2016 Maryland Coastal Bays Report Card

Abstract

The aim of this report card is to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2016 Coastal Bays health. Coastal Bays health is defined as the progress of four water quality indicators (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a , dissolved oxygen and two biotic indicators (seagrass, hard clams) toward scientifically derived ecological thresholds or goals. The six indicators are combined into one overarching Coastal Bays Health Index, which is presented as the report card score. The overall score for the Coastal Bays was a C+ in 2016, a very similar score to the previous year. Additional information and data can be found on http://ecoreportcard.org/report-cards/maryland-coastal-bays/