Aerial and Field SAV Observations

by Staff | March 28, 2012
Grasses decrease 21% Baywide due to extreme environmental conditions; Susquehanna Flats grass beds survive
An annual aerial survey led by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows that the abundance of underwater grasses in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers declined by 16,590 acres between 2010 and 2011.
The [...]

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by David Malmquist |April 21, 2011
An annual aerial survey led by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows that underwater grasses covered 79,675 acres of  Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers in 2010, a decrease of 6,239 acres from the previous year. This year’s values represent about 43 percent of the 185,000-acre [...]

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Past is Prologue / By Dr. Kent Mountford
Surveyors mapped the Susquehanna Flats accurately before the end of the 18th century, but their charts and the historical record leave considerable uncertainty about the status of submerged aquatic vegetation beds during the early years of the United States. The record is clear, though, that by the mid [...]

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by David Malmquist | July 28, 2010
Nutrient inputs, especially nitrogen, remain primary challenge
A major new study comparing water quality and coverage of underwater grasses throughout Chesapeake Bay from 1984 to 2006 shows a clear link between the abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and levels of nitrogen in Bay waters. When nitrogen levels rise, [...]

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by Staff | April 27, 2010
An annual aerial survey led by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows that underwater grasses covered 85,899 acres of  Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers in 2009. This was a 12 percent increase from 76,860 acres in 2008 and the highest baywide acreage since 2002. [...]

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by David Malmquist and Jon Schwedler | July 1, 2009
Researchers with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science will collaborate with public and private partners on a new effort to restore oysters, seagrass, and bay scallops to the Commonwealth’s seaside bays.
The $2 million, 18-month project is a partnership between VIMS, The Nature Conservancy of Virginia, the [...]

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by Staff | June 29, 2009
First comprehensive analysis shows 58% of seagrass meadows in decline
An international team of scientists warns that accelerating losses of seagrasses across the globe threaten the immediate health and long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems. The team has compiled and analyzed the first comprehensive global assessment of seagrass observations and found that [...]

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by Cathy Wazniak | June 4, 2009
Underwater seagrass abundance in Maryland and Virginia’s coastal bays increased by 17 percent last year, from 9,319 acres in 2007 to 10,916 acres in 2008. While this increase may be a sign that the 3 year downward trend may have halted, it is still one of the lowest acreages [...]

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by David Malmquist | June 4, 2009
Researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) have created an interactive map that allows web users to see the coverage of underwater grasses in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
The tool, created using Google Maps™ by researchers in the Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) program at VIMS, is designed [...]

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by David Malmquist | May 6, 2009
Professor Robert Orth of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science will present a public talk on his team’s success in ongoing efforts to restore underwater grasses to the seaside lagoons of Virginia’s Eastern Shore during the International Marine Conservation Congress in Washington, D.C. on May 20th.
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