Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Workgroup
The Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Workgroup guides managers, provides technical expertise and applies research to protect and restore underwater grassees in the Chesapeake Bay.
Meetings
SAV Workgroup Summer Meeting - August 2025
SAV Workgroup Fall Meeting - November 2025
SAV Workgroup Spring Meeting - May 2025
Habitat GIT Virtual Spring 2025 Meeting
SAV Workgroup Winter Meeting - February 2025
About
The SAV Workgroup serves the broader Bay community by guiding managers on the protection and restoration of SAV. The Workgroup carries out its mission by providing technical expertise and applying research findings to issues impacting SAV in the Bay.
Projects
SAV Outcome Assessment
In ProgressThe Habitat Goal Implementation Team's recommendation to update the Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Outcome as the Chesapeake Bay Program considers revisions to the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.
Protecting Chesapeake Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Given Changing Hydrologic Conditions: Priority SAV Area Identification and Solutions Development
In ProgressThis project, conducted by Tetra Tech, evaluates how best management practices (BMPs) implemented across the Chesapeake Bay watershed influence the health of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)—a vital habitat that supports water quality, stabilizes sediment, and provides refuge for key fish and invertebrate species.
Modeling the Past to Predict the Future: Forecasting the Relative Role of Climate Change and Habitat Management on Chesapeake Bay SAV
CompleteThis project modeled the impact of climate change on underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay.
Chesapeake Bay SAV Monitoring Effort
The Chesapeake Bay Program has a three-tiered hierarchical monitoring approach for SAV.
Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Manual and Outreach Materials
This GIT Funded project developed a Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Manual and accompanying outreach materials.
Publications
2024-2025 SAV Action Plan
Publication date: Not listedThis two-year workplan identifies actions the workgroup will take to advance the SAV Outcome.
2024-2025 SAV Management Strategy
Publication date: Not listedThis management strategy identifies approaches for achieving the SAV Outcome.
View document [PDF, 519.6 KB] 2024-2025 SAV Management Strategy
Chesapeake Bay SAV Habitat Requirements and Restoration Targets: A Technical Synthesis
Publication date: Not listedThe first Chesapeake Bay SAV technical synthesis.
Chesapeake Bay SAV: A Second Technical Synthesis
Publication date: Not listedThe second Chesapeake Bay SAV technical synthesis.
View document [PDF, 9.8 MB] Chesapeake Bay SAV: A Second Technical Synthesis
Chesapeake Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV): A Third Technical Synthesis
Publication date: Not listedThe third Chesapeake Bay SAV technical synthesis.
Our Watershed Agreement Goals & Outcomes
Vital Habitats Goal
Our Members
- Brooke Landry (Chair)
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Brooke.Landry@maryland.gov - Rebecca Golden (Vice Chair)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) rebecca.golden@noaa.gov - Hadijah (Dede) Lawal (Staffer)
Chesapeake Research Consortium lawal.dede@epa.gov - Alyson Hall
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) achall@vims.edu - Amanda Shaver
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality amanda.shaver@deq.virginia.gov - Becky Swerida
Maryland Department of Natural Resources rebecca.swerida@maryland.gov - Bill Dennison
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science dennison@umces.edu - Bob Murphy
Tetra Tech Bob.Murphy@tetratech.com - Carl Friedrichs
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) carl.friedrichs@vims.edu - Cassie Gurbisz
St. Mary's College of Maryland cbgurbisz@smcm.edu - Chris Adriance
District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) Christopher.adriance@dc.gov - Chris Patrick
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) cpatrick@vims.edu - Cindy Johnson
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality csjohnson@deq.virginia.gov - Dave Wilcox
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) dwilcox@vims.edu - David O'Brien
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) David.L.O'Brien@noaa.gov - Doug Myers
Chesapeake Bay Foundation DMyers@cbf.org - Richard Zimmerman
Old Dominion University (ODU) rzimmerman@odu.edu - Don Weller
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) wellerd@si.edu - Enie Hensel
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) eniehensel@gmail.com - Erin Reilly
James River Association ereilly@thejamesriver.org - Erin Shields
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) eshields@vims.edu - Jackie Specht
Maryland Department of Natural Resources jackie.specht1@maryland.gov - Jessie Jarvis
University of North Carolina jessiecjarvis@gmail.com - Robert Orth
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) jjorth@vims.edu - Jonathan Lefcheck
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences jlefcheck@bigelow.org - Jonathan Watson
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) jonathan.watson@noaa.gov - Katia Engelhardt
UMCES Appalachian Laboratory engelhardt@al.umces.edu - Kayla Clauson
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Kayla.Clauson@delaware.gov - Kelly Somers
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 3 Somers.Kelly@epa.gov - Ken Moore
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) moore@vims.edu - Lauren Alvaro
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) lealvaro@vims.edu - Lora Harris
UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) harris@cbl.umces.edu - Lorie Staver
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science lstaver@umces.edu - Maile Neel
mneel@umd.edu - Magdalene Ngeve
magngeve@gmail.com - Marc Hensel
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) mjshensel@gmail.com - Mark Lewandowski
Maryland Department of Natural Resources mlewandowski@dnr.state.md.us - Mark Luckenbach
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) luck@vims.edu - Matt Robinson
District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) matthew.robinson@dc.gov - Megan Fitzgerald
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 3 fitzgerald.megan@epa.gov - Mike Johnson
Virginia Marine Resources Commission mike.johnson@mrc.virginia.gov - Mike Mansolino
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 3 mansolino.michael@epa.gov - Mike Naylor
Maryland Department of Natural Resources mike.naylor@maryland.gov - Mike Norman
Anne Arundel Community College cmnorman@aacc.edu - Nancy Rybicki
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) nrybicki@usgs.gov - Peter McGowan
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) peter_c_mcgowan@fws.gov - Peter Tango
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ptango@chesapeakebay.net - Rhianne Cofer
Old Dominion University (ODU) rcofer@odu.edu - Thomas Arnold
Dickinson College arnoldt@dickinson.edu - Tish Robertson
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality tlrobertson@deq.virginia.gov - Victoria Hill
Old Dominion University (ODU) vhill@odu.edu