Scientific, Technical Assessment and Reporting

Cross-Goal Team Mapping Project January 2017

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement recognizes that “to be successful in achieving its goals and outcomes, progress must be made in a strategic manner, focusing on efforts that will achieve the most cost-effective results.” It further acknowledges that using place-based approaches, where appropriate, will help produce recognizable benefits to local communities while contributing to larger ecosystem goals.

STAR, with the CBP GIS Team, is supporting  a cross-outcome mapping effort for the Goal Implementation Teams (GITs) to more effectively collaborate on inter-related outcomes,  This project is helping to identify places where the CBP can more strategically make progress toward inter-related outcomes.

• Cross GIT Collaboration Mapping Project 2017 Updated Jan 18, 2017 (904.21 KB)
• Revised Management Questions Master January 23, 2017 (225.53 KB)
• Composite maps April 2017 (288.22 KB)
• Conservation Composite Data Inventory April 2017 (242.18 KB)
• Opportunity Threat Overlays March 2017 (110.98 KB)
• Restoration Composite Data Inventory January 2017 (181.45 KB)

Measure and Explain Water-Quality Changes

Midpoint Assessment Priority Work Plan: Measure and Explain Water Quality Changes

Lead: Scientific, Technical Analysis, and Report (STAR) Team

Full Title of Priority: Enhanced Analysis and Explanation of Water-Quality Data for the TMDL Mid-Point Assessment

The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) will enhance the analysis and explanation of monitoring information as part of the Mid-Point Assessment for the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sediment (Bay TMDL).

• STAR Measure and Explain Water Quality Trends Update 2016 Draft Dec 9 (186.98 KB)

American Shad Indicator Action Team

The American Shad Indicator Action Team (ASIAT) was assembled in summer 2012 as a joint effort between the Scientific and Technical Analysis and Reporting (STAR) Team and the Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team (Fisheries GIT). ASIAT’s purpose was to determine how to most accurately track the recovery progress of American Shad in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The ASIAT met seven times from August 2012 through August 2013 to review and update the Chesapeake Bay Program’s American Shad Abundance Indicator . In that time, the team added two new data sets to the indicator and updated the abundance targets for all Virginia tributaries based on historic population data. The team also agreed to a new weighting scheme for individual tributaries to calculate the Baywide shad abundance index. ASIAT may reconvene in late 2014 or 2015 to consider adding additional data to the indicator. Until then, Chesapeake Bay Program staff are working with ASIAT members to keep the indicator web page updated with the most recent data.

• ASIAT Membership List (58.95 KB)

Evolving the STAR Team to Better Meet the Science Needs of the Chesapeake Bay Program (2011)

The purpose of this report is to provide an implementation plan for Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Scientific, Technical Assessment, and Reporting (STAR) team to expand its science capacity to better meet the needs of the Goal Implementation Teams (GITs). The plan provides a revised purpose and functions of STAR, based on an adaptive-management approach, and recommends actions for evolving the STAR to include a broader group of science providers and enhancing interaction with the GITs to address their science needs.

• Final Report: Evolving the Scientific, Technical Assessment, and Reporting (STAR) Team to Better meet the Science needs of the Chesapeake Bay Program (February 2011) (1.19 MB)
• Presentation of Final Report to the CBP Management Board (March 2011) (623.07 KB)
• New Proposed Structure of STAR (November 2009) (1.43 MB)

Toxic Contaminants Action Team

For many years, scientists and resource managers have recognized that exposure to toxiccontaminants can result in adverse effects on biological resources within the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. In 2010, the President’s Chesapeake Bay Executive Order (EO 13508) Strategy directed Federal agencies to prepare a report summarizing information on the extent and severity of occurrence of toxic contamination in the Bay and its watershed. In responce to the Executive Order the Toxic Contaminants Action Team was charged with the task of developing this report. Findings in this report will be used by the CBP partnership to consider whether to adopt new goals for reducing inputs of toxic contaminants entering the Bay. This report also identifies research and monitoring gaps that could be considered to improve the understanding of the extent and severity occurrence of toxic contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. 

• Toxic Contaminants Action Team Members List (202.37 KB)
• Technical Report (2012): Toxic Contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed (6.08 MB)
• Toxic Contaminants Report Overview (330.41 KB)

Monitoring Re-Alignment Action Team Reports

In 2009 the CBP Management Board accepted the principal findings of a STAC review of Chesapeake Bay Program and charged the Monitoring Re-Alignment Action Team (MRAT) to developed a report to better align monitoring activities with the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership priorities.

• MRAT Presentation of Recommendations to the CBP Management Board (November 2009) (247.42 KB)
• MRAT Report Part A - MRAT Final Report to the CBP Management Board (October 2009) (284.66 KB)
• MRAT Report Part B - Development and Implementation of a Process for Establishing CBP's Monitoring Program Priorities and Objectives (March 2009) (42.29 KB)
• MRAT Report Part C - Recommendations to Improve Coordinated Nontidal Monitoring, Assessment, and Communication Activities in Support of Chesapeake Bay Restoration (August 2009) (814.6 KB)
• MRAT Report Part D - Monitoring Needs and Partnership Opportunities Assessment (September 2009) (721.17 KB)
• MRAT Report Part E - Considering Communications (September 2009) (37.42 KB)
• MRAT Report Part F - CBP's STAC Technical Review of the CBP's Monitoring Program: Lessons Learned from the MRAT Process (51.54 KB)