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NATIONAL COASTAL ASSESSMENT APPROACH AND FINDINGS IN THE NORTHEAST
Citation:
Walker, H A., J A. Kiddon, H Buffum, M Charpentier, G Pesch, D J. Cobb, AND W B. Galloway. NATIONAL COASTAL ASSESSMENT APPROACH AND FINDINGS IN THE NORTHEAST. Presented at EPA Science Forum 2004, Washington, DC, June 1-3, 2004.
Description:
The National Coastal Assessment (NCA) has three major goals: 1) assess ecological condition of the nation's estuarine resources based on comparable data of known quality, 2) determine reference conditions for more detailed studies of ecological stressors and responses, and 3) help build infrastructure in states and EPA Regions for more effective reporting to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act. In the Northeast, the implementation strategy and approach involves extensive partnering with state resource agencies in collection, processing and analysis of coastal data. In some states, it was possible to incorporate pre-existing sites into the NCA's probability survey design to increase sensitivity for detection of environmental trends. States in the Northeast agreed to share their data, facilitating rigorous quality assurance and providing an opportunity for states to learn quickly about conditions in their estuaries in relation to those of neighboring states. An electronic version of the Northeast Coastal Condition Report will be released in 2005, summarizing the 2000 and 2001 results and employing novel methods of data visualization and analysis that will facilitate technology transfer.