Science of Ecosystem-based Management -

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Résumé :
Science for Ecosystem-based Management: Narragansett Bay in the 21st Century addresses the broad problem of coastal nutrient pollution. In the U.S., approximately two thirds of the coastal rivers and bays are moderately to severely degraded from nutrient pollution. However, debates continue about how large a problem nutrient pollution is and what actions to take, and since effective management requires decisions at a local scale, an in-depth case study can provide valuable guidance. Narragansett Bay is one of the best-studied estuaries in the world. Rhode Island has been developing regulatory and management actions to reduce nutrient inputs, particularly those of nitrogen, to the waters of Narragansett Bay. This book was developed in response to a symposium addressing this mandate with coastal/estuarine scientists and environmental management agency personnel. The contributors use long-term data sets to discuss the interactions among biological, ecological, chemical, and physical processes, and discuss what is known about nutrient inputs to the bay ecosystem, the impacts related to nutrient inputs, and how the ecosystem might respond to a sudden reduction in these inputs.

Sommaire:
Geologic and Contemporary Landscapes of the Narragansett Bay Ecosystem.- Narragansett Bay Amidst a Globally Changing Climate.- Estimating Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition in the Northeastern United States: Relevance to Narragansett Bay.- Groundwater Nitrogen Transport and Input along the Narragansett Bay Coastal Margin.- Nitrogen and Phosphorus Inputs to Narragansett Bay: Past, Present, and Future.- Nitrogen Inputs to Narragansett Bay: An Historical Perspective.- Anthropogenic Eutrophication of Narragansett Bay: Evidence from Dated Sediment Cores.- Circulation and Transport Dynamics in Narragansett Bay.- Critical Issues for Circulation Modeling of Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay.- The Dynamics of Water Exchange Between Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound.- Summer Bottom Water Dissolved Oxygen in Upper Narragansett Bay.- Evidence of Ecological Impacts from Excess Nutrients in Upper Narragansett Bay.- An Ecosystem-based Perspective of Mount Hope Bay.- Natural Viral Communities in the Narragansett Bay Ecosystem.- Nutrient and Plankton Dynamics in Narragansett Bay.- Narragansett Bay Ctenophore-Zooplankton-Phytoplankton Dynamics in a Changing Climate.- Coastal Salt Marsh Community Change in Narragansett Bay in Response to Cultural Eutrophication.- Impacts of Nutrients on Narragansett Bay Productivity: A Gradient Approach.- An Ecofunctional Approach to Ecosystem-based Management for Narragansett Bay.