• Navigate COAST
• Home
• Learning Resources
• Chesapeake Action Plan
• Adaptive Management
• EO Interagency Decision Support Hub
• Using COAST
• Examples of Current Uses
• Adaptive Management Steps
• Assess the Problem
• CAP Goals Overview
• Planning for Actions
• Identify stakeholders & current activities
• Review objectives & strategies
• Decision Making
• Select areas to enhance actions
• Choose & implement actions
• Evaluate Actions
• Monitor change & assess progress
• Learning
• Evaluate change to adjust actions
• Toolkit
• Restoration Mapper
• Preservation Mapper
• Scenario Builder
• Riparian Buffer Mapper
• Water-quality monitoring results
• Contacts
• COAST Crew
• Feedback

Components of the COAST adaptive management cycle.

The COAST Mission:

The Chesapeake Online Adaptive Support Toolkit (COAST) is a web-based, decision-support system designed to assist land management and restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. COAST uses an adaptive-management framework to provide access to a diverse suite of models, monitoring data, and supporting information to help managers better target, implement, and assess the effectiveness of their activities. COAST employs a structured decision-making approach that emphasizes the opportunity for improved management as more is learned about the ecosystem over time. COAST supports the Chesapeake Action Plan, which is promoting an adaptive-management approach to address the major goals of the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP). COAST Version 2.0 focuses on addressing the CBP goals of restoring water quality and protecting forested lands within watersheds.

The COAST framework consists of six sequential components:

1. Identify stakeholders and current activities.
2. Review objectives and strategies.
3. Select areas to enhance actions.
4. Choose and implement actions.
5. Monitor change and assess progress.
6. Evaluate change and adjust actions.

Navigating COAST: Use the menu bar to the left or the COAST adaptive management cycle to navigate the Web site. Each COAST adaptive management step is focused by Chesapeake Action Plan (CAP) goals. The left menu bar groups the COAST adaptive management steps into major component of the decision making process.

Learn More:
Overview of COAST— Version 1.0 Briefing Paper
How to Use COAST
Chesapeake Action Plan