Shallow Water Habitat Sentinel Site Program Development Workshop

In Progress

The SAV Workgroup is leading a GIT-funded project to develop a Chesapeake Bay Shallow Water Habitat Sentinel Site Program. This program will monitor climate impacts on the functional value of shallow water habitats in Chesapeake Bay as well as the effectiveness of management measures taken by the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership beyond 2025. A scoping workshop to develop a Chesapeake Bay Shallow Water Habitat Sentinel Site Program was held September 17th and 18th.

Description

The purpose of sentinel site monitoring is to systematically observe and gather data from specific locations to track changes, assess environmental conditions, and provide early warning signals for potential issues. Sentinel site monitoring serves as a proactive and systematic approach to understanding, managing, and preserving ecosystems. By focusing on specific locations with known significance or vulnerability, these monitoring programs contribute to environmental conservation, research, and informed decision-making. 

We envisioned three broad steps in the development of a comprehensive Shallow Water Habitat Sentinel Site Program: 

  • Literature and Existing Program Review; identification of data gaps. Complete. The first step of this project was to conduct a review of current shallow water monitoring efforts, strategies, and data gaps.
  • Scoping Workshop. We are here. Workshop participants will assess where, when, and how a Shallow Water Habitat Sentinel Site Program can be implemented within the CBP Partnership. Broad workshop objectives are to determine how many sentinel sites to define, as well as the biotic (i.e., SAV, macroalgae, phytoplankton, forage fish composition, fish and shellfish, other invertebrate use, etc.) and abiotic (i.e., sediment type, water quality measurements, toxins, etc.) parameters to measure at each site, and with what frequency.
  • Full Shallow Water Habitat Sentinel Site Program Development. Next. With results and recommendations from the Literature Review and Scoping Workshop, Green Fin Studios, with guidance from the project Technical Lead and Steering Committee members, will conduct full Shallow Water Habitat Sentinel Site Program development. This will include identifying locations for sentinel site placement, developing protocols and datasheets for each parameter to be measured, identifying data portal options, and identification of potential program partners and sustainable funding sources. Further, a basic feasibility assessment for implementing this Sentinel Site Program will be conducted.

Project Resources