is a partnership program between NOAA Chesapeake Bay Program Office and the Integration and Application Network (IAN) at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences (UMCES). EcoCheck is located at the Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, on the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay. The purpose of EcoCheck is to enhance and support the science, management and restoration of Chesapeake Bay through the integration of geographically detailed assessments and forecasts. Effective management is essential for improved health of Chesapeake Bay and EcoCheck helps provide the support and knowledge needed for this effort.
Latest report
2009 Chesapeake Bay Summer Review
Low winter and spring Susquehanna flow and loads led scientists to forecast smaller-than-average anoxia and hypoxia for 2009 summer season. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) were also forecasted to be less severe than usual, but still present. However, observed summer conditions were worse than what was predicted, due to higher precipitation amounts in Maryland and Virginia tributary watersheds compared to the Susquehanna River watershed, which falls mainly in Pennsylvania. HABs in the Bay were average this year, but interestingly, there was a large macroalgal bloom in Tangier Sound. Here we summarize summer conditions and offer some explanations as to why they may have occurred.
Latest newsletter
Research findings for key bay fisheries species
Fisheries research funded by the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO) provides science and information to enable natural resource managers to make informed decisions. The NCBO Fisheries Science Symposium is a chance for fisheries scientists in the Bay area to present their research findings and create collaborations. This document is an EcoCheck/NCBO collaboration and summarizes some of the key topics presented at the 2009 symposium.
Latest Report Card
2008 Coastal Bays report card
This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2008 Coastal Bays’ health. Prepared annually, the report card rates six reporting regions of the Coastal Bays, using six indicators combined into a single overarching index of health. Health is defined as progress towards established scientifically derived ecological thresholds or goals. The overall health of Coastal Bays was moderate in 2008, obtaining a grade of C+. The report card website enables you to explore the report card in more detail via the regions and indicators.
Latest poster
Supporting management through an annual cycle of ecological forecasting and assessment
This poster describes a novel approach to supporting management through an annual cycle of ecological forecasting and integrated assessment. The cycle consists of: (1) forecasting Chesapeake Bay summer ecological conditions in spring; (2) tracking summer ecological conditions and assessing the accuracy of the forecast until fall; and, (3) completing the cycle in early spring by assessing overall Bay health and producing a geographically detailed ecosystem health report card.
The areas that EcoCheck focuses on are highlighted below.
• Increased understanding of how climatology affects fish recruitment in Chesapeake Bay.
• Incorporation of spatially explicit data into current management tools.
• Effective use of ecosystem health indicators.
• Prediction of fisheries variability with forecast models.
The EcoCheck approach builds on the circular relationship between assessment and forecasting. Assessments provide the data and questions from which quantitative forecast models are developed. Continued assessment enables the forecast models to be tested and refined. Given the size and complexity of the issues affecting the Bay, EcoCheck projects aim to be as geographically detailed as possible. Communication tools will be used to maximize impact of the project findings in terms of improving Bay management. We hope to make a maximum impact for a small program by working collaboratively with other programs.
