Chesapeake Bay SAV Watchers

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SAV is sensitive to both positive and negative changes in water quality, and scientists and mangers often look at the status of SAV as an indicator of overall Chesapeake Bay health. Because SAV is such an important component of the Bay ecosystem, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) and its partners have remained committed to its restoration since the CBP was first established in 1983. Each year since 1984, scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) have partnered with the CBP to map SAV throughout the Bay and its tributaries from aerial imagery. This information has directly informed policy and management decisions that have led to one of the largest resurgences of SAV in the world.

Despite this significant success in protecting and restoring the Bay’s SAV, we have more work to do to meet our ultimate restoration target. The aerial survey provides useful information on the location and density of SAV beds throughout the Bay, but it does not provide local-scale data on SAV species diversity or habitat conditions. For this reason, scientists have asked volunteers for help collecting more widespread, coordinated, and detailed SAV data, which could inform new, targeted restoration efforts and management decisions that help us reach our SAV restoration target sooner.

Chesapeake Bay SAV Watchers is a program to provide volunteer scientists with an engaging and educational experience with submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) while also generating useful data for Bay scientists and managers. This is the first official SAV monitoring program for volunteer scientists developed by the Chesapeake Bay Program.