Science is the foundation of resource management. It provides information about natural processes and the effects of our activities, thus providing the knowledge we need to make effective resource management decisions. Monitoring helps recognize changes or trends over time.

Monitoring programs

• Water Quality Monitoring
• Seagrass Monitoring
• Algae Monitoring
• Scallop Spat Monitoring
• Fish Distribution and Abundance Monitoring
• Coral Assessment Monitoring
• Benthic Invertebrate Monitoring
• Listed Species Research and Monitoring
• Sea Turtle Monitoring
• Shorebird Monitoring

Other elements of the ecosystem science program at St. Joseph Bay include:

• Wildlife Stranding Response
• Mapping
• Modeling

More detailed information on each of these programs is available in the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve Management Plan.