Direct and indirect effects of human activities have taken atoll on the nation's estuaries, yet few direct linkages have been identified between human activities on land andresponses in estuarine ecosystems. The Atlantic Coast Environmental Indicators Consortium (www.aceinc.org) is oneof five national projects funded by EPA's EaGLe program. The goal of the EaGLe program is to develop the nextgeneration of ecological indicators that can be used in a comprehensive coastal monitoring program.