Benthos monitoring is designed to give comprehensive spatial and temporal information on benthic conditions in the Bay. Maryland and Virginia, in cooperation with the Bay Program, have monitored benthic species abundance in the Bay mainstem and tributaries since the mid-1980s. Sampling parameters include detailed taxonomic identifications and abundance measurements of target trophic groups, and geometric shapes of various plankton taxon may be used in calculations to determine carbon sequestration in the Bay. This series of monitoring programs give comprehensive spatial and temporal information on the plankton community. EPA, the Bay Program has monitored phytoplankton and primary production in the Bay and its tributaries since August 1984. These contaminants have been found in sediments at high levels, as well as in the tissues of animals like birds and fish. Chemical ContaminantsĬhemical contaminants-both organic compounds and heavy metals-enter the Bay from a variety of sources, including wastewater, industries, atmospheric deposition and runoff from agricultural, urban and suburban land. Sediment suspended in the water column blocks light underwater grasses need to grow. Nutrients contribute to excessive algae growth and decomposition, which can deplete dissolved oxygen that aquatic life needs to survive. Nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended sediment are monitored through a tidal and non-tidal network of monitoring stations. Freshwater inputs influence Bay salinity, nutrient loads, dissolved oxygen levels and other water quality parameters, as well as indirectly affect fish and shellfish populations. Freshwater Inputsįreshwater flowing into the Bay is monitored through an extensive network of monitoring stations. Nineteen physical, chemical and biological characteristics are monitored 20 times a year in the Bay's mainstem and many tributaries. The Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program, which began in 1984, is a Bay-wide cooperative effort involving watershed jurisdictions, several federal agencies, 10 institutions and over 30 scientists. Monitoring the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries allows Bay Program partners to detect changes that take place in the ecosystem, reveals trends over time that can provide valuable information to policy makers and improves our understanding of the natural world.
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