Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Habitat Requirements and Restoration Targets: A Technicaal Synthesis

Published:

December 1, 1992

One of the major factors contributing to the high productivity of Chesapeake Bay has been the historical abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). SAV in Chesapeake Bay include some twenty freshwater anbd marine species of rooted, flowering plants. SAV provide food for waterfowl and are critical habitat for shellfish and finfish. SAV also affect nutrient cycling, sediment stability, and water turbidity. However, a baywide decline of all SAV species in Chesapeake Bay began in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This SAV decline was related to increasing amounts of nutrients and sediments in the Bay. resulting from development of the Bay's shoreline and surrounding watershed.