Status and Trends of Narragansett Bay and its Watershed: A Geographical Approach
Citation:
Monroy, E., J. Twichell, A. Kuhn, M. Charpentier, J. Swigor, J. Cressman, P. August, AND P. Jordan. Status and Trends of Narragansett Bay and its Watershed: A Geographical Approach. Northeast Arc Users Group, Newport, Rhode Island, November 05 - 08, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
Today’s environmental status of Narragansett Bay and the entire Narragansett Bay Watershed is the result of hundreds of years of human activities and environmental variability. Numerous organizations have worked together for decades to reverse trends of declining environmental conditions and to identify and understand new threats. Beginning in 2014, the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program brought together more than 50 practitioners from universities, organizations, and agencies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to collaborate on the 2017 State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed report. This report presents and tracks 24 indicators in order to evaluate key stressors to Narragansett Bay and its Watershed; assess the chemical, physical, and biological conditions; describe past and recent trends; look ahead to potential future changes, and to identify data and research needed to advance our understanding of these changes. By fostering a common understanding of historical trends and the present status, this report supports decision-making to protect, maintain and restore the essential attributes and functions of Narragansett Bay and its Watershed, and to sustain ecosystem services that provide benefits for people.
Description:
The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program developed 24 environmental indicators for its 2017 State of the Bay and its Watershed report with the collaboration of over 50 bi-state and regional partners. A geographical approach was undertaken at different scales using an array of geospatial methodologies to identify, synthesize, and analyze indicators and to report on their status and trends. This poster depicts a map of the watershed and bay, partitioned to showcase some of the most relevant results for a selection of indicators in each area. Mapping watershed stressors and conditions in this way highlights drivers of change as well as localized variation throughout the landscape and bay.