The Galveston Bay Report Card (GBRC) is a citizen-driven, scientific analysis of the health of Galveston Bay. Supported by a grant from Houston Endowment and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the GBRC is implemented by the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) and the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC). The goal of the GBRC is to educate and engage community members in a meaningful discussion about keeping Galveston Bay healthy. The 2018 GBRC is the fourth edition and will continue to be updated annually. Through a series of surveys and interactive presentations disbursed to communities around the Bay, six categories were identified as health topics of interest to the communities surrounding the Bay in the fall of 2014: water quality, pollution events & sources, wildlife, habitat, human health risks, and coastal change. Researchers from HARC then analyzed data and trends for 22 indicators. What has emerged is a compelling story about Galveston Bay, its challenges, opportunities, and most significant needs. This easy to digest format is then distributed through marketing, presentations, and various community outreach events, and programs in the Houston-Galveston Area. The indicators selected represent what people want to know about Galveston Bay, which makes it the first community-based report cards. Galveston Bay Watershed stakeholders must ensure that the messaging used to reach these communities, delivered with the goal of empowering residents to protect their natural resources, is as unique and diverse as the communities themselves.
