Knowing the state of the bay: the need for a continuing process

More than three years of sponsored scientific work has been conducted by the Galveston Bay National Estuary Program (GBNEP) to address estuarine problems identified by consensus at the outset of the program. The purpose of this sponsored science has been to support ecosystem-level management planning in the creation of a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The purpose of this paper is to point out why this directed scientific program should continue indefinitely beyond the creation of the CCMP -- and specifically, how future State of the Bay Symposia like this one can help put the results to work.