A Blueprint and Vision for Aquatic Ecosystem Research at the US EPA Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure

Abstract There is a recognized ongoing need to monitor the health of aquatic ecosystems and protect the ecosystem services they provide. In 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE) established strategic goals aimed at reducing the time required to characterize freshwater ecosystems and developing comprehensive information systems that can support a diverse range of environmental decision-making. The three pillars of aquatic ecosystem research within CCTE included the development and application of innovative methods and technology for monitoring, hypothesis-driven research to understand fundamental ecological mechanisms that can inform predictive models, and consideration of human dimensions through the monitoring and management continuum. Building on these pillars, we lay out a vision and blueprint for the development of fit-for-purpose ecosystem health dashboards as a means for the center or potentially for other organizations to achieve the strategic objectives identified.