ABSTRACT
CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 451 Historical Perspective ............................................................................................................................ 452 Pressure-State-Response Framework..................................................................................................... 453 PSIR Framework and Environmental Monitoring ................................................................................ 456 Continuing Challenges........................................................................................................................... 457
A More Comprehensive Scientific Approach .............................................................................. 457 Bridging a Widening Scientific Divide........................................................................................ 458 Governance Indicators.................................................................................................................. 460 Time Frame for Environmental Response ................................................................................... 460
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................. 461 Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................................. 462 References .............................................................................................................................................. 462
The rationale for developing an environmental indicator or index is to simplify, and to strive toward a parsimonious description of environmental measures that still retains meaning. Conceptually, environmental indicators are expected to function like economic indicators, i.e., relating to the economy as a whole. Some well-known examples of economic indicators include the jobless rate, hourly earning, interest rates, etc. The Consumer Price Index, based on a weighted average of retail prices of over 300 goods and services in selected localities around the country, is used to compare the cost of living in different geographical areas or time periods. Similarly, environmental indicators can be used to relay credible information about the overall condition of the environment whether it is used for scientific analyses or for policy decisions. This chapter provides background and a framework for using environmental indicators to manage estuarine resources and amenities, with a few illustrative examples of research that has been carried out in response to some pioneering legislation in the United States.
