About COAST (version 2.0)

The second release of COAST, (Version 2.0), focuses on the CBP water-quality and watershed goals. It is most useful to the CBP Federal, State, and non-governmental partners who implement management actions and provide grants to meet the goals. As more information becomes available at local scales, COAST should also become increasingly useful to local governments and watershed groups. COAST will help managers address questions such as:

• Where are the areas in the Bay watershed where management actions have the greatest potential to reduce nutrient and sediment loads to the Bay?
• What are the existing partner activities and resources that can be better aligned in an area?
• What is the optimal suite of actions to provide the greatest reduction of nutrient and sediment loads at the lowest cost?
• What are changes in water quality and progress toward management objectives?
• What are the factors affecting water-quality change?
• How can monitoring and progress results be evaluated to adjust strategies and management actions?

COAST provides information in an adaptive-management framework that emphasizes a structured and iterative decision process. Users are encouraged to follow the cycle of the COAST components . Most COAST components also have a suggested “decision process” to help users best utilize information to address each component.

• The COAST development team is continually adding more content to COAST, so check this site frequently for updates and new content.

The Navigation Menu

The navigation menu (left) reflects the adaptive-management steps described by the Executive Order.

• Partnership Goals
• Purpose: Learn about Chesapeake Bay environmental goals set by the partnership to better integrate them with local goals.
• Plan, Prioritize, and Implement
• Purpose: Learn about options for developing a management action plan
• Provides Decision Boxes for learning about existing activities.
• Provides Decision Boxes and tools for selecting priority areas.
• Provides Decision Boxes for selecting best management practices.
• Monitor Progress
• Purpose: Use monitoring networks and information to evaluate effectiveness of management actions
• Provides Decision Boxes on how to implement local monitoring networks and utilize monitoring networks to evaluate success
• Evaluate and Adjust
• Purpose: Reflect on available scientific information and monitoring results to adapt management plans in order to be more effective in the future
• Provides Decision Boxes on how to evaluate change and adjust future actions

Key Features

Decision Boxes

Example Decision Box Look here for specific information on how to address your goals in an adaptive management framework