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State-Federal Research Collaboration through the National Estuary Program
Citation:
Cicchetti, G. AND W. Fisher. State-Federal Research Collaboration through the National Estuary Program. Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America 39th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA, November 04 - 08, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
There are valuable ongoing collaborations between the EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) and estuaries across the country through the National Estuary Program, a program instituted through the Clean Water Act and supported through EPA's Office of Water. Estuaries are highly productive ecosystems that provide unique habitat for both freshwater and marine organisms and highly-valued ecosystem goods and services. Management for sustainable estuaries requires substantial knowledge concerning physical, chemical and biological aspects of this unique mixing zone. Scientists in ORD study estuaries and can provide insights needed by estuary managers. In turn, estuary managers can provide scientists the perspectives and types of questions they need to have answered in order to support sound, well-informed decision-making. Consequently, a natural collaboration has emerged,between ORD and several of the 28 NEPs across the country. This presentation characterizes the interactions of several ongoing and successful shared projects.
Description:
Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, providing unique habitat for freshwater and marine species as well as valuable social and economic benefits. The wealth of ecosystem goods and services from estuaries has led to growth and development of human communities in adjacent areas and a concomitant increase in human activities that degrade habitat and water quality. Management for sustainable estuaries necessarily balances environmental concerns with community social and economic values. The non-regulatory National Estuary Program (NEP), instituted by the Clean Water Act and supported through EPA’s Office of Water, provides opportunities for stakeholders to plan and manage ‘nationally significant’ estuaries. Each of the 28 estuaries currently in the NEP engages a diverse community of stakeholders, ensuring that local economic and social values are incorporated into estuary management plans. The real-world decisions faced by NEP managers provide fertile ground for applied research on estuarine water quality and aquatic life resources. The coastal ecology Divisions of EPA’s Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, are engaged in water quality and aquatic life research and have worked closely with NEP managers on multiple projects across the United States. Several of these collaborative efforts across the country are highlighted with the intent of fostering even greater focus and participation.