Synthesis of U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem and Implications for Environmental Management

摘要

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the science agency for the Department of the Interior (DOI), has the critical role of providing scientific information that is utilized to document and understand ecosystem condition and change in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. The findings are used by resource managers and policy makers to assess the effectiveness of restoration actions and adapt improved strategies for the future. The Chesapeake Bay, the Nations largest estuary, has been affected by human-population increase resulting in degraded water quality, loss of habitat, and declines in populations of biological communities. Since the mid 1980s, the USGS has been a partner of the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), a multi-agency partnership working to restore the Bay ecosystem. The CBP created Chesapeake 2000, an agreement that established over 100 restoration commitments to be achieved during 20010. The major goals of the agreement are related to: (1) land use, (2) water quality, (3) vital habitats, (4) living resources, and (5) stewardship.