Effects of seagrass biology on water quality in shallow regions of the lower Chesapeake Bay : final report

The changes in water quality within shallow water regions of the lower Chesapake Bay was compared seasonally from permanent stations located along transects across vegetated and unvegetated sites in shoal regions of the lower Chesapeake Bay. The effect of the seagrass bed on conditions inside compared to outside of the bed varied seasonally and could be related to bed biomass and develoment. During spring (April-June) the rapidly growing seagrass bed was a sink for nutrients, suspended inorganic particles and phytoplankton, while during the summer, as bed dieback progressed, resuspension and release of nutrients were observed. Reductions in suspended particle concentrations and light attenuation were generally not measurable until bed biomass exceeded 50-100 gdm m-2 or 25-50% vegetative cover. During April when nitrate levels in adjacent channel waters were observed to be highest (\u3e10 μM) rapid uptake, equivalent to 48% of nitrogen requirements for seagrass growth, reduced inorganic nitrogen standing stocks 73% within the bed compared to out. An unvegetated site which previously supported seagrass demonstrated little capacity to reduce measurable levels of suspended particles or nutrients, and resuspension of bottom sediments contributed to higher levels of suspended particle concentrations and turbidity in the unvegetated shallows compared to adjacent waters. (...

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in Delaware\u27s Inland Bays

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is an important living resource in many coastal areas throughout the world. These plant communities have been cited as some of the most biologically important in the world. ...https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/1127/thumbnail.jp

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay: A Barometer of Bay Health

In 1978, a program was initiated in the Chesapeake Bay region to investigate the decline of submerged aquatic vegetation (SA V), potential factors that may have led to its decline, its distribution and abundance, and its .role and value. The program began with little available background data, but some very basic questions about SAV in the Bay were answered in the approximately three years of research that were funded. For example, it was determined that the decline of SAV was Baywide. All SA V species were affected and the decline was unprecedented in the recent history of the Bay. A second important finding was that the decline of SA V was most probably not related to any specific contaminant per se (e.g., herbicide contamination) but appeared to be related to deteriorating water quality in the Bay.https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/1160/thumbnail.jp