Water quality monitoring managers’ needs assessment workshop for estuarine, coastal, and ocean observations

The Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (MACOORA) hosted a Needs Assessment Workshop on Water Quality Monitoring for Managers In March 2008 as part of its mission to establish its regional, integrated ocean observing system driven by stakeholder input. The two-day Workshop focused on key coastal resource management issues in light of existing and contemplated observing systems, research priorities, and the needed cooperation among MACOORA sub-entities. The Workshop focused on the current management knowledge base and data availability for addressing water quality-related coastal resource management issues; the prioritization of water quality related coastal resources management issues; current capabilities to improve the condition of MACOORA estuaries and coastal bays; and the resource-use conflicts and management challenges for resolving the issues.This report contains proceedings of a two-day workshop help from 11-12 March 2008 at Ramada Inn- Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia (Essington) Pennsylvania.The workshop and this resulting publication were made possible by funds from MACOORA under NOAA award number NA05NOS4731130. This publication is the result of work sponsored by New Jersey Sea Grant with funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Sea Grant, U.S. Department of Commerce, under NOAA grant number NA6OAR4170086 and New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium/New Jersey Sea Grant with funds appropriated by the State of New Jersey.The publication codes for this report is: NJSG-08-705