This report summarizes the results of NOAA's sediment toxicity, chemistry, and benthic community studies in the Chesapeake Bay estuary. As part of the National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program, NOAA has conducted studies to determine the spatial extent and severity ...

This chapter reviews research on ecosystem metabolism in coastal environments, focusing on the history of methods development, spatial/temporal variations in rates, controlling factors, and application of these methods to address diverse scientific questions. Essential concepts and widely used terms are ...

An understanding of the mean and maximum dispersal distances of target species and subsequent scaling of management efforts to dispersal distance can be key in slowing, containing, or eradicating invasive species. However, dispersal distance is often difficult to measure. Patterns ...

Management of marine and estuarine fish and shellfish would benefit from a numerical approach that quantifies the impacts of climate variability and eutrophication. We present a proof-of-concept habitat volume model that incorporates predictions from a 3-dimensional biophysical model. Using temperature, ...

Fish movement and the spatial and temporal dynamics of hypoxia determine hypoxia exposure and the effect of poor water quality on nursery habitat function. Although water quality criteria for dissolved oxygen (DO) are well defined, hypoxia exposure of juvenile estuary-dependent ...

We use a regional comparison of Phragmites australis (common reed) subsp. americanus, P. australis subsp. berlandieri and introduced P. australis (possibly five sublineages) in the Chesapeake Bay, the St Lawrence River, Utah and the Gulf Coast to inform a North ...

The NCCOS Regional Ecological Assessments (REA) and NOAA National Benthic Inventory (NBI) include observations of water quality, sediment quality, fish and shellfish tissue chemical contaminants, and benthic infaunal abundance obtained from studies conducted since 1991 by NOAA and partnering institutions ...

The purpose of this manual is to provide a framework for the assessment of ecosystem health that may be adapted, or used in whole or part for application to other regions. Methods are provided for all aspects from sampling design ...

This report presents the results of a National Assessment Workshop held in August 1998 to address the problem of estuarine eutrophication. The assessment was based primarily on the results of the National Estuarine Eutrophication Survey, conducted by NOAA from 1992 ...

Hypoxia has become a world-wide phenomenon in the global coastal ocean and causes a deterioration of the structure and function of ecosystems. Based on the collective contributions of members of SCOR Working Group #128, the present study provides an overview ...