An annual survey led by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows the abundance of underwater grasses in Chesapeake Bay increased 8% between 2015 and 2016, continuing an upward trend initiated in 2012.
The increase makes 2016 the second consecutive year since VIMS began its aerial survey in 1984 that the baywide acreage of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has reached a new high. A total of 97,433 acres of SAV were mapped in Chesapeake Bay during 2016.
An annual survey led by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows the abundance of underwater grasses in Chesapeake Bay increased 8% between 2015 and 2016, continuing an upward trend initiated in 2012.
The increase makes 2016 the second consecutive year since VIMS began its aerial survey in 1984 that the baywide acreage of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has reached a new high. A total of 97,433 acres of SAV were mapped in Chesapeake Bay during 2016.
Professor Robert “JJ” Orth, head of the SAV Monitoring and Restoration Program at VIMS, says “It was an impressive year, following on a previously impressive year. We are at numbers that we have not seen in—ever.”
The increase comes despite weather conditions and security restrictions that prevented acquisition of aerial imagery for portions of the Potomac River. “Even though we were unable to map a couple of areas that we know have a lot of SAV,” says Orth, “we are remarkably still above the 2015 baywide levels.”
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Image: Submerged Aquatic Vegetation. The interface between air and water near the Goodwin Islands reveals a mixed bed of eelgrass and widgeon grass. Credits E. French / Virginia Institute of Marine Science
