Chesapeake Seagrass Area Declines By 7% In On Year - H2O Temps, Runoff Likely To Blame

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay, a key indicator of the health of the waterway, decreased last year with high water temperatures and poor water quality eyed as factors, researchers said Thursday as they released the results of an annual survey.

The aerial survey conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science found the acres covered by the grasses last year dropped 7 percent from the year before, but the researchers say the acreage is still at its third highest level since annual surveys began in 1984.

Bay grasses are a key indicator of bay health because they provide food and habitat for many species, as well as helping water quality by adding oxygen and trapping sediment.

The upper bay and the upper Potomac River had the most coverage, particularly in the Susquehanna Flats in the upper bay. However, coverage in the upper bay slipped to 90 percent of the restoration goal after reaching 100 percent the year before. Large increases were seen in the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and part of the Sassafras River, but they were offset in part by losses elsewhere.

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http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110421/NEWS01/110421015