NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) works in partnership with other federal agencies and coastal states to conduct assessments of ecological condition and potential stressor impacts throughout our Nation’s estuaries, coastal-ocean waters, and NOAA protected areas; carry out ...

Riprap-reinforced shorelines are becoming more prevalent as a result of increasing coastal development and sea level rise. Altered morphology at the land-water interface, associated with riprap shorelines, has the potential to reduce shore-zone habitat quality for associated nekton species. The ...

The presence of Vibrio vulnificus (Vv), a naturally-occurring bacteria that can be harmful to human health, is related to temperature and salinity. Vv forecasts for the Chesapeake Bay based on Operational Forecast Systems (CBOFS) include daily and next day probability ...

Multi-year nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) budgets were developed for the Patuxent River estuary, a seasonally stratified and moderately eutrophic tributary of Chesapeake Bay. Major inputs (point, diffuse, septic, and direct atmospheric) were measured for 13 years during which, large ...

Increased natural and anthropogenic stresses have threatened the Earth’s ability to meet growing human demands of food, energy and water (FEW) in a sustainable way. Although much progress has been made in the provision of individual component of FEW, it ...

Dissolved oxygen is a keystone molecule that is involved in the production, consumption, and cycling of organic matter and inorganic elements in the aquatic environment. The majority of multicellular plants and animals in coastal aquatic ecosystems require oxygen for proper ...

Studies on invasive plant management are often short in duration and limited in the methods tested, and lack an adequate description of plant communities that replace the invader following removal. Here we present a comprehensive review of management studies on ...

We review current understanding of the potential impact of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay. Scenarios for CO2 emissions indicate that by the end of the 21st century the Bay region will experience significant changes in climate forcings with respect ...

The combined effects of anthropogenic and biological CO2 inputs may lead to more rapid acidification in coastal waters compared to the open ocean. It is less clear, however, how redox reactions would contribute to acidification. Here we report estuarine acidification ...

Benthic–pelagic coupling in shallow estuarine and coastal environments is an important mode of particle and solute exchange and can influence lag times in the recovery of eutrophic ecosystems. Links between the water column and sediments are mediated by particulate organic ...