Note
As more humans inhabit coastal regions, a
global “anxiety” is developing about the health
of our aquatic ecosystems. This anxiety is particularly
prevalent in the United States, where
more than half the population now inhabits
coastal freshwater or marine ecosystems. One
component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s (NOAA’s) Oceans
and Human Health Initiative addresses the concept
of marine sentinel organisms. As discussed
by Grosell and Walsh (this issue), such sentinels
are used to gain early warnings about current
or potential negative trends and impacts.