Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments

Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (MARISA)

Collaborating with Mid-Atlantic communities to enhance their resilience to a changing climate through improved data, place-based decision support, and public engagement

Featured Resources

Latest Releases

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Mitigation Grant Program
Mar 23, 2022

Natural disasters have become more frequent and destructive, with the damage from disasters affecting some communities—most notably, low-income and disadvantaged communities—more than others. Hazard risk mitigation could reduce disruption and damage, and equity issues are important in helping communities' mitigation efforts.
Impact Assessment and Management Challenges of Key Rural Human Health Infrastructure Under Sea Level Rise
Mar 22, 2022

This case study assessed the potential to geospatially quantify the impact of sea level rise on septic systems and adjacent water ways in rural Virginia. The study found that the data necessary to reliably quantify these impacts on a state-wide scale are lacking and need to be prioritized given the potential for extensive sea level rise impacts.

Climate Summary

Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Winter 2021-2022
Mar 15, 2022

A winter storm caused a traffic backup on Interstate 95 in northern Virginia for more than 24 hours. But despite several winter storms, the region largely received less than normal amounts of snow. Temperatures were generally a few degrees above normal for the season.

Featured Tool

Chesapeake Bay Model Inventory and Selection Tool (MIST)
Feb 16, 2021

The MIST tool is a collection of models relevant for water management and decisionmaking in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Mid-Atlantic region.

What We Do

MARISA’s broad regional support for climate-adaptation and resilience activities, including the Seasonal Climate Impacts Summary and climate-informed intensity-duration-frequency curves (graphical representations of rainfall probability) for the region, is complemented by research and outreach in three locations: Baltimore, Maryland; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Virginia’s rural coastal communities.

Assess and address the climate-sensitive needs of vulnerable communities in the region

Publications
Advance capabilities for community-adaptation planning through the co-production of data, information, and tools

Data Tools
Build workforce capacity through the robust engagement of diverse students and partners

Our Team
Evaluate impacts of MARISA activities, particularly in socially vulnerable communities

Our Team

Lead Principal Investigator

Debra Knopman, PhD

Senior Principal Researcher, RAND Corporation

View all project staff and Advisory Committee members

Get in Touch

If you’d like to find out more about our work or upcoming projects, get in touch with our program managers.

Krista Romita Grocholski, PhD

MARISA Program Manager
Physical Scientist, RAND Corporation

Lena Easton-Calabria

MARISA Program Manager
Policy Analyst, RAND Corporation

Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments

Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (MARISA)

Featured Resources

Latest Releases

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Mitigation Grant Program

Impact Assessment and Management Challenges of Key Rural Human Health Infrastructure Under Sea Level Rise

Climate Summary

Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Impacts Summary and Outlook: Winter 2021-2022

Featured Tool

Chesapeake Bay Model Inventory and Selection Tool (MIST)

What We Do

Assess and address the climate-sensitive needs of vulnerable communities in the region

Advance capabilities for community-adaptation planning through the co-production of data, information, and tools