Eel Grass Restoration

8 Pages 1948 Words

actor in the decline of SAV in the Chesapeake Bay is excessive nutrients in the water. In small amounts, nutrients are a good thing. A healthy estuary is remarkably resilient and can even deal with excessive nutrients up to a point. Uncontrolled nutrient loading, however, causes algae bloom that clouds the water and blocks out sunlight necessary for the growth of SAV.
Research is now being completed on the massive decline of SAV in the Chesapeake Bay. One such study is being performed by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in which aerial photographs are taken of the bay region to calculate the total coverage of the SAV. Only 11 percent of the bay's historic underwater grasses remain. An overall increase in grasses has encouraged biologists over the past few years, but it's too early to tell if the trend will be long term. A reduction in nutrients is considered to be the primary reason for the resurgence in grasses. It is tempting to point to restrictions that have been put on industry and other point-source polluters as a factor in the nutrient reduction. However, the present increase in aquatic grasses has occurred during years of drought. Because the streams and rivers have been so low, they transported a much lighter load of nutrients. These nutrients build in the soils of the watershed, only to be flushed out in years of heavy rains.
On April 15th, 2003 the Chesapeake Bay Program approved the new bay grass restoration goal of 185,000 acres. Bay scientists say that this new bay grass goal, when combined with the recently adopted nu...