Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Integrated Approach To Understand Relationships Between Shallow Water Benthic Community Structure And Ecosystem Function Serdp Project Si-1335, Linda C. Schaffner, Iris C. Anderson, Jennifer W. Stanhope, David J. Gillett, William J. Metcalfe, Alice M.Z. Brylawski

Reports

Human activities along our nation's coasts often lead to habitat modification, pollution, and overexploitation of living resources in coastal and estuarine waters (U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy 2004). Coastal areas are the most developed regions of the United States. In addition to recreational and leisure activities, these areas support commercial fishing, aquaculture, shipping, and defense activities. Numerous human activities can have detrimental effects on biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services that support and sustain human populations. Given their proximity to the land and human population centers, nearshore estuarine ecosystems are especially vulnerable. Effective management can be improved with a …