Technical Advisory Committee
Our Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) serves as advisors on science related to the estuary program, State of Our Estuaries Report, and the implementation of PREP's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The TAC is an open committee; anyone may join. It is made up of local, regional, university, state and federal partners, and other impacted groups who offer a range of technical and/or scientific expertise in navigating how PREP implements its goals to restore and protect our Great Bay and Hampton- Seabrook estuaries and watershed as a whole.
Committee members offer a range of experience in several fields, including environmental monitoring, water quality management, land use management, habitat protection, outreach and engagement, estuarine research, ecosystem health, and data analysis.
Our TAC holds at least two (2) official meetings per year. Subcommittee groups of the TAC may meet more or less frequently, especially to address specific projects.
Responsibilities and Bylaws of TAC Members
The primary responsibility of TAC members is to provide PREP’s Director and Management Committee with the best, objective advice on science and technical issues. This advice is applied to PREP’s projects and publications as needed.
Additionally, the TAC:
- Reviews technical documents for accuracy and providing feedback to MC Chair and Director
- Recommends forming and disbanding new TAC subcommittees and technical workgroups as needed with regard to addressing the overall needs expressed in the CCMP or that emerge during TAC meetings or technical review work
- Identifies emerging issues and resource management needs
- Assists in the synthesis of the State of Our Estuaries proceedings and reports
- Facilitates communication and collaboration among other specialized scientists or committees in the region
- Helps to raise local, state and national awareness for the uniqueness and environmental importance of the Great Bay and Hampton-Seabrook estuaries
- Assists in identifying funding opportunities to address science needs and advances overall PREP and any regional science agendas
Recent and upcoming TAC Meetings
Learn About Upcoming Meetings
If you would like to receive email invitations to our Technical Advisory Committee Meetings, please sign up to join the email list
PREP Technical Advisory Committee Meeting: Great Bay Estuary Eelgrass Status, Science, and Pathways Forward
PREP's most recent TAC Meeting was held on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, EST. It was a hybrid meeting held at New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 222 International Drive Suite 175, Portsmouth, NH 03801 and on Zoom.
Additional TAC Resources
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP)
Our work is informed by our Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. This plan details strategies and actions to tackle environmental challenges and promote sustainable estuary and watershed resources. It informs our work, our priorities, and the many organizations we partner with to carry out the plan. We update our CCMP approximately every ten years. Therefore, our CCMP is adaptive to emerging and present needs.
Research and Monitoring Plan (RAMP)
PREP's Integrated Research and Monitoring Plan: Goals, Conceptual Models, Questions describes the most critical research and monitoring activities to inform management actions aimed at protecting the Great Bay and Hampton-Seabrook Estuaries. The first PREP Monitoring Plan was published in 2004 and last updated in 2008 and was focused only on monitoring. This Plan includes research priorities and is based on models from Tampa Bay and Delaware Bay National Estuary Programs. The RAMP has been thoroughly reviewed for technical content by experts within each of the focus area fields. Over forty scientists and stakeholders approved the current draft (for technical merit), which covers the first two of four phases: “Goals” and “Models/Questions.” The “Humans” section will reviewed in a 2027 TAC Meeting. A preliminary version of the “Humans” section is included.
Click the image to the right to download a copy of PREP's RAMP.
State of Our Estuaries Report
Every five years (previously every three years), PREP prepares a State of Our Estuaries (SOOE) Report with extensive data and information on the status and trends of environmental indicators from the Piscataqua Region Watershed and estuaries. The 2023 State of Our Estuaries Report targets a broader audience and provides an overall assessment of the health of our estuaries using 22 water quality, biological and social/management indicators. The Extended Report provides a detailed analysis of the data collected over the period, and is intended to be used by technical and policy level audiences. The Residential Guide and Municipal Guide are handbooks for very specific audiences that translate science into action towards the goals of water quality improvement.
PREP Scholars Repository
The Scholars' Repository contains all reports, publications, data, and quality assurance project plans (QAPPs) produced, organized, or paid for by the Partnership (PREP). The collection includes records from 1979 to present.
