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Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Project
SAV is an integral part of the Chesapeake's ecosystem providing
habitat for shellfish and fish, food for waterfowl and marsh mammals
and improved bay water quality. Since the early 1970s there has
been a documented decline in SAV throughout the Bay, however, recent
studies suggest the grasses are beginning to recover. Restoring SAV
to the Chesapeake Bay is essential to the recovery of the Bay. SAV
Research at Otter Point Creek (OPC) focuses on new methods to restore SAV.
Effects of species diversity on restoration success, types of starter plants
used, and quantifying growth and reproduction rates of various species used
for restoration are some of the OPC projects.
Researchers hope to:
- determine the effect of plant density and size on restoration success;
- identify and quantify the function of different species as it pertains
to improving water clarity, nutrient uptake and overall water quality; and
- track the distribution and plant health at various sites throughout the
marsh to explore the relationship between water quality and plant success.
The goal is to discover new and better ways to restore SAV to aquatic systems.
Additional efforts include exploring propagation protocol for various species,
examining growth and reproduction rates in a greenhouse and studying mechanisms
for nutrient uptake. SAV research is coordinated by the Reserve Research Coordinator
with help from OPC volunteers, interns and staff. This research will help to
improve the management and restoration of coastal systems.
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