The Estuarine and Great Lakes (EaGLe) Coastal Indicators Program: Centers Developing the Next Generation of Indicators

respectively), it has not been subjected to the Agency's required peer and policy review and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred. Executive Summary The Estuarine and Great Lakes (EaGLe) program was established to develop a suite of new, integrative indicators of ecological condition for the coastal zones of the contiguous United States. Human pressure on coastal zones is high and increasing, causing deterioration of US coastal ecosystems. Coastal regions are among our most important areas because they are where the majority of people live and recreate, where vast resources are concentrated, and where effects of disturbance are most acute. Indicators are needed that can not only assess coastal environmental condition, but also help diagnose causes of impairment so that abatement and restoration can occur. Current indicators have identified impairment over large areas of US coastline, but most are unable to consider new stressors (exotic species, climate change), distinguish among multiple stressors (e.g., contaminants vs. sedimentation or hypoxia), or pinpoint the cause of impairment. The next generation of coastal indicators needs to 1) link stressors with responses, 2) separate multiple stressors, 3) address multiple scales, 4) provide reference conditions, and 5) integrate diverse indicators. The EaGLe Centers have the collaborations and synergy to tackle these challenges and create better indicators for the nation's coasts. The structure created by the EaGLe Centers allows them to deal effectively with the complexities and challenges of coastal indicators research. The center structure allows for • standardization of research methods within and among Centers; • co-located data collection at multiple sites by many researchers representing multiple disciplines; • increased technology transfer among widely-dispersed researchers; • better regional problem solving and comparison of regional differences; • centralized data management, sharing and archiving; • advanced statistical analyses; • increased cost efficiency, enhanced leveraging, and attraction of matching funds; • training of future environmental scientists (Centers are supporting more than 70 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows); and • enhanced scientific and public outreach (EaGLe research has resulted in more than 70 manuscripts and even more scientific presentations at national meetings). The EaGLe Centers have created a critical mass of researchers working toward the common goal of developing the next generation of integrated, diagnostic coastal indicators. The program is more than just the sum of its parts. The communication that occurs within and among Centers through annual meetings, conference …