Monitoring and Assessment Teams

Two of the four phases of APNEP's adaptive management cycle, “Monitoring” and “Assessment,” help ensure that stakeholders have regular, reliable decision support as to whether CCMP outcomes and actions are being achieved. To leverage program capacity and promote partner collaboration when implementing these two crucial phases, during 2008-2009 APNEP established six Monitoring & Assessment Teams (MATs), each focused on a major sub-system of the Albemarle-Pamlico regional ecosystem.  A seventh team that addresses a specific wetland type, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) was added in 2011.

Each MAT is composed of volunteers from federal and state agencies, current and former STAC members, plus other scientists and technologists from APNEP partner organizations.

The Science and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) complements MAT activities by addressing any additional cross-resource/team issues. Thus in practice, the seven MATs and STAC collectively are developing and then refining an integrated monitoring and assessment framework and operations plan for the Albemarle-Pamlico regional ecosystem.