inputs is essential to assess ecosystem health. Partnering with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program and the Department of Natural Resources, this study focused on four regions in Maryland's Coastal Bays. These regions, St Martins River, Public Landing, Johnson's Bay, and Chincoteague Island, were found to be nitrogen 'hotspots' by the 2004 water quality assessment study.

Knowing the condition of natural resources in national parks is fundamental to the National Park Service's (NPS) mission to maintain park resources "unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Most parks are open systems vulnerable to threats such as air and water pollution and invasive species, which originate outside of the park's boundaries.

This report was prepared by a working group of scientists & engineers as a rapid response to the national imperative to develop & execute a strategy for reducing hurricane risks in New Orleans & along the Louisiana coast, while sustaining the wetland-dominated landscapes that surround those population centers.

Scientists with expertise in oyster biology, restoration, and management within the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science met to discuss their diverse perspectives on bar cleaning and power dredging. They developed this consensus statement to offer the Center's best scientific advice to decision makers, managers, stakeholders and partners in oyster restoration.

This document describes the rationale and methods for determining the summer ecological forecasts for dissolved oxygen, harmful algal blooms and submerged aquatic vegetation for 2005.