USGS

A Science Strategy to Support Management Decisions Related to Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Excess Nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin

U.S. Geological Circular 1270

 

Prepared by the Monitoring, Modeling, and Research Workgroup, Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force


The report is available in PDF format.


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Monitoring, Modeling, and Research (MMR) Strategy was developed under the auspices of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force. It describes a framework for monitoring, modeling, and research activities that will support management decisions related to achieving the three major goals: improving water-quality conditions in the Mississippi River Basin, reducing hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and improving the communities and economic conditions, in particular the agriculture, fisheries and recreation sectors, across the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basins. The Strategy describes the scientific information needed to support management actions and defines the scope, interrelation, and framework of the activities needed to provide that information. It describes existing programs and activities that contribute to the needed framework, identifies gaps and limitations in those existing activities, and outlines actions and resources needed to overcome those gaps and limitations. This information is provided in three areas of activities for both the Mississippi River Basin, including the Deltaic Plain, and the Northern Gulf of Mexico:

The Strategy also outlines mechanisms of coordination that are necessary to insure complete and timely transfer of the needed scientific information to decisionmakers and identifies resource needs required to provide the scientific information necessary to implement the Task Force Action Plan in a manner that enables management actions to adapt to new and changing scientific information. This Strategy is not an implementation plan and does not include a schedule of actions and associated costs for implementing those actions. It does provide valuable guidance to such an implementation plan.

Contents

FOREWORD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

Purpose of the Monitoring, Modeling, and Research Strategy

Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin

Relation to Management Action

Other Publications

MONITORING, MODELING, AND RESEARCH IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN

Basin Monitoring and Reporting

Needed Framework for Monitoring and Reporting

Existing Monitoring and Reporting Activities

Limitations in Existing Activities and Related Science Needs

Needed Coordination, Information Sharing, Synthesis, and Reporting

Basin Modeling and Research

Needed Framework for Modeling and Research

Nutrient Cycling

Management Practices Affecting Nutrient Transport in Watersheds

Watershed Models of Nutrient Dynamics and Management Activities

Existing Modeling and Research Activities

Limitations in Existing Activities and Related Science Needs

Needed Coordination, Information Sharing, Synthesis, and Reporting

Basin Social and Economic Research

Needed Framework for Social and Economic Research

Existing Social and Economic Research Activities

Limitations in Existing Activities and Related Science Needs

Needed Coordination, Information Sharing, Synthesis, and Reporting

MONITORING, MODELING, AND RESEARCH IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

Gulf Monitoring and Reporting

Needed Framework for Monitoring and Reporting

Existing Monitoring and Reporting Activities

Limitations in Existing Activities and Related Science Needs

Needed Coordination, Information Sharing, Synthesis, and Reporting

Gulf Modeling and Research

Needed Framework for Modeling and Research

Existing Modeling and Research Activities

Limitations in Existing Activities and Related Science Needs

Needed Coordination, Information Sharing, Synthesis, and Reporting

Gulf Social and Economic Research

Needed Framework for Social and Economic Research

Existing Social and Economic Research Activities

Limitations in Existing Activities and Related Science Needs

Needed Coordination, Information Sharing, Synthesis, and Reporting

COORDINATION AND INFORMATION NEEDS

Overall Coordination

Basin – Gulf Coordination

Other Information Needs

RESOURCE NEEDS

REFERENCES

APPENDIX I: MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS

APPENDIX II: PARTICIPANTS IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER/GULF OF MEXICO WATERSHED NUTRIENT TASK FORCE, MONITORING, MODELING, AND RESEARCH WORKSHOP



Suggested Citation:


Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, 2004, A Science Strategy to Support Management Decisions Related to Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Excess Nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin: prepared by the Monitoring, Modeling, and Research Workgroup of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1270, 58 p.


Available from:

 

U.S. Geological Survey

Information Services

Box 25286

Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225–0046

 

For more information about the USGS and its products:

 

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/

 


This report is available online in Portable Document Format (PDF). If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader, it is available for free download from Adobe Systems Incorporated.

 

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