For Scientists
APNEP’s systems approach considers the hundreds of human and natural elements in the Albemarle-Pamlico ecosystem, as well as the relationships between them. APNEP’s management plan is based on a model of these relationships, ensuring that management actions directly target improvements in ecosystem services and are linked to explicit conservation goals.
Adaptive management requires setting environmental and management goals, then routinely evaluating progress toward achieving them. Adaptive management will ensure that management actions are routinely assessed, then continued, improved, or discontinued based on environmental evidence and community feedback. APNEP is committed to developing and applying information to support adaptive management practices, both internally and with its partners.
Science and Technical Advisory Committee
APNEP's Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) provides scientific and technical guidance to the Partnership on measures to restore and protect the natural resources of the Albemarle-Pamlico region. Since its inception in 2004, the STAC has worked to enhance scientific communication and outreach throughout the region.
Ecosystem Monitoring
Monitoring and assessment is an essential part of adaptive, ecosystem-based management, as it promotes accountability by evaluating whether or not management actions have resulted in progress toward stated environmental goals.
To ensure responsible stewardship of our sounds and the financial resources invested to protect them, APNEP coordinates with its agency partners to monitor and report on indicators of environmental health. The results of these monitoring efforts are compiled in a comprehensive assessment of the Albemarle-Pamlico ecosystem, which allows managers to target resources in areas where they are most needed.
