Coastal stewardship involves recognizing important aspects of landscape function in order to identify and mitigate impacts affecting the sustainability of ecosystems and communities. In collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), NOAA's National Ocean Service has worked to enhance our understanding of current conditions and potential impacts at Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR) with the goal of sustaining the ecological and aesthetic value of this coastal ecosystem. This document summarizes the results of our work toward an ecological characterization of CRNWR, with an emphasis on the water quality component. This study allowed us to exaine both spatial and temporal patterns.